North Vancouver

Andrea's

A neighbourhood restaurant that's been around for a while. It serves mostly Greek and Italian food with large portions for reasonable prices.

$10-20

Arms Reach Bistro

More upscale restaurant overlooking Deep Cove. There's a small breakfast and lunch menu, while dinner covers seafood, pasta and a variety of meat dishes. Good spot for a romantic dinner or a nice dinner out.

11AM-10PM daily·Brunch $8-14, lunch $10-20, dinner mains $18-45; fixed-price menu on M Tu for $39

Black Bear Neighbourhood Pub

Popular spot to get a drink and watch the game. The menu has burgers, sandwiches and some traditional English fare, and the food is good.

Sun-Thu 11AM-midnight, Fri-Sat 11AM-1AM·Starters and shared plates $5-17, mains $12-20

Brazza

Coffee and one of the largest selections of gelato in the North Shore.

Mon-Fri 6AM-11PM, Sat Sun 8AM-11PM·$3-$7

Burgoo

Cozy restaurant with homey wood decor and a warm fireplace for those rainy Vancouver days. The kitchen serves up fairly large portions of soups, sandwiches, stews and curries. It's a frequent winner of best comfort food in local readers choice awards.

Sun-Wed 11AM-10PM; Thu-Sat 11AM-11PM·Starters $5-16; mains $11-18

Capilano Fish Hatchery

This is a working fish hatchery on the Capilano River within Capilano River Regional Park. There are many displays about salmon and the glass walls allow you to see the salmon jumping up the ladder during spawning season (roughly July to November). Within the park, there are many hiking trails and a picnic area at the Cleveland Dam.

Open daily spring/summer: 8AM - 9PM; at other times: 8AM - dusk·Free

Capilano River Regional Park

26 km of hiking trails mostly set in the rain forest along the Capilano River canyon. Trails are up and down with occasional steep sections. The Second Canyon Viewpoint Trail (starts near the fish hatchery) provides some stellar views of the canyon and Cleveland Dam in spring when water levels are high.

June-Aug 7AM-10PM, Sept-May 7AM-8PM·Free

Capilano Suspension Bridge

The largest of the two suspension bridges in the North Shore at 137 m across and sitting 70 m above the Capilano River, the Capilano Suspension Bridge offers visitors more than a wobbly walk. The area includes Treetops (a series of elevated platforms near the tree canopy), Cliffwalk (a series of narrow platforms suspended over the edge of the canyon), totem poles, and a few restaurants. Expect a curated, compact experience of British Columbia's nature; no hiking trails here. Gets very crowded on summer weekends. Bridge and far side of park are not wheelchair accessible.

Open daily June to Labour Day: 8AM - 8PM; winter: 9AM - 5PM (except Dec when it's 10AM - 9PM for the Canyon Lights); closed Dec 25·$25 child (6-12), $44 youth (13-16), $61 student (17+ with student ID), $68 senior, $73 adult

Cates Park

Good-sized community park with beaches, views, play areas and trails. The western part of the park has a sand and pebble beach with views of the Second Narrows Bridge, Burnaby Mountain, Burrard Inlet and the entrance to Indian Arm. There are a number of picnic tables, grassy areas and two playgrounds for children. In summer, there's a concession stand (Wally's Burgers). Easy to walk trails through the forest along the shore lead to the eastern part of the park, which has another playground, tennis courts, rocky beach and views of Indian Arm.

6AM-10PM·Free

Cleveland Dam

Located within Capilano River Regional Park. A good spot to take in the view. Looking north from the dam are the Lions and Capilano Lake, while south is the nearly 300 ft high spillway from the dam and Capilano Canyon. There are also some picnic tables nearby. The dam was built to build a reservoir for Metro Vancouver's drinking water and has appeared in TV shows (Smallville) and movies (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes).

Free

Deep Cove & Panorama Park

One of the prettier spots on the North Shore, with a beach, a couple of marinas and a cove framed by mountains. Panorama Park has picnic tables and grassy areas to sit and enjoy the view, as well as a beach with a roped off area for swimming. Across the street from the north end of the park, is the start of the popular Quarry Rock hike. At the south end of the park is Deep Cove Kayak, which has canoe, kayak and stand-up paddle board rentals and lessons. Gallant Ave is the main street and has shops and restaurants. Deep Cove is very popular on summer weekends, so take public transit or come early if you want to find a parking spot.

