Lynn Canyon, Vancouver

Good friends of ours live in Vancouver, not far from our hotel. Instead of going to the Capilano Suspension Bridge where you pay a lot of money, they took us to a lovely park LYNN CANYON PARK. , where there is no entry fee and it is very relaxing and less crowded. The park had an awesome suspension bridge. Of course Hans and Ed walked across it , but I was too chicken. I don't like the swaying feeling.

Okay, we paid $26.00 for Grouse Mountain, but I put my foot down at $21.00 for the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Instead, we decided to visit the less-crowded Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre and Suspension Bridge instead, and it was a great experience -- also, the price is right: there is no entry fee.

The suspension bridge hangs 20 stories over Lynn Canyon, and offers great views. The park is so relaxing, as we were going full speed while in Vancouver, it offered us some downtime. It is beautiful example of the temperate rain forest, and the educational centre was very informative.

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We decided to visit Lynn Canyon to walk the suspension bridge on a sunny Saturday afternoon but soon found there was much more to see and do.

We caught the Seabus to North Vancouver, a 10 minute trip offering great photo opportunities of the harbour and Vancouver. Upon arrival at North Vancouver we crossed the road and caught the bus to Lynn Canyon for a 20 minute ride which wound its way through the suburban hills. Our bus driver told us where to alight and a 5 minute walk brought us to the entrance.

The canyon is surrounded by massive pine trees and the path down to the suspension bridge wove its way through the pines. The bridge is a few hundred metres long and only wide enough for 2 people, being crowded as it was the weekend and some people found it very scary in the middle. Passage over the bridge was slow due to a few people becoming"frozen" and others stopping to enjoy the spectacular view and take a photo.

On making it to the other side we walked along the track and found our way to the river, a very nice place to spend an hour or two.

There is a snack food shop near the entrance , but if you are thinking of staying for a while it may be better to bring your own. Free entry is a bonus and using public transport it is cheaper to purchase a day ticket which is valid on both the Seabus and local bus service. On our return we visited the North Vancouver market which is located a few hundred metres from the bus terminal.

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I had read about the suspension bridge at Lynn Canyon in my guidebook as an alternative to the overvisited and extremely expensive Capilano Suspension Bridge which currently costs $25.95 to traverse.

I didn't go to Capilano so I can't really compare it to the suspension bridge at Lynn Canyon but Lynn Canyon is free and I thought it was a lovely area to explore. We didn't have oodles of time but we walked down to the rocks where people were wading in the water and jumping off the rocks into a deep pool of water.

When you think about going to see the Capilano Suspension Bridge ..DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY for this touristic place.

Go to Lynn Valley Canyon, there is a suspension bridge too.OK, only 30m wide instead of 70m, but firstly it's for free (compared to nearly 14 CAD at Capilano S.B.) and the area there is much more beautiful. Secondly the hike/trails you can do are amazing. For example you can go to the lake or to the waterfall and you are in a real rainforest too.

And you won't see so many tourists there.
Just do it!
;-)

Instead of paying the extortionate price at Capilano, I would suggest Lynn Canyon instead. It too has a suspension bridge, not as high as capilano but just as scary to walk along! There is also no admission charge.

To get to:

By Car:
From Highway 1 (Trans-Canada) take the
Lynn Valley Rd. or Mountain Hwy. exit.
From Lynn Valley Rd. turn right onto Peters Rd.
This will take you to the Park Drive.

By Public Transit:
From Vancouver, take the Sea Bus to Lonsdale Quay.
Take the #228 or #229 bus from there.
(#229 does not run Sundays or Holidays).
Ask the bus driver for the stop closest to the park.
From Phibbs Exchange in North Vancouver,
take the #229 bus.

Lynn Canyon was incredible. It's a very scenic spot. I can't describe it too well with words...just go there. My only criticism with Lynn Canyon was that the suspension bridge wasn't rickety enough. It was cool, but I wanted it to be like the one in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.... Oh yeah, it's free to get in.

From Lynn Canyon, I followed a trail which led to the Seymour Demonstration Forest. I came across the incredibly tranquil Rice Lake. There was hardly anyone out there: a fisherman and a few joggers running the path which surrounds the lake. The lake was perfect.

In my (not totally unbiased opinion) Lynn Canyon Park is the jewel of North Vancouver's park system. It also features the less travelled of North Vancouver's canyon suspension bridges. Yes, Capilano's is more famous, but Lynn Canyon's is equally spectacular and FREE. Hiking trails go for miles in all directions.
Be sure to visit the Ecology Centre near the park entrance.

Lynn Canyon in Lynn Valley has a suspension bridge, that is maintained by the municipalty. It is shorter than the Capilano River bridge, but it's FREE! This is not to say don't go to both. We went on two elephant treks when we were in Thailand.