Vancouver Hiking Trails RatingStanley Park in downtown Vancouver is a beautiful and astoundingly huge network of hiking/walking/biking trails.  An estimated 8 million hikers, walkers, rollerbladers and cyclists visit the park yearly.  The wonderful spider web of trails throughout the park add up to a staggering 200 kilometres, which explains how the park generally feels serene and relatively quiet most days despite its phenomenal popularity.

  • Vancouver Hiking Trails ProHuge park with a ton of variety
  • Vancouver Hiking Trails ProAlways something fun going on
  • Vancouver Hiking Trails ProWonderfully wild, west coast forest
  • Vancouver Hiking Trails ProImpressive things to see everywhere
  • Vancouver Hiking Trails ProSeawall around the park is amazing
  • Vancouver Hiking Trails ProLovely beaches to lounge in
  • Vancouver Hiking Trails ProPerfect 10 kilometre running route!
  • Vancouver Hiking Trails ProMany stunning views
  • Vancouver Hiking Trails ProEasily spend a whole day there!
  • Vancouver Hiking Trails ConLots & lots of people!

Vancouver Hiking Trails

Moderately Difficult Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverBlack Mountain Difficult and Steep Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverBrunswick Mountain Easy Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverBurnaby Lake Easy Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverBurnaby Mountain Difficult and Steep Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverColiseum Mountain Difficult and Steep Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverCrown Mountain Easy Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverCypress Falls Difficult and Steep Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverDeeks Peak Moderately Difficult Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverDeep Cove Easy Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverDeer Lake Easy Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverDog Mountain Moderately Steep Pay Use Trail - Hike in VancouverGoat Mountain Easy Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverGoldie Lake Steep Trail - Hike in VancouverGrouse Moderately Difficult Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverHollyburn MountainEasy Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverKitsilano Beaches Easy Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverLighthouse Park Easy Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverLynn Canyon Difficult and Steep Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverLynn Peak Difficult and Steep Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverMt Elsay Moderately Difficult Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverMt Fromme Very Steep Technical Terrain - Hike in VancouverMt Hanover Very Steep Technical Terrain - Hike in VancouverMt Harvey Difficult and Steep Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverMt Seymour Moderately Difficult Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverMt Strachan Moderately Difficult Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverMystery Lake Easy Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverPacific Spirit Easy Trail No Dogs - Hike in VancouverRice Lake Moderately Difficult Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverSt Mark's Easy Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverStanley Park Moderately Difficult Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverThe Lions Difficult and Steep Dog Friendly Trail - Hike in VancouverUnnecessary

Stanley Park can be walked or biked in any number of routes and lengths.  Certainly one of the popular, and most straight forward routes is by a large, 10k circle, paved trail that runs around the perimeter.  You can park at one end, for example near English Bay, and head along the coastal, paved trail and follow the beautiful circumference of Stanley Park and return to where you started after a wonderful and constantly scenic 10 kilometre seawall route. The interior trails wind their way through the unexpectedly huge trees within Stanley Park.  Some trees stand over 70 metres (249 ft) and are centuries old.  The more impressive trees include Douglas-fir, Western Red Cedar, Western Hemlock and Sitka Spruce.  The trees are numerous and the forest so thick that you would certainly get lost if not for the excellent and well organized trail layout in the park.  The park has frequent concession stands, washrooms and points of interest.  Stanley Park is also the home of the Vancouver Aquarium, with its considerable array of marine life, from penguins to Beluga whales.  Stanley Park is not so much a hike as an amazing walk, but certainly a must see in Vancouver.  It definitely is the most convenient and scenic.

Lions Gate Bridge Aerial View

Lions Gate Bridge Aerial View

If you are entering Vancouver from Lions Gate Bridge, you will notice just as you leave the bridge you will see a turn lane and road entering the park on your right.  This takes you to Prospect Point(pictured below).  This is a wonderful way to start your tour of the park.  A large viewing area over the ocean and Lions Gate Bridge amazingly close.  There is a small restaurant, a cafe and dozens of picnic tables in this amazing setting.  This is a fantastic way to watch sunsets and appreciate the enormous gap the Lions Gate Bridge spans.

