Lighthouse Park (hike) in West Vancouver and Cypress

Photo Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery

Ink and wash painting of Lighthouse Park. — Painted after a photo by Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France, CC BY 2.0.

Point Atkinson Lighthouse and its red-roofed station buildings rise from the granite at the tip of Lighthouse Park. — Hunter Reilly

From Marine Drive, turn left at Beacon Lane for the lot.

Is it for you?

Lighthouse Park gives you old-growth forest and a lighthouse view on a short wander, with toilets and a bus stop close by.

You’ll love Lighthouse Park if

You want big trees and the sea without a long hike.
You have a dog that likes to run off leash on forest trails.

Think twice if

You want a summit or a full day on the trail.
You need a step-free route, since Birdsong Path is the trail the park's stewards describe as accessible.

Pick the right months for this hike

West Van opens Lighthouse Park from 7 am to 10 pm every day of the year, and its pay parking runs year-round too. The small lot fills quickly whenever the weather is good, so West Van asks visitors to have another plan ready.

Know what catches hikers out here

West Van warns that some of the trails are challenging and asks for good walking shoes or hiking boots.
Fires and barbecues of every kind are banned in the park at all times because of the fire hazard.
Stay on the marked trails, which also keeps your dog within the off-leash rule.

Give the wildlife room

West Van says raccoons, coyotes, skunks, cougars and bears all live in the municipality. Birders come to Lighthouse Park for diving cormorants and soaring eagles. Feeding bears, cougars, coyotes or wolves is an offence under BC's Wildlife Act, and WildSafeBC says black bears usually den from December to April.

Follow North Shore Rescue's advice

Tell someone where you're going and carry a light once the afternoons shorten, as North Shore Rescue asks of every hiker. If someone is hurt on the shore rocks or a steep trail, call 911 early. North Shore Rescue answers about 130 calls a year and charges nothing for a rescue.

West Van says the Lighthouse Park trails are all fairly short and suit people of varying fitness levels, and it warns that some are challenging enough to need good walking shoes or hiking boots. The park covers about 75 hectares and protects one of the remaining old-growth coastal forests in the Lower Mainland. West Van's November 2025 trail map shows the network running from the Beacon Lane lot down to the shore at Juniper Point and the lighthouse viewpoint.

The light station grounds at Point Atkinson are closed to the public, so follow the trail map to the viewpoint that looks across at the tower. Birdsong Path follows part of Juniper Loop as the park's newer accessible trail, and it's the one path where dogs must stay on a short leash. The waters off the park are a Rockfish Protection Area.

Lighthouse Park keeps the same hours all winter, from 7 am to 10 pm, and its pay parking runs in every season. A 250 signed Horseshoe Bay stops on Marine Drive at Beacon Lane. The 250 trips signed Dundarave end at 25th Street, so check the sign before you board. From the stop, follow Beacon Lane and the signs to the park entrance.

The Lighthouse Park Preservation Society counts birds on the first Sunday of each month. Its fall 2026 schedule meets at the Birdsong Path entrance at 8:30 am on 1 November and 9 am on 6 December.

Worth knowing

Use the toilets in the parking lot before you set off, since West Van lists none out on the trails.
Leave the tour bus behind, because West Van allows no buses down Water Lane or into the park's lot.
On Marine Drive toward Horseshoe Bay, turn left onto Beacon Lane and follow the signs to the lot.

Quick answers about Lighthouse Park

How long are the trails in Lighthouse Park?

West Van publishes no distances for the Lighthouse Park trails. It describes them as fairly short and suited to varying fitness levels, with some challenging sections.

Can you walk to the Point Atkinson Lighthouse?

No. The light station grounds at Point Atkinson in Lighthouse Park are closed to the public, and a viewpoint on the park's trails looks across to the tower.

Are dogs allowed off leash in Lighthouse Park?

Yes. West Van allows well-behaved dogs off leash on the Lighthouse Park trails if they stay on them. On Birdsong Path dogs need a leash of two metres or less.

How do you get to Lighthouse Park by bus?

Take a 250 signed Horseshoe Bay along Marine Drive to the Beacon Lane stop, then follow Beacon Lane to Lighthouse Park. The 250 trips signed Dundarave turn back at 25th Street.

When is the season for Lighthouse Park?

Lighthouse Park is in season from all year. West Van opens Lighthouse Park from 7 am to 10 pm every day of the year, and its pay parking runs year-round too.

Within 12 km