Bottom Line:
Less than an hour over the border from Blaine, WA in the heart of downtown Vancouver, BC lies Stanley Park, surrounded by a seawall that one can walk/hike, bike or rollerblade. A beautiful city oasis from end-to-end - see video. Beaches, mountains, cityscapes, huge trees, shorebirds, seals and occasional whales if you are lucky. The weather cooperated before the driving rain of our recent atmospheric river resumed. The hike can be extended by continuing past English Bay, following the wall around False Creek past Granville Island, and continuing out towards Kits, and eventually UBC (with its wild and clothing-optional headland beach).
Stats:
- Distance: ~ 8-mile loop starting in Coal Harbor
- Duration: 2-3/4 hours
- Road/Parking: Pay parking garage in Coal Harbor near Westin Bayshore; alternate paid parking in the park itself.
- Weather: Sunny with increasing clouds, then rain by late afternoon. Fresh snow visible on the North Shore. No wind. 40Fs
- Trail: We walked the seawall counterclockwise. There is some storm damage - down trees, "bites" out of the wall, and sections of the seawall covered in seaweed and sand, but it was open from end-to-end. There is a gate near the north-facing cliff-lined section that can close off part of the wall in stormy weather. The loop is ~7-1/2 miles. From English Bay, you an urban hike up funky Dunman Street, or stay in the park and walk back to Coal Harbor alongside Lost Lagoon, a freshwater lake in Stanley Park with lots of waterfowl (see map). The park has concession stands, restaurants, an aquarium, various monuments, rose garden, cricket lawns, totem poles, etc. but most of this is away from the seawall. The views of the North Shore mountains and the city ski areas - Grouse, Cypress and Seymour - are outstanding, as are the views of downtown from the Nine O'Clock Gun opposite Coal Harbor (especially after dark). We saw seals and shorebirds, but whales sometimes venture up Burrard Inlet. CAUTION: Coyotes in the park can be aggressive. There are separate lanes for walking vs. biking/rollerblading. It is fun to walk underneath Lion's Gate Bridge - this standing despite the mayhem in Final Destination 5 :) Lots of seaplane traffic out of the inner harbor, and a coast guard helicopter landing on the naval station off the east seawall.
- Takeaway: Always a treat, even in December! In the summer, the park has a very beachy vibe with ocean beaches, and a freshwater pool right next to the ocean. I try to walk the seawall every time I am in Vancouver. You can use the sea taxi to skip sections of the longer hike to Granville Island (credit cards accepted). Bike rental shops on Denman if you want to mix it up a bit! Trivia: In April 1993, during his first summit with Russian President Boris Yeltsin in Vancouver, President Bill Clinton famously jogged along the Stanley Park Seawall :)
Did not take very many pictures but focused instead on video - attached. The video gives one a good idea of what you will encounter on the loop.
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