10 Hikes Accessible by Public Transit in BC’s Lower Mainland
One of the joys of Vancouver’s Lower Mainland is its easy accessibility to the Great Outdoors.
With a comprehensive network of trails, it’s possible to wander from leafy suburbia to burly wilderness in a matter of minutes—and, thanks to efficient public transit links, you don’t necessarily need a car to reach the trailheads.
Here are 10 varied hikes that are well served by bus, ferry, metro and gondola.
West Lion
Length: 16 km roundtrip
Duration: 8 hours
Elevation gain: 1,280 m
Difficulty: Challenging
Arguably the most demanding hike on Vancouver’s North Shore, West Lion is an alluring crag visible from downtown whose vertiginous summit is way more intimidating close-up. Of the various taxing ascent routes, the most popular is the Binkert trail that starts in the small community of Lions Bay at the northern limits of Vancouver’s metro bus network. It begins as a forest road before switching to steeper single-track and climbing through thick foliage to emerge at a sublime subalpine ridge. The optional scramble to the summit is technical and exposed and best left to diehards.
Getting there: Metro bus 262 will drop you just over one kilometre from the trailhead in Lions Bay. If you’re coming from downtown Vancouver, take bus 257 to Horseshoe Bay and change onto 262 outside the ferry terminal.
Black Mountain Loop
Length: 6 km
Duration: 2.5 hours
Elevation gain: 360 m
Difficulty: Moderate
Second only to the Grouse Grind in popularity in high summer, this rootsy but relatively modest march up the side of a Cypress Mountain ski run leads to a 1,224 metre-high summit with peak-a-boo views over the diminutive trees. After some initial steepness, the trail flattens out, looping around sections of boggy sun-dappled forest dotted with reedy lakes, the largest of which (Cabin Lake) is a summer hotspot for wild swimmers. Boardwalks aid passage over some of the swampier ground. Bring mosquito repellent!
Getting there: The Cypress Mountain ski area—which maintains a restaurant and a coaster ride in the summer—is reachable on a shuttle bus run by Cypress Coach Lines which departs from various points in Vancouver, including outside the Art Gallery. CCL is a private company meaning fares are more expensive than BC Transit. Book tickets at least a day in advance.
Eagle Bluffs from Horseshoe Bay
Length: 11.5 km roundtrip
Duration: 6-7 hours
Elevation gain: 975 m
Difficulty: Challenging
Most people access this bird’s-eye viewpoint above Howe Sound from Cypress Mountain but, for hikers with goat-like climbing skills, a far more energetic and rewarding route ascends from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. The path, which also serves as the westernmost section of the long-distance Baden Powell trail, climbs steadily through forest before zigzagging haphazardly across a boulder field and crescendoing into a final rocky scramble (with handholds required) to the bluffs themselves.
Getting there: The 257 Express bus, departing from outside Central Vancouver metro station, will drop you at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal. From here, walk back up the path paralleling the ferry approach road and cross a road bridge to the trailhead.
Golden Ears
East & West Gold Creek Canyon Loop
Length: 10.5 km
Duration: 3-4 hours
Elevation gain: 185 m
Difficulty: Moderate
Golden Ears is a provincial park conjoined with Garibaldi Park to the north that’s close enough to Vancouver for adventurous day trips. For walkers looking for a comfortable hiking loop that fits around the bus schedule, sally forth on the East Canyon trail, a wide, flat-ish path that heads upriver from the Gold Creek parking lot through mossy forest. After passing two waterfalls (viewable from side-trails) the path crosses the river on a wooden bridge and connects with the narrower, rockier West Canyon trail on the opposite side pitching south, via several serendipitous viewpoints, back to the parking lot.
Getting there: Privately-run Park Bus organizes a daily summer shuttle from outside the Burrard Street metro station in downtown Vancouver to the Gold Creek parking area in Golden Ears Provincial Park. Buses arrive in the park at around 10 a.m. and leave promptly at 5:30 p.m. Book in advance.
BCMC Trail
Length: 2.9 km one-way
Duration: 1-2 hours
Elevation gain: 853 m
Difficulty: Challenging
The base station of the Grouse Mountain gondola acts as a trailhead for several different paths including the BCMC, the Baden Powell (west to Cypress and east to Lynn Canyon) and the lung-busting Grouse Grind. While the grind is the lofty objective for most day-hikers, the parallel BCMC trail offers a quieter and marginally less precipitous clamber to the top of the gondola ride and a cold beer.
Getting there: Two buses serve Grouse, both operating from directly outside the gondola station. The most convenient is the 236 which connects every 30 minutes to Lonsdale Quay from where you can catch the Seabus to downtown Vancouver. Alternatively, the 232 bus heads to and from Phibbs Exchange in North Vancouver.
