What is the best park in Vancouver

Asks fridaX

A. Vancouver and its surrounding area have more parkland than some countries, not to mention other cities. My personal favourite is Stanley Park, but it really depends what you are looking for. The best ones are as follows:

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You can walk or cycle around the sea wall (10km), stroll, picnic, sunbathe or visit one of the numerous cafes that are dotted along the main walkways. Alternatively, you can hire bikes, roller blades and even a swimming costume for the pool or take a tour of the whole park on one of the park buses. Prospect Point, the lost lagoon and Lumberman's Arch are all good sights and should be included in any tour of the park.

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Stanley Park is the largest urban park in North America and is named after Lord Stanley, Canada's governor general from 1888 to 1893, who famously dedicated the park "to the use and enjoyment of people of all colours, creeds and customs for all time". You can walk to the park from downtown.

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Garibaldi Provincial Park: is one of the truly breathtaking parks you'll see in the whole of Canada. It is best to drive here (it is near Whistler, but you can get a map from the tourist office) - four main roads dissect the park, with plenty of parking spaces - as the park is absolutely huge and very difficult to cover on foot. It is here that you really get a taste of the beautiful scenery British Colombia is famous for - and all in one place as it has mountains, glaciers, rivers, forests and lakes. You can cover the park in one day with a car, but you can also camp inside the park if you're feeling more adventurous.

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There are five main areas in this park, these are Diamond Head, Black Tusk & Garibaldi Lake, Singing Pass, Cheakamus Lake, and Wedgemount Lake - and access to all of them is sign posted from the main highway before you enter the park.

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Capilano River Regional Park: This park is probably more famous for its suspension bridge - the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world - than for its parkland. You can tour the park on your own or by paying a pedestrian toll (about �4) that enables you to go on some guided tours, which provide some of the history surrounding the park, but you can see most of the sights for free. Some of the best sights are the Capilano river, the salmon hatchery (it nurtures 2.5 million fish a year), the incredible views and of course the suspension bridge. You can reach the park from the Grouse Mountain cable car station or by number 236 bus.

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Lighthouse Park: this is another amazing park that not only incorporates wild greenery and forests, but also has a beautiful seascape as it is located on the western tip of the north shore. The main point of any long walk here is to visit the Point Atkinson lighthouse, a return trip that takes about two hours to walk. You can then relax and sunbathe (if you're visiting in summer) on the huge granite rocks that line the beach. This is a fantastic place to visit and should be included on any trip here, it is also really easy to get to as the number 250 bus takes you there from downtown Vancouver.

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Cypress Provincial Park: is one of the most popular parks in Vancouver, and often visited for day trips or long walks. It is full of trails that often feel wild and untamed, but easy to follow and not too long either! Its most popular trail in the Yew Lake Trail, which climbs uphill through forest and offers spectacular views of Cypress Creek. You can reach the park on the number 253 Park Royal bus.

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Lynn Canyon Park: This park contains waterfalls, rapids, mountains and beautiful lush greenery plus a suspension bridge that spans Lynn Creek, a spectacular gorge. It is easy to reach, take bus number 228 from Lonsdale Quay.

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Mount Seymour Provincial Park: is the largest of all the parks in north Vancouver (8668 acres) it offers astounding scenery - complete with lots of high snow-capped mountains. high mountain scenery. It offers four major trails for walking and is also a popular ski resort for the locals - the easiest walk is to Dog Mountain and takes about an hour each way. Keep to the main trails if you are not familiar with the park as weather conditions can change rapidly in this mountainous area.

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Other points of interest here are the Seymour Demonstration Forest - 14,000-acres of temperate rainforest and the Vancouver Lookout, which offers fantastic views over the city on a clear day. This park however, is not so easy to reach. It is located approximately 16km from the city centre and can be reached by bus number 239 from Lonsdale Quay to Phibbs Exchange, then change to the number 215 to Mount Seymour Parkway. The journey takes just under two hours, one way.

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By Karen Anderson