Deep Cove Brewing

Microbrewery, distillery and lounge with a number of house-made ales to go with their Deep Cove Lager. The lounge's menu is fairly diverse with sandwiches, mussels, ribs fondue and some Asian-inspired dishes, and there's often live entertainment on Friday or Saturday nights.

Mon-Thu noon-11PM, Fri-Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-10PM·$10-20

Deep Cove Kayak

Offers lessons, guided tours, and rents kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards. There are a variety of boat styles to suit your skill level and rentals range from a couple of hours to multi-day kayaking trips up Indian Arm. Reservations are recommended on summer weekends.

Mar Sat-Sun 10AM-dusk, Apr-May Sept-early Oct daily 10AM-dusk, June 9AM-dusk, July-Aug Mon-Fri 9AM-dusk Sat-Sun 8AM-dusk·Starts at $39 (stand-up paddleboard), $39 (single kayak or canoe), and $59 (double kayak) for two hours

End of the Line General Store

Cafe with a good selection of sandwiches, baked goods and little bites good for a full meal or a post-hike snack. There's also a shop with clothing, local arts and crafts, imported food and other odds and ends. The shop has a bit of history — it is the site of one of the original stores in Lynn Valley and is so named because it was the "end of the line" for the streetcar.

Sun-Thu 8AM-8PM, Fri Sat 8AM-9PM·Snacks and baked goods $2-6, sandwiches $8

Endless Biking

Rentals, lessons and guided rides. The guided rides range from scenic cross-country (bike rental included) to all-mountain rides (bike rental extra). Rentals range from e-bikes and cruisers to hardtail and full-suspension bikes, and can be booked by the hour or over several days.

9AM-6PM·Rentals: $35-65 for 4 hours, $50-95 for 24 hours; Guided rides $175-$220 per person (scenic), $275-465 for two riders (all-mountain & gravity tours)

Eye of the Wind

Wind turbine with a glass viewing pod at the top of the tower. It's on the peak of Grouse Mountain so the 360° views are spectacular (weather permitting, of course).

10AM-8PM·$15 add-on to the Skyride ticket

Fishworks

Seafood restaurant and oyster bar with a mix of traditional seafood dishes and more modern ones (clam spaghetti, lobster mac 'n' cheese, halibut poutine).

Mon-Fri 11:30AM-2:30PM and 5-10PM, Sat-Sun 5PM-10PM·Lunch $12-24, appetizers $8-16, mains $16-32

Grouse Mountain

Accessed through the Grouse Mountain Skyride at the northern end of Capilano Road (Exit 14 from Hwy 1 or bus #236 or #232). It is known for its terrain parks (Jib, Rookie and Advanced) and the great views it provides of Vancouver. You can also snowshoe on the trails at the top of the mountain. The ski area is usually open as long as the Skyride is open (9 am to 10 pm). Full day Downhill tickets are $45 (adult), $35 (youth), $35 (seniors) and $20 (child) with discounts for night skiing (4 pm).

Grouse Mountain Regional Park

Features the Grouse Grind, The busiest and best-known hiking trail in the Lower Mainland, the Grind is more of a fitness challenge than an outdoor experience. Nicknamed "Nature's Stairmaster", the 2,830 steps (2.9 km) climb nearly 1,000-m up the forested slopes of Grouse Mountain. There are unfortunately no real views from the trail but it does give a real sense of accomplishment when you break through the trees at the top and see the chalet. Fit hikers can do it in under an hour, the average time is 1.5-2 hours. Good footwear is recommended (no flip-flops), and in the late afternoon, make sure to allow enough time to complete the climb before dusk. Travel is one direction — up. Downhill travel is not permitted for safety reasons so hikers are expected to take the Grouse Mountain Skyride back down. It's possible to take the neighbouring BCMC trail back to the parking lot, but it is easy to miss the turns in that trail and the downhill is very hard on the knees.