Stanley Park in Vancouver

From Prospect Point, Stanley Park Road continues through the park with the next parking area being on your left for the Hollow Tree.  Definitely worth a look, this massive, now hollow tree has quite an interesting history, depicted on pictures and murals near it.  The next parking area is for Third Beach where you will find concessions, washrooms and stairs to this remote feeling and often very lively beach.  Further along the road you come to Second Beach, more concessions and home to frequent festivities throughout the year.  A huge swimming pool and kids play park is located here as well.  From here you can continue driving to English Bay or turn left and along Lost Lake, cutting across the park to the other side.

Discover Stanley Park at HikeInVan.com

Best Vancouver Hiking Trails

Best Whistler & Garibaldi Park Hiking Trails!

The Rainbow Trail is a convenient and popular trail near Whistler Village that takes you to Rainbow Lake as well as the Rainbow-Sproatt Flank Trail, Rainbow Falls, Hanging Lake, Madeley Lake, Beverley ...
Read more
Russet Lake is a surreal little paradise that lays at the base of The Fissile, in Garibaldi Provincial Park. The Fissile is the strikingly bronze mountain visible from Whistler Village.  From the Village ...
Read more
Hiking and biking trails are so abundant in Whistler that many go unnoticed, neglected or taken for granted.  The Flank Trail is one of these.  Most people in Whistler don't even know about it, but the ones ...
Read more
Skookumchuck Hot Springs(aka T'sek Hot Springs and St. Agnes Well), located two hours north of Whistler along the edge of the huge Lillooet River. The name Skookumchuck means "strong water" in the language ...
Read more
 

Whistler & Garibaldi Park Hiking by Month!

March is usually a snowy month in Whistler, though in 2024 not a whole lot of snow has fallen. Snowshoes are already not necessary for lots of trails in and ...
Read more
April in Whistler is a wonderful time of year.  The winter deep freeze ends and T-shirt weather erupts.  The village comes alive with overflowing patios and ...
Read more
May is an extraordinarily beautiful time of year in Whistler.  The days are longer and warmer and a great lull in between seasons happens.  Whistler is fairly ...
Read more
June is a pretty amazing month to hike in Whistler and Garibaldi Park.  The average low and high temperatures in Whistler range from 9c to 21c(48f/70f).  ...
Read more

Free Camping Gear Delivery to Garibaldi Park

Explore BC Hiking Destinations!

Whistler Hiking Trails

Hiking in Whistler is spectacular and wonderfully varied. Looking at a map of Whistler you see an extraordinary spider web of hiking trails that are unbelievably numerous. Easy trails, moderate trails and challenging hiking trails are all available. Another marvellous ...
Read more

Squamish Hiking Trails

Squamish is located in the midst of a staggering array of amazing hiking trails. Garibaldi Provincial Park sprawls alongside Squamish and up and beyond Whistler. Tantalus Provincial Park lays across the valley to the west and the wonderfully remote Callaghan Valley ...
Read more

Vancouver Hiking Trails

Vancouver is surrounded by seemingly endless hiking trails and mountains to explore.  Massive parks line up one after another.  Mount Seymour Provincial Park, Lynn Canyon Park, Grouse Mountain, Cypress Park and the enormous Garibaldi Park all contribute to Vancouver ...
Read more

Clayoquot Hiking Trails

Clayoquot Sound has a staggering array of hiking trails within it.  Between Tofino and Ucluelet, Pacific Rim Park has several wilderness and beach trails, each one radically different from the last.  The islands in the area are often Provincial parks on their own with ...
Read more

Victoria Hiking Trails

Victoria has a seemingly endless number of amazing hiking trails.  Most take you to wild and beautiful Pacific Ocean views and others take you to tranquil lakes in beautiful BC Coastal Rainforest wilderness.  Regional Parks and Provincial Parks are everywhere you turn in ...
Read more

The West Coast Trail

The West Coast Trail was created after decades of brutal and costly shipwrecks occurred along the West Coast of Vancouver Island.  One shipwreck in particular was so horrific, tragic and unbelievable that it forced the creation of a trail along the coast, which ...
Read more