Some of Lynda's favorite Vancouver Beaches and Parks.

Lynda's Vancouver
Beaches and Parks Page

English Bay and Staney Park (c) 1998 Lynda
The view from English Bay looking toward Stanley Park

Beaches:
The beaches around the city of Vancouver are Second and Third and Beaches by Stanley Park, English Bay (where you can find great views and sculpture and the Inukshuk, donated to the people of Vancouver by the Northwest Territories for Expo 86), Sunset Beach, Kitsilano Beach ( known as Kits beach, where you go to see and be seen) which also has a pool, Jericho Beach (which has a wonderful park, the Vancouver International Youth Hostel, and is where the Vancouver Folk Music Festival is held every year), Locarno Beach, Spanish Banks East and West (which were once proposed as the site for the Vancouver International Airport!! Luckily that never came about!), Towers Beach and Wreck Beach (Vancouver's infamous nude beach) which is hard to get to since you have to descend a steep trail from UBC or walk in from Spanish Banks. The advantage to this is that there is privacy. The people who use Wreck Beach are diverse and committed to keeping the beach clean and fun for everyone.

Volleyball at Spanish Banks

The beaches are well taken care of, they are groomed (you didn't think the tide nicely lined up those logs, did you?) and kept clean of litter by the parks department -- and they certainly have their work cut out for them after any of the Symphony of Fire nights, when hundreds of thousands of Vancouverites crowd the beaches for the spectacular Fireworks show. Almost all of them offer spectacular views of Vancouver and some sort of recreation as well. There is Volleyball at Spanish Banks, and there have been a couple of Beach Volleyball tournaments at Kits Beach too. You can play tennis at Kit's beach as well. If you fancy a cold swim, English Bay is the place where the annual Polar Bear Swim takes place every January 1.

The Inukshuk at English Bay
The beaches around Vancouver are beautiful
and offer many views of the city and her setting.
This is taken from Spanish Banks West.

Stanley Park has a couple of beaches surrounding it. Third beach is the farthest from the road and is probably the quietest. Second Beach is near the teahouse and has a concession stand, washrooms and changing rooms and a pool. There is lots of places to picnic and barbeque here and it makes a nice location for a day out. Of course there's more to Stanley Park than beaches, it house an Aquarium, and is 1000 acres of mostly wilderness near the centre of a huge metropolitan area. The Park is on a peninsula just off the downtown core and was created in the same year as Vancouver was incorporated, 1886. More than 100 years later, it is much beloved by Vancouverites and is often crowded on a sunny day, any time of year. Interestingly, the park is named for the same Lord Stanley as is the Stanley Cup.

Parks:

The Lighthouse at Lighthouse Park.
You can even see Mount Baker WA in the background!

Vancouver's parks aren't to be missed either. There are great parks all over the city, both small neighbourhood ones and enormous, famous ones as well. One of my favorite small ones is one that my mom used to take us to when my brother and I were small -- Maple Grove Park. Situated between 52nd Ave. and SW Marine Drive, it has all the usual park stuff: swings, a pool and picnic tables but also some of the biggest tree stumps you could imagine. They were great for playing hide and seek! Some of the larger and more famous parks include Stanley Park (see also above under beaches) and Hastings Park, which currently houses the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), but will be returned to a natural park in the year 2000. Another one not to be missed if you like the forest and leaving the city and cultivated parks behind, is Pacific Spirit Park (formerly known as the UBC Endowment Lands). Once on the trails and deep into the park, you feel as if you have left the city far behind.
Outside Vancouver the North Shore offers some wonderful parks. One of my favorites is Lynn Canyon (see below) and another is Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver It is 185 acres of virgin forest and is the last remaining stand of first-growth Douglas Fir. This and Whytecliff Park both have natural beauty and trails as well as having some excellent ocean views. Whytecliff Park is close to Horseshoe Bay and you can enjoy a lovely picnic there on the sun warmed rock watching eagles and ferries (to Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast) going by. It is also an underwater preserve and scuba diving is very popular there. All of these parks offer wilderness and stunning beauty.

Lynda and Joe enjoying sunshine and friendship on the rocks at Whytecliff Park.

Lynn Canyon:
Lynn Canyon is on the North Shore (local parlance for North and West Vancouver) in North Vancouver. It is a public park (free) and if you like the outdoors, is a great park that includes an Ecology Centre (also free, but they do solicit donations), stunning trails and a Suspension Bridge. The bridge hangs approximately 50 metres above Lynn Creek and provides a breathtaking and exciting view of the valley. Skip the Capilano Suspension Bridge and come straight here. You can hike the park and also swim in Lynn Creek, but the name is misleading as the water is often swift and there are areas with deadly undertows. There are drownings here every summer and you should only swim in designated areas. It's also very cold, but refreshing on a summer day!

This is a great bridge, but you might
not want to look down! It's a
20 story drop to the water!
The trees are tall and the hike is hilly
(note the man in the bottom right corner
of the photo, quite a ways below us)
but it's well worth walking and usually
the trails are tranquil.