Usually open May-Oct from an hour after dawn to a couple of hours before sunset (roughly 6:15AM-7:30PM in summer)·Use of the trail is free, the tram ride back down is $15

Grouse Mountain Skyride

The iconic ride up Grouse Mountain to the "Peak of Vancouver". The view is lovely although it can be quite cramped in the gondola when it's busy. Admission includes (depending on the time of the year) hiking, Theatre in the Sky, ice skating, sleigh ride, snowshoeing, the lumberjack show and the refuge for endangered animals. The Skyride does not provide admission to the ski area, ziplines or the Eye of the Wind.

Daily 9AM-10PM·$29 child (5-16), $49 senior, $56 adult. Download only is $15

Haida Sandwich Co

The Haida Sandwich is a six-inch, delicious sloppy meal. The Beef Sausage will surprise you in a pleasant way. The Honey Garlic Wings is a must-try. Among the drinks, Aloe Vera Drink and lemon or mint soda is a nice change from the regular pop options.

$5 - 20

Honey's

Popular cafe with sandwiches, soups, salads and a variety of baked goods. The donuts are legendary - freshly baked and generously sized with a cakey texture, honey-glazed coating and a bit of oil. Very tasty, but not the best thing for your diet.

Daily 6AM-5PM·$5-11

Indian Arm / Say Nuth Khaw Yum Provincial Park

Indian Arm Provincial Park

Charter a boat or rent a kayak in Deep Cove to explore this nearly 20 km long fjord. Sights include the mountain scenery, the two pumphouses along the eastern shore, and two waterfalls: Silver Falls and Granite Falls. Activities include fishing, crabbing or swimming. There are also three camp sites with minimal facilities within the park if you wish to stay overnight: Twin Islands (49°20'55.1"N 122°53'29.2"W), Granite Falls (49°27'02.4"N 122°51'43.1"W) and Bishops Creek (49°25'58.5"N 122°52'24.3"W). All but Bishops Creek have government wharves but no overnight moorage is allowed. These campsites are all boat-in only. Remember leave no trace.

Inter River Bike Park

A bike skills park with three tracks: a beginner paved pump track, a more advanced dirt track and a BMX track. All tracks are open to the public, although the BMX track is closed when events are on.

Lonsdale Quay Market

A bustling and popular market, especially around lunch and early afternoon. The first floor has a variety of shops, mostly selling tourist-oriented souvenirs of varying quality and tackiness. The second floor has a more eclectic variety of shops and boutiques, as well as a children's play area. The best value is the food options, with a diverse food court and a number of sweet smelling shops that entice with baked goods, sandwiches and treats. Climbing the steps outside to the revolving Q provides nice views across the harbour to downtown Vancouver.

9AM-7PM

Lonsdale Quay Market

Grouse Mountain has a gift shop in the bottom floor of the chalet with postcards, books, T-shirts, Native Art and other items. The Trading Post at Capilano Suspension Bridge has a large selection of First Nations art. There are also small gift shops in Deep Cove, Ambleside and Horseshoe Bay.

Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve

The main feature is the paved multi-use 10-km trail in the Seymour Valley Trailway. There are also a number of side trails of varying length and trail quality.

Lynn Canyon Park

A great little park set on the forested slopes of Lynn Creek. The main draw is the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge, which is shorter, less busy but almost as high as the more noted Capilano Suspension Bridge. The bridge connects to hiking trails on the both sides of the creek, with a common 20-30 minute hike being a loop that crosses the suspension bridge and follows the canyon down to Twin Falls. The creek is a popular swimming spot in the summer with pools above the suspension bridge and below Twin Falls. But be careful if swimming — the water is icy cold (it is snow melt, after all) and read the warning signs; there are deaths almost every year.

Open daily 7AM-dusk·Free

Lynn Headwaters Regional Park

A popular spot with locals that has picnic tables on the river close to the parking lot. There are a number of trails of varying difficulty on the other side of the river. The most common are to take the trail along Lynn Creek or do the Lynn Loop, a 5 km trail that loops through the forest and back along Lynn Creek to the parking lot. There are also longer, more difficult trails that go into the mountains.

Lynn Valley Ecology Centre

The ecology centre has displays on ecology and many activities for young kids.

Summer: 10AM-5PM daily, Oct-May: Mon-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat-Sun noon-4PM·Admission by donation (suggested donation is $2)