Sights and landmarks in North Vancouver

Sights and landmarks in North Vancouver

1. See

   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

2. See

   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

3. See

   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

4. See

   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

5. See

   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.

6. See

   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

7. See

   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

8. See

   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

9. See

   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

10. See

    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)

11. See

    Maplewood Farm

    Very popular attraction for families with young children looking to see farm animals up close. Animals include cows, pigs, ponies, horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, turkeys and a sometimes talkative parrot. Most of the animals are behind fences but you can pet the rabbits and the goat area is often open the public. There are also some free-range chickens and ducks that can be fed with bags of seed purchased at the entrance). Other activities include daily milking demonstrations and pony rides (extra charge) on summer weekends.

    Open April to mid-Sept daily, and mid-Sept to March Tue-Sun: 10AM-4PM·Adults $8.51, children and seniors $5.15

12. See

    Park and Tilford Gardens

    Well maintained and pleasant garden in the southwest corner of the Park & Tilford shops. From the entrance, it doesn't look large, but there are eight themed gardens blended together with over 300 plants. The gardens include: the Oriental Garden, the White Garden, the Rock Pool, the Native Garden, the Herb Garden, the Display Garden, the Colonade Garden and the Rose Garden. During December, the garden opens at night for a Christmas lights display and a room with Santa Claus. Opened in 1969, the garden was a gift to North Vancouver from the distillery that owned the land, and a promotional tool for the distillery's liquor. The distillery is long gone now but the garden is still enjoyed.

    Open until dusk·Free

13. See

    Polygon Gallery

    Art gallery focusing on contemporary art. The rotating exhibits often incorporate North Vancouver or Vancouver, and feature a variety of media including photos, video, textiles, sculpture and prints. While not an exhibit, the balcony on the second floor provides a nice elevated view of Lonsdale Quay and downtown Vancouver..

    Tue-Sun 10AM-5PM·Admission by donation, $5-10 recommended

14. See

    The Shipyards

    Shipyards Historic Precinct

    This is the site of what was once the largest shipyard in British Columbia. There are a number of displays that go through the history of shipbuilding on the North Shore, and Shipbuilders Square hosts community events throughout the year, including free summer concerts, a summer night market on Friday evenings and a Christmas market. For views of Vancouver, the Burrard Inlet and North Vancouver, head east along the waterfront to the 700 ft Burrard Dry Dock Pier.

15. See

    Victoria Park

    Lovely midtown park with walking paths, gardens, and several sculptures and other pieces of public art. On the east end is a Cold War air raid siren that was saved from removal and preserved as a municipal heritage site.

    Free

16. See

    Waterfront Park

    Small park on the waterfront looking across to downtown Vancouver. There is a small Japanese garden, a gazebo on the water and lots of green space and benches to enjoy the view or have a picnic. The curvy bars in the middle of the park are an artist's interpretation of the North Shore mountains. The park also hosts a number of summer festivals including Canada Day activities and Caribbean Days.

17. See

    Wildlife Refuge

    The purpose-built enclosure to house Coola and Grinder, two grizzly bear cubs that were orphaned. There are periodic ranger talks about the bears and feeding sessions.

    spring through fall 9:30AM-dusk·Free

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to North Vancouver (CC BY-SA 4.0).