There are numerous trails of varying difficulty covering the 617 acres of the park, and you can pick up a map at the Ecology Centre. You should make sure that you stick to the trails and there are signs on the fences that warn people not to go beyond the fencing. They are there for a reason, it is after all a canyon and has some treacherous areas behind that fencing. But, rain or shine, this is one of the most wonderful ways to spend a day. You can hike through the woods to a wooden foot bridge further down the trail if you don't want to cross the Suspension Bridge. You can get a real feel for the rainforest here and see some of the ways Mother Nature works -- this whole are was logged in the late 1800's. The forest that you see here today is mostly second growth, and is 70 to 90 years old. The underbrush is soft and even on a rainy day, the paths are relatively sheltered.

Trails run through Lynn Canyon Park,
sometimes boardwalks,
but mostly just natural trails.

The natural setting of the park allows you
to see things like the Nurse log (above)
and some birds and slugs too!

You can see the wooden footbridge above Twin Falls in Lynn Canyon.

Queen Elizabeth Park:

This is one of Vancouver's more popular parks with the tourists, and it is easy to see why -- with lovely views of the city and a glorious garden. It is built in an old rock quarry so is like the Buchart Gardens in Victoria, but the Buchart Gardens are much more impressive and are worth visiting if you are planning to see Victoria too. But the garden here at Queen Elizabeth Park is quite lovely as well and a much sought after location for wedding photography, I hear it is quite crowded with wedding parties on Saturdays! The park covers 53 acres and offers spectacular views of the city, harbour and mountains. The park was originally called "Little Mountain" and (I never knew this...) was an extinct volcano. It was re-named Queen Elizabeth Park in honour of a visit by the Queen and Prince Philip.

Queen Elizabeth Park in the summer
is often this crowded, but fall
& spring often offer better
views of the city.
You won't find the park this quiet on a sunny
summer Saturday as it seems like every
wedding in town wants to have their
pictures taken here!

In the gardens there is a small waterfall and ornamental creek with a small stone bridge crossing it. There is a wooden bridge above the waterfall which offers a lovely view of the gardens. Cement paths take you down into the bottom of the park and it is wheelchair accessible. The height of "Little Mountain" (highest point in the city at 150 metres above sea level) serves the city as well by being the location of a reservoir (one of several dotting the city). There is also the Blodell Conservatory which houses a rainforest like ecosystem in a dome. Just outside the Conservatory is the prime location for viewing the city and on a clear day in late fall or early spring when the mountains are still covered in snow, it is outstanding. If you are in the mood for a ball game, the north side of the park is known as the cheap seats for the Vancouver Canadians' games as you can see into Nat Bailey Stadium and watch a Triple A Pacific Coast baseball team (a farm team for the Anaheim Angels). It seems that the Vancouver Canadians have been purchased and are being moved to West Sacramento for the start of the 2000 season. I guess they'll be changing the name. It's really too bad to see the team go but the stadium has been the oldest one around for some time. Does anyone out there know what they are going to do with the land?

A bridge over the waterfall in
Queen Elizabeth Park is a
great viewpoint for the rest of the park.

The Blodell Conservatory

These are only a few of the parks in the Vancouver area there are far more than I could ever cover here, so I have just left you with a taste of those I have grown up with and loved.

Parks | Granville Island | Steveston | Victoria

Last Updated: 000724

The Inukshuk at English Bay	The beaches around Vancouver are beautiful and offer many views of the city and her setting. This is taken from Spanish Banks West.
Stanley Park has a couple of beaches surrounding it. Third beach is the farthest from the road and is probably the quietest. Second Beach is near the teahouse and has a concession stand, washrooms and changing rooms and a pool. There is lots of places to picnic and barbeque here and it makes a nice location for a day out. Of course there's more to Stanley Park than beaches, it house an Aquarium, and is 1000 acres of mostly wilderness near the centre of a huge metropolitan area. The Park is on a peninsula just off the downtown core and was created in the same year as Vancouver was incorporated, 1886. More than 100 years later, it is much beloved by Vancouverites and is often crowded on a sunny day, any time of year. Interestingly, the park is named for the same Lord Stanley as is the Stanley Cup.



