Destination

Capilano River Regional Park is among the most sociable gathering places on the North Shore. Visitors come to stretch their legs and exercise their dogs while taking in the view of others doing the same across First Narrows on the Stanley Park Seawall. Although most of the leisure activity takes place close to the Capilano River’s confluence with the ocean, Capilano River Regional Park’s hiking trail runs 5 miles (8 km) north from Ambleside Park to Capilano Lake.

As you make your way north from Ambleside, the banks of the Capilano River begin to narrow. Near Hwy 1, the trail climbs away from the river and follows Keith Road for a short distance north beneath the Upper Levels Hwy Bridge. If your plan is simply to hike the forest trail and explore some of the pools in the Capilano River Canyon, this is the best place to begin. By car, take Keith Road east off Taylor Way and drive to its end. Park here near the trailhead. A Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) signpost indicates the start of this section of the Capilano-Pacific Trail. At this point the trail has the appearance of a charming country lane. The nearby forest is interlaced with old logging roads. In 1926, once logging ended, Capilano became one of the first municipal parks on the North Shore.

There are several entrances in North Vancouver to Capilano River Regional Park, all within a short distance of each other. If you are travelling on Hwy 1, take the Capilano Rd N exit (exit 14) to reach the park. Capilano Road can also be reached from Marine Drive in North Vancouver, a short distance east of the Lions Gate Bridge. Four parking lots are located near the fish hatchery in Capilano River Regional Park; another is at the picnic site beside Cleveland Dam. First-time visitors are recommended to begin at the Capilano Salmon Hatchery. From either the Lions Gate Bridge or Highway 1, get on to Capilano Road in North Vancouver. Head North and turn left onto Capilano Park Road just beyond Edgemont Blvd. Continue to the parking lot at the end of the road.

You can also catch the Grouse Mountain (#236) bus from North Vancouver’s Lonsdale Quay, which stops at the fish hatchery and Cleveland Dam. Call TransLink, (604) 953-3333, to check times on bus routes. For a map of the 16 miles (26 km) of hiking trails in Capilano River Regional Park, call GVRD Parks’s West Office, (604) 224-5739.

website: Capilano River Regional Park

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