"hiking" Tagged Posts |
Hiking the Stawamus Chief in Squamish. Photo Credit Tourism Squamish
Spring is a great time to go hiking. The waterfalls are pumping and the rain turns all the plants extra green. But with snow hanging around in the mountains, it can be tough to figure out where to go for a hike. Here are our picks for the 10 best Vancouver-area spring hikes. They are all closer to sea level so they are be snow-free in the spring.
The view of Jug Island from Jug Island Beach. Photo: HappiestOutdoors.ca
This short and easy hike in the Belcarra neighbourhood follows a peninsula before emerging at a remote beach. The trail stays in the beautiful and mossy temperate rainforest the entire way, making it a great destination for a rainy or cloudy February day. A viewpoint in the middle and the beach at the end give you a close-up look at the coastline, a rarity on Vancouver’s mountain-dominated hikes.
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February’s Vancouver Hike of the Month: Jug Island Beach
A view of the lighthouse from West Beach. Photo credit: Djordje Cicovic on the Inside Vancouver Flickr pool
Does your New Year’s resolution involve more outdoor time? Kick-off 2020 with a hike. The low elevation trail network at West Vancouver’s Lighthouse Park is usually snow-free all year so it’s a great hiking destination for January. Plus the views of the ocean and downtown Vancouver are incredible.
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January’s Vancouver Hike of the Month: Lighthouse Park
The easy trail around Buntzen Lake is a great December hike since it sits a low elevation that avoids ice and snow. It’s close enough to the city to make a great nature getaway when the hustle and bustle of the holidays gets overwhelming. The trail weaves through a gorgeous rainforest with lots of ferns, moss, and mini-waterfalls. Hikers of all ages will also enjoy the novelty of crossing both a floating bridge and a suspension bridge on the same trail. And no matter what time of year you hike, the views from the lakeshore are spectacular.
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December’s Vancouver Hike of the Month: Buntzen Lake
Tiny Whyte Lake in West Vancouver makes a great easy hike for November. It’s at a low enough elevation to stay snow-free almost all year. And it has great forest cover so it’s a pleasant option for a rainy day hike. In the summer months, Whyte Lake is a popular swimming hole, but in the off-season, you may have it all to yourself. As a bonus, the canopy of douglas fir and cedar trees overhead and the carpet of ferns and moss on the forest floor are extra green this time of year.
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November’s Vancouver Hike of the Month: Whyte Lake
Photo: Destination BC/Boomer Jerritt
Vancouverites know a thing or two about rain. And one of our little rain secrets is that hiking in it is actually pretty fun. Zip yourself into a rain jacket, then head out into the forest. It’s extra green when it rains, the waterfalls really get going, and the fog makes for some great moody photo moments. Here are our top picks for rainy day hikes in Vancouver.
Old Growth cedars along the Brothers Creek Trail
The hike along Brother’s Creek in West Vancouver is a great one for October. It’s not high enough to get snowy or icy and the tree cover overhead keeps you a bit drier on rainy days. This loop route climbs steeply in places, so you need a moderate fitness level. While you won’t summit a mountain or reach an epic viewpoint, there are plenty of beautiful things to see including old-growth cedars, a waterfall, fern-lined canyons, a tiny but picturesque lake, and the ruins of an army truck.
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October’s Vancouver Hike of the Month: Brother’s Creek