*Parks:*
The Lighthouse at Lighthouse Park. You can even see Mount Baker WA in the background!
Vancouver's parks aren't to be missed either. There are great parks all over the city, both small neighbourhood ones and enormous, famous ones as well. One of my favorite small ones is one that my mom used to take us to when my brother and I were small -- Maple Grove Park. Situated between 52nd Ave. and SW Marine Drive, it has all the usual park stuff: swings, a pool and picnic tables but also some of the biggest tree stumps you could imagine. They were great for playing hide and seek! Some of the larger and more famous parks include Stanley Park (see also above under beaches) and Hastings Park, which currently houses the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE), but will be returned to a natural park in the year 2000. Another one not to be missed if you like the forest and leaving the city and cultivated parks behind, is Pacific Spirit Park (formerly known as the UBC Endowment Lands). Once on the trails and deep into the park, you feel as if you have left the city far behind. Outside Vancouver the North Shore offers some wonderful parks. One of my favorites is Lynn Canyon (see below) and another is Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver It is 185 acres of virgin forest and is the last remaining stand of first-growth Douglas Fir. This and Whytecliff Park both have natural beauty and trails as well as having some excellent ocean views. Whytecliff Park is close to Horseshoe Bay and you can enjoy a lovely picnic there on the sun warmed rock watching eagles and ferries (to Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast) going by. It is also an underwater preserve and scuba diving is very popular there. All of these parks offer wilderness and stunning beauty.
Lynda and Joe enjoying sunshine and friendship on the rocks at Whytecliff Park.
*Lynn Canyon:* Lynn Canyon is on the North Shore (local parlance for North and West Vancouver) in North Vancouver. It is a public park (free) and if you like the outdoors, is a great park that includes an Ecology Centre (also free, but they do solicit donations), stunning trails and a Suspension Bridge. The bridge hangs approximately 50 metres above Lynn Creek and provides a breathtaking and exciting view of the valley. Skip the Capilano Suspension Bridge and come straight here. You can hike the park and also swim in Lynn Creek, but the name is misleading as the water is often swift and there are areas with deadly undertows. There are drownings here every summer and you should only swim in designated areas. It's also very cold, but refreshing on a summer day!
This is a great bridge, but you might not want to look down! It's a 20 story drop to the water!	The trees are tall and the hike is hilly (note the man in the bottom right corner of the photo, quite a ways below us) but it's well worth walking and usually the trails are tranquil.
There are numerous trails of varying difficulty covering the 617 acres of the park, and you can pick up a map at the Ecology Centre. You should make sure that you stick to the trails and there are signs on the fences that warn people not to go beyond the fencing. They are there for a reason, it is after all a canyon and has some treacherous areas behind that fencing. But, rain or shine, this is one of the most wonderful ways to spend a day. You can hike through the woods to a wooden foot bridge further down the trail if you don't want to cross the Suspension Bridge. You can get a real feel for the rainforest here and see some of the ways Mother Nature works -- this whole are was logged in the late 1800's. The forest that you see here today is mostly second growth, and is 70 to 90 years old. The underbrush is soft and even on a rainy day, the paths are relatively sheltered.
Trails run through Lynn Canyon Park, sometimes boardwalks, but mostly just natural trails.	The natural setting of the park allows you to see things like the Nurse log (above) and some birds and slugs too!
You can see the wooden footbridge above Twin Falls in Lynn Canyon.

*Queen Elizabeth Park:*
This is one of Vancouver's more popular parks with the tourists, and it is easy to see why -- with lovely views of the city and a glorious garden. It is built in an old rock quarry so is like the Buchart Gardens in Victoria, but the Buchart Gardens are much more impressive and are worth visiting if you are planning to see Victoria too. But the garden here at Queen Elizabeth Park is quite lovely as well and a much sought after location for wedding photography, I hear it is quite crowded with wedding parties on Saturdays! The park covers 53 acres and offers spectacular views of the city, harbour and mountains. The park was originally called "Little Mountain" and (I never knew this...) was an extinct volcano. It was re-named Queen Elizabeth Park in honour of a visit by the Queen and Prince Philip.
Queen Elizabeth Park in the summer is often this crowded, but fall & spring often offer better views of the city.	You won't find the park this quiet on a sunny summer Saturday as it seems like every wedding in town wants to have their pictures taken here!
In the gardens there is a small waterfall and ornamental creek with a small stone bridge crossing it. There is a wooden bridge above the waterfall which offers a lovely view of the gardens. Cement paths take you down into the bottom of the park and it is wheelchair accessible. The height of "Little Mountain" (highest point in the city at 150 metres above sea level) serves the city as well by being the location of a reservoir (one of several dotting the city). There is also the Blodell Conservatory which houses a rainforest like ecosystem in a dome. Just outside the Conservatory is the prime location for viewing the city and on a clear day in late fall or early spring when the mountains are still covered in snow, it is outstanding. If you are in the mood for a ball game, the north side of the park is known as the cheap seats for the Vancouver Canadians' games as you can see into Nat Bailey Stadium and watch a Triple A Pacific Coast baseball team (a farm team for the Anaheim Angels). It seems that the Vancouver Canadians have been purchased and are being moved to West Sacramento for the start of the 2000 season. I guess they'll be changing the name. It's really too bad to see the team go but the stadium has been the oldest one around for some time. Does anyone out there know what they are going to do with the land?
A bridge over the waterfall in Queen Elizabeth Park is a great viewpoint for the rest of the park.	The Blodell Conservatory
These are only a few of the parks in the Vancouver area there are far more than I could ever cover here, so I have just left you with a taste of those I have grown up with and loved.