Route: Vancouver Seawall, Stanley Park
Area: Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Date of walk: 2nd October 2024
Walkers: Andrew, Gilly and James
Distance: 6.5 miles
Ascent: 100 feet
Weather: Mostly sunny
We’d enjoyed a walk in Vancouver a few days ago, around False Creek, but on that occasion the weather had been rather poor. A better forecast today would enable us to see another part of the city in better light
Stanley Park is a 400 hectare green oasis in the middle of the urban landscape of Vancouver and most of it is natural West Coast rainforest. The area was once home to indigenous peoples and remains a culturally significant area for the local First Nations people today. Stanley Park is on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. The park’s villages were occupied for thousands of years by First Nations and newcomers before their eviction in the 20th century
There are hundreds of trails through the park, but today’s walk would take us around the edge of it, following a route known as the Vancouver Seawall, or Stanley Park Seawall, which hugs the shoreline for most of the way. We parked near Lost Lagoon, but anyone following this walk could park almost anywhere along the route, there are numerous places to park
We set off in an anti-clockwise direction, passing by Lost Lagoon, before arriving at Coal Harbour. Navigation consists of keeping the sea on the right (or left if walking clockwise). An easy paved path leads around the Seawall, with a bicycle lane to the left for much of the way. After walking beside Burrards Inlet we passed under Lions Gate Bridge to reach Prospect Point. The weather continued to improve, and this coincided with the most scenic part of the walk, with lovely views out to sea across rocky coves and sandy beaches – Third Beach, Second Beach and First Beach. Just before the latter we headed inland to complete the circuit and the end of a fantastic walk
Click on the icon below for the route map
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We’d intended to walk around the Vancouver Seawall yesterday, but the weather was poor so James took us around the Gastown area of Vancouver to see the Gastown Steam Clock, one of just a few in the world to be powered by steam (the clock is chiming on the hour but showing the wrong time)
We pass by the Gastown Steam Clock again one hour later after a short stroll around the Gastown area
We then visited a couple of the many gardens in Vancouver - the Japanese Nitobe Memorial Garden...
...and VanDusen Botanical Garden
Next day, better weather as we start the walk by heading towards Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park
We walk beside the lagoon before crossing Stanley Park Causeway
Skyscrapers of Vancouver seen from the Causeway
The start of the Vancouver Seawall which encircles Stanley Park. The park is vast, around 400 hectares, and there are numerous trails within it. They will have to wait for another day
The amazing design of Vancouver House, which we passed by a few days ago when walking around False Creek
We continue around the seawall
Pedestrians on the right, cyclists on the left
We pause to admire the First Nations Totem Poles, a collection of totem poles representing a number of indigenous nations
Looking across to Canada Place
We pass by Brockton Point and its lighthouse, here looking across to North Vancouver
Autumn colours are starting to appear...
We head towards Lions Gate Bridge and will walk under it shortly
Girl in Wetsuit, a statue by sculptor Elek Imredy, representing the dependence of Vancouver on the sea
We pass by the figurehead of the S.S. Empress of Japan
Continuing towards Lions Gate Bridge
We spot a heron, credit to James for the photo
Looking along Burrard Inlet
We pass below Lions Gate Bridge...
...home to a colony of cormorants (another photo credit to James)
Beyond the bridge lies open sea as we walk around Prospect Point
Siwash Rock comes into view
Siwash Rock - over thousands of years water has worn a space between Stanley Park and the rock, known to mariners as Nine Pin Rock
Views out to sea...
We walk beside Third Beach, which ends at Ferguson Point
More views out to sea as we continue along Vancouver Seawall...
Another heron
Downtown Vancouver comes back into view
A last look out to sea before we head back towards Vancouver
We pass by an apartment block with a tree growing on the roof
Looking back
We leave the coast here and head inland to complete the circuit
It had been a wonderful walk, the weather was warm, it was lunchtime, so we were unable to resist a visit to Stanley Park Brewing located near the start of our route...
Later that day, Gilly and I took the cable car to the top of Grouse Mountain, from which there is a fantastic view over Vancouver
We visit Grouse Mountain Refuge, home to two orphaned grizzly bears rescued over 20 years ago
On the way back down Grouse Mountain we look across to Stanley Park and the Vancouver Seawall, centre of picture
