5 Great Places to Hike in Vancouver

Stanley Park - Vancouver

Holding the title of Vancouver’s largest park, Stanley Park contains an extensive network of hike-able trails. As this park is located right outside the downtown core, many people consider it a great place to start or end their Vancouver Seawall journey. Third Beach, Lost Lagoon, and Beaver Lake are all popular attractions located inside the park. For first time visitors, Stanley Park is a great way to experience many of the sights and sound of Vancouver in one day.

Brunswick Point - Delta

Brunswick Point is located in the suburb of Delta just a short drive south of Vancouver. Here lies a relatively flat trail that stretches 8 kilometres across a Fraser River dike. Views of the serene local farmland are available on one side of the trail, while views of the calm marshy shoreline are available on the other. A large metal gate separating industrial roads and train tracks from the walkway mark the end of the trail. From here, hikers must turn around and head back on the same beautiful trail. This trail is dog friendly and takes approximately one hour to complete.

This trail is a must see for people with an affinity for bird watching as it very close to Westham Island, a Reifel Bird Sanctuary. Westham Island is home to dozens of coastal bird species which tend to frequently pass by Brunswick Point making for some rare photo opportunities.

Pacific Spirit Regional Park - Vancouver

A large network of hiking trails can be found at the Pacific Spirit Regional Park which is located inside the University Endowment Lands on the west side of Vancouver. Hikers should pre-plan their route as this park stretches across 750 hectares of untouched forest. Most of the trails here are dog friendly and some even allow horse access. Trails here can take anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours to complete depending on which route is taken.

Grouse Grind – North Vancouver

The Grouse Grind is the hardest and steepest trail on the list and should only be attempted by hikers who are confident in their personal fitness level. This trail snakes its way up the side of Grouse Mountain, a local ski-hill during the wintertime. Hundreds of local Vancouverites challenge themselves every day by racing up the mountain for the best time. Typically, the Grouse Grind can take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2.5 hours to complete depending on how hard hikers wish to challenge themselves. Atop the trail lies Grouse Mountain’s lodge which features a fully licensed restaurant to cool exhausted hikers off. To get back down, you must take the gondola for a minimal fee.

Burnaby Lake - Burnaby

Burnaby Lake holds the title for the Lower Mainland’s largest lake and is only a short drive from Vancouver. The trail surrounding the perimeter of the lake is very flat and takes roughly two hours to complete. Although there isn’t much shade, the tranquil lake itself is almost always viewable which makes the trip well worth it. Burnaby Lake is also connected to the SkyTrain (Millennium Line), Vancouver’s light rail system, giving tourists from Vancouver easy access to a great half day trip
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