Brunswick Mountain is the highest peak in the North Shore mountains. Located in the beautiful Cypress Provincial Park, Brunswick Mountain is among several other prominent summits on the amazing Howe Sound Crest Trail. You can reach Brunswick from the Howe Sound Crest Trail if you begin your hike from the Cypress Mountain Resort, however reaching it from the trailhead in Lions Bay is much shorter.
- Located in a vast wilderness
- On the Howe Sound Crest Trail
- Gorgeous views of Howe Sound
- Camping is allowed & free
- Rewarding & difficult summit
- One of many peaks in the area
- Not a well known hiking trail
- Bad weather makes it dangerous
- Too difficult for most hikers
- Parking is hopelessly inadequate
Vancouver Hiking Trails
Black Mountain Brunswick Mountain Burnaby Lake Burnaby Mountain Coliseum Mountain Crown Mountain Cypress Falls Deeks Peak Deep Cove Deer Lake Dog Mountain Goat Mountain Goldie Lake Grouse Hollyburn Mountain Kitsilano Beaches Lighthouse Park Lynn Canyon Lynn Peak Mt Elsay Mt Fromme Mt Hanover Mt Harvey Mt Seymour Mt Strachan Mystery Lake Pacific Spirit Rice Lake St Mark's Stanley Park The Lions Unnecessary
This trailhead is also used to reach The Lions, Mount Harvey and Mount Hanover. The trail is challenging as you gain considerable elevation in a short distance, 1550 metres in just 7.3k. The first half of the trail is fairly easy as you follow first a disused logging road for about 15 minutes (bear right at a fork), then a wide and fairly straight trail for another 20 minutes until you reach another junction. Take the trail (overgrown logging road) to the left which is well marked with flagging tape. You will shortly cross Magnesia Creek and the trail steepens as the logging road/trail becomes a trail and soon you will see a fork. Take the right fork and follow several switchbacks until you reach a ridge leading up to Brunswick Mountain. This final ridge ascent is very steep and exposed (class 3 scramble for about 1 kilometre), which can be very dangerous in poor weather. People have been airlifted from this section in the past due to poor weather moving in quickly to leave them unable to see. Unable to see you can find yourself unable to find your way up or down safely and the more you continue, the worse your situation becomes.
Brunswick Mountain is part of the amazing Howe Sound Crest Trail in Cypress Provincial Park and is one of the many beautiful peaks to be climbed if desired on the 29k trail. Among the hiker friendly mountains (in order from Cypress north) on the Howe Sound Crest Trail are: Mount Strachan, St Mark`s Summit, Unnecessary Mountain, The Lions, Mount Harvey, Mount Hanover, Brunswick Mountain and finally Deeks Peak.
The trailhead to Brunswick Mountain is tricky to find. It is located town of Lions Bay which is about an hours drive from downtown Vancouver or a half hour south of Squamish. From either direction on the Sea to Sky Highway, take the Lions Bay exit onto Oceanview Road (the 2nd Lions bay exit from either direction), then immediately turn left onto Cross Creek Road, then right onto Centre Road, then left onto Bayview Road, then left onto Mountain Drive, left again onto Sunset Road and park near the black gate at the dead end. Be sure to park legally as they actively tow illegally parked cars. More parking is available at the school 1 kilometre from here.
Discover Brunswick Mountain at HikeInVan.com
Best Whistler & Garibaldi Park Hiking Trails!
Whistler & Garibaldi Park Hiking by Month!
Explore BC Hiking Destinations!
Whistler Hiking Trails
Squamish Hiking Trails
Vancouver Hiking Trails
Clayoquot Hiking Trails
Victoria Hiking Trails
The West Coast Trail