Field cards · 17 hikes · checked 16 Oct 2026
Start here · Hike
Quarry Rock in Deep Cove suits walkers who want a short forest hike on the Baden-Powell Trail to a rocky lookout over Indian Arm, and Destination Vancouver puts it at 4 km round trip with 100 metres of gain in about 1.5 hours.
Wear shoes that grip on the roots and stairs.
Painted after a photo by Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France, CC BY 2.0.
Chapter 01 · 3 places
Elfin Lakes suits hikers and cyclists who want a long, open ridge walk in Garibaldi Park above Squamish, and BC Parks puts the lakes 11 km from the Diamond Head lot with 600 m of elevation change and three to five hours one way. The trade-off is a 16 km drive up a road where BC Parks makes chains mandatory from October through May.
Distance 11 km · Pass BC Parks day-use
Carry chains from October through May, even on a bare road.
The Sea to Summit Trail suits strong hikers who want to earn the Sea to Sky Gondola's summit on foot and ride back down, climbing 918 m over 6.5 km from the base on Highway 99 just south of Squamish.
Distance 6.5 km one way · Pass None
The Stawamus Chief suits fit hikers who want a steep climb to granite summits above Howe Sound on the southern edge of Squamish, and BC Parks puts First Peak 1.5 km and 540 m up the trail.
Pass None
Pick a dry day, as the stair treads get slick in winter.
Chapter 02 · 4 places
Brandywine Falls suits anyone on Highway 99 between Squamish and Whistler who wants a big waterfall for a short walk, because BC Parks puts the viewing platform above the 70 m falls 10 to 20 minutes from the parking lot. The trade-off is the winter gate, which shuts after 31 October and leaves you to walk in on trails BC Parks doesn't maintain in winter.
Season May to October · Pass None
Bring drinking water, since the park has none.
Garibaldi Lake suits fit hikers who want the glacier-fed lake at the heart of Garibaldi Park between Squamish and Whistler, 9 km from the Rubble Creek parking lot on BC Parks' current pages.
Distance 9 km from the parking lot to… · Pass BC Parks day-use
Joffre Lakes Park, on Highway 99 east of Pemberton, suits hikers who want to climb past three glacier-fed lakes to Upper Joffre Lake beneath the Matier Glacier, about 400 m above the parking lot by BC Parks' figure.
Season June to October · Pass BC Parks day-use
Save your pass before Pemberton, as the park has no cell service.
Panorama Ridge suits strong, experienced hikers who want the high view over Garibaldi Lake and its glaciers, reached from the Rubble Creek trailhead by way of the lake or Taylor Meadows and then Helm Pass.
Distance 6 km from the parking lot to…
Shorter chapters
Chapter 03 · 2 places
The BCMC Trail in North Vancouver climbs 750 metres in 2.9 km through old-growth and second-growth forest to the top of Grouse Mountain, and it suits fit hikers who want the Grind's challenge on a rougher, more rustic path.
Distance 2.9 km
From October, carry a headlamp, since dark comes fast in the trees.
The Grouse Grind in North Vancouver climbs 800 metres in 2.5 km up the face of Grouse Mountain, and it suits fit hikers who want a steep, short workout with the city spread out at the top.
Distance 2.5 km one way
Chapter 04 · 2 places
The Twin Falls loop in Lynn Canyon Park suits families and short-stay visitors who want a rainforest walk over the free suspension bridge and back across Lynn Creek at Twin Falls, and the District of North Vancouver's park map gives it 1 km and 35 minutes.
Distance 1 km (0.6 miles)
Use the free east lot off Lillooet Road if the main lot fills.
The Lynn Loop at Lynn Headwaters Regional Park in North Vancouver suits families and easy-going hikers who want a creekside forest walk at the top of Lynn Valley Road, and Metro Vancouver gives it 5.2 km and two hours return.
Distance 5.2 km return
Chapter 05 · 2 places
Dog Mountain on Mount Seymour in North Vancouver suits families and snowshoers who want a short forest walk past First Lake to a viewpoint over Greater Vancouver, and BC Parks gives it 1 km to the lake and 2 km more to the top.
Distance 1 km to First Lake, 2 km from…
Winter parking passes open at 7 am two days ahead.
Quarry Rock in Deep Cove suits walkers who want a short forest hike on the Baden-Powell Trail to a rocky lookout over Indian Arm, and Destination Vancouver puts it at 4 km round trip with 100 metres of gain in about 1.5 hours.
Distance 4 km round-trip
Chapter 06 · 2 places
Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver suits walkers of most fitness levels who want short trails through old-growth coastal forest to a viewpoint over the Point Atkinson Lighthouse, and West Van opens it from 7 am to 10 pm every day.
Season all year
From Marine Drive, turn left at Beacon Lane for the lot.
Chapter 07 · 2 places
Mount Gardner suits hikers who want a full climb they can reach on foot from the Bowen Island ferry, with two helicopter platforms at the north summit looking toward Vancouver and the Sunshine Coast.
Distance 17 km
Budget five to seven hours from the ferry and back.
The Lions trail from the village of Lions Bay suits fit, experienced hikers who want to reach the notch beneath the twin peaks above Howe Sound, where the Village of Lions Bay puts the West Lion at 1,646 m.
Pass None
17 hikes