Boundary Bay Dyke Path
Length: 17 km one-way
Duration: 3-4 hours
Elevation gain: Minimal
Difficulty: Easy
This refreshingly flat trail kisses the silty shores of Boundary Bay south of Vancouver, stretching from the community of Tsawwassen to Mud Bay Park in Surrey. Curving through fertile farmland, it’s a paradise for birdwatchers. Huge flocks of migratory shorebirds, including Dunlins and Sandpipers, dance around in spiraling murmurations above the mudflats, attempting to ward off avian predators.
Getting there: The trail’s western terminus is at Beach Grove Park, a short walk from 56th Street in Tsawwassen where bus 604 ferries passengers to and from Bridgeport station in Richmond. From Bridgeport, you can transfer to the Canada Line with easy access to downtown Vancouver. There’s no public transit at Mud Bay Park.
Crown Mountain
Length: 9.2 km round-trip
Duration: 4-5 hours
Elevation gain: 385 m
Difficulty: Challenging
Measuring a shade over 1,500 metres, this spectacular turreted mountain is the highest and toughest of the summits hike-able from the top of the Grouse Mountain gondola. From the Grouse Alpine Area, stroll past the screaming zipliners and performing lumberjacks to the Alpine Trail which traverses north past turn-offs for Dam and Goat Mountains before descending steeply to Crown Pass. Catch your breath here before committing to the tricky but invigorating scramble to Crown’s exposed summit.
Getting there: Take the Seabus from Vancouver’s Waterfront station to Lonsdale Quay, followed by bus 236 to Grouse Mountain. From here you can either ride up the gondola or climb the Grouse Grind/BCMC trail to the trailhead.
Baden Powell Trail
Deep Cove to Lynn Canyon
Length: 12 km one-way
Duration: 4-5 hours
Elevation gain: 420 m
Difficulty: Moderate
Of the four main sections of the Baden Powell trail, the 12 kilometre easternmost portion between Deep Cove and Lynn Canyon is the best maintained and most straightforward, with good signage, plenty of boardwalks and purpose-built steps to help foot placement in the rougher areas. Most of the trail undulates moderately through forest but breaks out of the trees briefly at Quarry Rock for one of the North Shore’s most sought-after views. Close to the trail terminus at Lynn Headwaters, you’ll get a chance to appreciate the plunging chasm of Lynn Canyon from its vertigo-inducing suspension bridge.
Getting there: Bus 211 runs from Vancouver’s Burrard Metro Station to Deep Cove, stopping conveniently close to Honey Doughnuts & Goodies, 400 metres from the trailhead. At the opposite end of the trail, you can catch bus 228 from opposite Kilmer Park back to Lonsdale Quay where regular ferries depart for downtown.
Sea to Summit Trail
Length: 6.5 km one-way
Duration: 3-4 hours
Elevation gain: 918 m
Difficulty: Moderate – Challenging
Squamish’s version of the Grouse Grind ascends to an equally majestic gondola station and summit lodge but spreads the climb over twice the distance, meaning the trail is not nearly as relentless. The first part of route is shared with the Stawamus Chief trail gaining altitude quickly via a series of wooden staircases. It then veers off towards a creek above Shannon Falls before climbing in stops and starts, with a couple of rootsy, rocky scrambles, to the summit. There’s a fabulous viewpoint over Howe Sound about halfway up. To avoid knee pulverization, most people take the gondola down.
Getting there: To get to Squamish from Vancouver, hop on the Whistler-bound Skylynx bus at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in downtown Vancouver. On arriving in Squamish, switch to the local No 5 “South Parks” bus that runs between Squamish Adventure Centre and the Sea-to-Sky gondola base station daily from early June to early September.
Hanes Valley Trail
Length: 16 km one-way
Duration: 6-8 hours
Elevation gain: 1,130 m
Difficulty: Challenging
Accessible by public transport at both ends, Hanes Valley is like the Grouse Grind on steroids—an exhilarating dip into North Shore backcountry that takes you to the top of the Grouse gondola the hard way, incorporating a bridgeless river crossing, a giant boulder field, a dizzying scree slope and a rope-assisted scramble up the back side of Goat Mountain. The first seven kilometres, alongside gorgeous Lynn Creek is relatively easy. The final nine kilometres is a veritable obstacle course. Pace yourself and bring plenty of water.
Getting there: Bus 228 runs half-hourly from Lonsdale Quay to the End-of-the-Line Store (that doubles as a delectable cafe) and the entrance to Lynn Headwaters Regional Park. It’s a one kilometre walk to the trailhead. At the end of the hike, take the gondola down to North Van and catch bus 236 back to Lonsdale Quay.
