From neighbourhood green spaces to world-ranked sanctuaries, Vancouver's parks are treasured, and more importantly, used. They are the backyard of the city – places like Pacific Spirit Park where residents walk the dog and Capilano River Park where they take the kids to learn about salmon. They are where people walk and picnic and play. They are the romantic places where love begins and they are the pretty places like Queen Elizabeth Park where couples take their wedding photos. They are Lynn Canyon where hikers challenge themselves physically and they are Lighthouse Park a place to pull up a log and watch the boats sail by.
There are hundreds of parks in the Metro Vancouver area. For information about provincial parks located near Vancouver, visit the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains parks page.
Learn More About Highlight Parks in Vancouver:
Stanley Park
Queen Elizabeth Park
Lighthouse Park
Capilano River Park and Salmon Hatchery
Pacific Spirit Park
Lynn Canyon Park
Stanley Park
Stanley Park hosts eight million visitors a year. With 400ha/1,000ac this oasis of tranquillity has room for them all, a park for all seasons and many reasons.
Within walking distance of downtown hotels, Stanley Park is the place to go for an afternoon. Walk, cycle or rollerblade the 8.8km/5.5mi seawall that circumnavigates the park and provides unforgettable ocean, mountain and city views. Or spend a week exploring more than 27km/17mi of forested trails, two fresh water lakes and many activities.
What's special
- The Vancouver Aquarium, Canada's largest aquarium facility, is located in the heart of the park.
- Learn about Aboriginal traditions at Klahowya Village, a fun, interactive display featuring hands-on crafts, cuisine, art kiosks and Spirit Catcher mini train tour.
- Great blue herons and bald eagles nest in the top branches of old growth cedar, hemlock and fir.
- Playground, tennis courts, a pitch and putt golf course and playing fields.
- Brockton Point totem poles.
- Outdoor heated pool at Second Beach, water park at Lumberman's Arch and beach bathing at Second and Third Beaches.
- Miniature train carries 200,000 happy passengers over trestles, through tunnels and back to the station through an enchanting forest. In October it morphs into "The Ghost Train" for Halloween fun then lights up the night with its "Bright Nights" Christmas display during December.
- Stanley Park Horse-Drawn Tours gives informative tours of park highlights from the comfort of an old fashioned carriage pulled by horses.
- TUTS – Theatre Under the Stars – a musical theatre tradition at Malkin Bowl each summer.
- Four full-service restaurants and several concessions.
- Rose and Perennial gardens.
More information
Stanley Park Site
Queen Elizabeth Park
Perched on the hill that marks the highest point in the city, this urban park with its manicured gardens and extensive horticulture displays is a prime location for wedding photographers.
What's special
- The Quarry Gardens – an excavation site that was reborn as the dramatic setting for seasonally cultivated gardens.
- Bloedel Conservatory – a glass-covered dome celebrating all that is tropical: koi fish, plants, trees and free-flying tropical birds.
- The Arboretum – an expanding collection of some 1,500 specimen trees.
- Painter's Corner – displays the work of local landscape painters and portrait artists.
- Expanses of green space and mature broad-leafed shade trees that encourage picnics and gatherings and lazy afternoons with a good book.
- Athletic activities: lawn bowling, tennis and Tai Chi in the morning.
- A par 3 pitch and putt golf course in a park setting.
- A full-service, upmarket restaurant with magnificent views of the city.
Close to
Cambie and 33rd Avenue, just minutes from downtown Vancouver.
More information
Queen Elizabeth Park Site
Lighthouse Park
Point Atkinson Lighthouse in West Vancouver is a beacon for boaters and a classic shot for photographers. It is just a ten-minute walk from the parking lot.
A network of connecting trails (10km/6mi) explore the park: rocky shorelines of bays and coves; dense old-growth forests; and granite outcrops that are 96 to 187 million years old. Situated on a promontory, the park provides exceptional views: Stanley Park and the city to the east; Bowen Island and the Strait of Georgia to the west.
It's the place to pull up a log, get comfortable and watch the boats go by – pretty sailboats, stately cruise ships and hardworking little tugs pulling barges bigger than apartment buildings. Sunsets? Lighthouse Park has the best view in the city.
Close to
The park is accessed off Marine Drive in West Vancouver, about 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver.
More information
Lighthouse Park Site
Capilano River Regional Park and Salmon Hatchery
Capilano River Regional Park is another of Vancouver's urban wilderness parks that while set in the midst of a residential area, preserves its wild side for animals and people alike.
What's special
- The salmon hatchery rears and releases millions of coho, chinook and steelhead fry. On their migratory return, viewers can watch the adult salmon swim past viewing windows set into the fish ladders. It's an unusual perspective, being literally face to face with these fish who are completing their journey against all odds. There is no charge to visit the display.
- Cleveland Dam is crucial to the city's water supply, regulating the flow of water over a spillway that offers a great view to visitors who walk across the dam.
- The Capilano Pacific Trail runs 7.5km/4.5mi down the canyon to Ambleside Park where the river empties into the Strait of Georgia. The second-growth evergreens and predominance of ferns on the forest floor are pure west coast rainforest. It's a beautiful hike in any weather as the dense canopy makes the best kind of umbrella.
Close to
The park is about 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver, located in North Vancouver off Capilano Road.
Pacific Spirit Regional Park
This massive green space is beloved for its dense canopy of interconnecting deciduous and coniferous trees. Trails are springy with mulch, making it the best place in the city for a walk or a run or a ride. Dogs love it too!
Located on the west side of the city, the park separates and wraps itself around the University of BC. As it does, it touches the Fraser River, the Strait of Georgia and Burrard Inlet. There are 73km/45mi of interconnecting trails covering a diverse terrain that includes rainforest, marshland and sandy beaches. At its eastern end the park extends into Camosum Bog, a 12,000-year-old ecosystem.
Close to
The best way to approach the park for the first time is to pick up a map and get oriented at the Park Centre located at 4915 West 16th.
Lynn Canyon Regional Park
Lynn Canyon Regional Park wraps itself around the deep gorge carved out of the mountains by Lynn Creek. Extending into the gorge, a suspension bridge sways some 15 storeys (50m/164ft) over the creek, crashing through the canyon below.
It is the route of choice to the other side – and free of charge. But for the faint of heart, a fixed bridge crosses the canyon downstream at Twin Falls. It also connects with the system of well-marked trails that offer routes for all abilities. Explore the interpretive displays at the Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre, or stop for a coffee, lunch or snack at the Lynn Canyon Cafe.
Close to
The park is about 20 minutes from downtown Vancouver, located in North Vancouver off Lynn Valley Road.
More information
Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre
Play a part in protecting BC's forests. Abide by local park rules, exercise caution and ensure all fires are extinguished. For more information on BC forest fires click here. To report a forest fire within BC from a cell phone, call *5555.
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