Exploring nature on Vancouver’s North Shore

Children will love experiencing the natural beauty of B.C.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park welcomes kids of all ages to go on an adventure, said Stacy Chala, communications manager for Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. 

The park offers a brand new perspective of nature from three breathtaking perspectives—the world-famous 450-foot Capilano Suspension Bridge, Treetops Adventure and the Cliffwalk.

The main bridge is suspended 230 feet above the Capilano River, but is completely enclosed for the safety of active little ones. Treetops Adventure takes visitors along seven suspension bridges that connect among the evergreens up to 100 feet above the forest floor. Cliffwalk is the 27-acre park’s most recent addition—a cantilevered walkway that clings to a granite cliff above Capilano Canyon. During the winter season, each attraction is adorned with thousands of lights for a sparkling winter wonderland experience. The park also offers a First Nations interpretive program, art gallery and totem park.

“Our Rainforest Explorers program allows children to explore the West Coast rainforest in search of information about our ecosystem,” said Chala. “Seasonal events like Raptors Ridge birds of prey June to October and Canyon Lights in December enhance the many experiences at this year-round family destination.”

Grouse Mountain

At 1,231 metres, Grouse Mountain lives up to its nickname: the Peak of Vancouver. Visitors can take the Skyride, North America’s largest aerial tramway system, to the top of Grouse and enjoy spectacular views of Douglas firs, the Gulf Islands and the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

Children can learn and be amazed with a visit to the grizzly bears and wolves at the Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife, just a 14-minute chairlift ride from the base of the mountain. The chairlift runs year round, weather permitting, but the minimum height requirement is one metre.

Meet the future of energy in the Eye of the Wind—a wind turbine with a viewing pod at its top just three metres from massive rotating blades. Take in a scenic guided eco-walk to learn about local flora and fauna, the history of Grouse Mountain and the geology of the North Shore mountains. The 45-minute walk traverses the mountain plateau and the serene Blue Grouse Lake area, home of the híwus feasthouse and cultural centre.

Capilano Salmon Hatchery

The Capilano Salmon Hatchery is the place to learn about one of B.C.’s iconic animal symbols. The engaging interpretive centre demonstrates the salmon’s developmental journey from eggs to the juvenile stage, when they are released into the river in spring.

Within the park there are short and easy hiking trails to small local bridges, where the shining red fish are seen jumping and fighting their way upstream during spawning season. The fishway in the observation gallery demonstrates how salmon climb fish ladders by jumping from one pool to the next, much to the delight of children and adults. From June to December, witness the return of the coho salmon as they find their way back to the hatchery, catch chinook migrating from October to November, and watch for steelhead in March and April.