Ten days in British Colombia is hardly enough time to explore the many trails, parks and wild places around Vancouver City and the Island. It did provide a sweet taste of Canada’s West Coast and beautiful sights of mountains, forests and coastlines – the ultimate formula for a happy wanderer.
I booked an Airbnb in the North Shore and it turned out to be a good base to access the best of Vancouver’s trails. Most trails are accessible by public bus and depart regularly from Lonsdale bus station. While there’s many amazing well-known trails – factors like park admission fees and avoiding crowds led me to explore the lesser known options. In this series, I take a look at my experience hiking these alternative trails. No matter which trail you choose to hike, Vancouver’s natural beauty will leave you wanting to see it all.
The Well-Known – Grouse Grind
The Grouse Grind is a popular 2.9 km trail up the mountain with 853 m elevation gain. On a busy day you’ll be climbing up “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster” alongside a steady stream of tourists and local hikers alike.
Photo Credit: janheuninck (flickr)
The Lesser Known – BCMC trail
The lesser known option is the BCMC trail through a forest located east of the Grouse Grind. The 3 km trail is much less congested and has the same elevation gain of 853 m. You can easily take your time, stopping for water breaks and photo opps without feeling like you’re in the way of faster trailblazers passing by.
Sofie and I took the bus to the entrance of the Grouse Mountain, arriving late in the morning. There was a long line waiting to approach the ticket counter for the gondola up the mountain. Our plan was to hop on the Skyride to the 1,213 m summit of Grouse Mountain and start hiking the trail leading to the 1,401 m summit of Goat Mountain. A round-trip ticket for the Skyride costs between $43.95 – $57.95 CAD. We choked at these prices and opted to find the head of the BCMC trail to hike up instead.
Sofie and I at the head of the BCMC trail
The bottom of the trail splits into two, one leading upward to Grouse Mountain and the other trail runs 10 km to Baden Powell Deep Cover, passing through Lynn Canyon. We approached a middle-aged woman wearing a tank top, showing off her toned arms and asked if we were following the right trail. She looked down at Sofie’s platform boots, barely hugging her ankles and scuffed, “There’s no way you’ll be able to hike up wearing those.” Sofie simply smiled back at her, as if to say, “Challenge accepted.”
Sofie conquering the BCMC Trail in platform boots
Sunlight peered through the trees, trickling down on the moss covered rocks, twisted roots and leaves on the forest floor. The forest contained the unexpected humidity. Our cheeks flushed red and sweat dripped down our backs. Each step tested the strength of our calves, as we followed the steep incline and bends on the narrow path.
A spider hanging out in the tall trees
We sat under a line of alpine trees on a part of the summit called the Cut, overlooking a view of distant lakes, mountains and Vancouver’s skyline. Empty chairs hung from cables motionless in the sky, awaiting the start of ski season a couple of months away.
View from the summit on Grouse Mountain
Under the warm sun, a group in their mid-twenties tossed about a disc in the open field, completing the 18-hole disc golf course. You can bring your own discs or purchase some from the chalet on the other side of Grouse.
Sophie and I hiked to uphill to the Plateau, where crowds of people meandered eating ice cream and beaver tails – a sugar coated Canadian staple or sat on the patio drinking beer. Grouse Mountain is where tourists from around the world go to find stereotypical Canadian icons. People flocked around the Lumberjack show – picture bearded men in plaid goofing around and throwing axes at a wood board. Two grizzly bears were quietly lounging around in a fenced in woodlot with a small pond. The refuge was designed to save the endangered bears and educate the public on BC’s wildlife.
We wandered up the start of the trail to Goat Mountain, tempted to master another summit but limited by the number of daylight hours left. A few meters into the hike we were rewarded with a clear, blue view of Kennedy Lake.
View of Kennedy Lake from the trail to Goat Mountain
There are two options for descending Grouse Mountain – if you’ve hiked either the Grouse Grind or BCMC – you can take the Skyride down for free. If you’ve hiked up, you might also want to hike back down. We passed a number of people heading down the BCMC trail. When we reached the Skyride, it seemed this was likely to avoid crazy, long line-up. Luckily, with two gondolas cramming people in at regular intervals we didn’t have to wait for more than 40 minutes. Although, we did unknowingly fail to get our free tickets issued before entering the line. The staff kindly held our spot at the boarding area, as I ran into the Chalet to get them. Sofie and I strategically picked a spot to look out the glass window. The gondola swept over miles of trees and downwards towards a view of Vancouver city.
View of Grouse Mountain while descending on the Skyride
How to Get There
From Lonsdale Ferry Terminal take #236 bus to Grouse Mountain.
Admission: Willing to hike? It’s free! Feeling lazy? $43.95 – $57.95 CAD
Don’t Forget: To accept the challenge and pack a picnic for when you reach the summit as a delicious reward and excuse to admire the view!
Pay Attention to: The time the Skyride opens and closes. If you want challenge yourself to hike both trails – start really early.
Are you inspired to go hiking in Vancouver? Have a favourite trail? Don’t be a stranger and leave a comment. I love to hear from fellow adventurers!
Want to find out more about hiking Vancouver? Check out these trails!
Wander The Blue 