Wheelchair-Accessible Hikes Near Vancouver

Written by: Taryn Eyton

Everyone can enjoy the beauty of nature in Vancouver thanks to accessible trails. These smooth and flat paths are accessible for wheelchair users, kids in strollers, or people who use mobility aids.

Accessible Hiking Tips

• The hikes on this list are designated as wheelchair-accessible trails on park websites and brochures. We’ve chosen trails that are wide, flat, and have hard-packed surfaces. If there are slopes, they are gentle, and there are no stairs. However, erosion and lack of maintenance can change trails, so they may not be in accessible condition on your visit. Check park websites for updates.
• Pack the 10 essentials and leave a trip plan on every hike.

Stanley Park

Vancouver’s famous Stanley Park has a few wheelchair-accessible trails. The flat, paved Seawall circles the park and has great ocean views. Several accessible paths let users venture into the forested interior of the park. From the Seawall, take a detour onto the Ravine Trail, then the Beaver Lake Trail, both universal access paths.

Pacific Spirit Regional Park

Located on the west side of Vancouver, Pacific Spirit Regional Park is a great nature getaway in the city. The park centre on 16th Avenue has an accessible parking area and washrooms. From there, explore the 1.2 km long Heron Trail or the section of the Cleveland Trail north of 16th Avenue. Both are packed gravel with minimal slopes.

Burnaby Lake

Watch for birds and enjoy lakeshore views from the accessible trails at Burnaby Lake. The Piper Avenue entrance has accessible parking and toilets. It is also the trailhead for the Cottonwood, Conifer Loop, and Spruce Loop Trails which are all accessible with minimal slopes and semi-firm gravel surfaces. The boardwalk and viewing tower are wheelchair accessible too.

Maplewood Flats

A wheelchair-accessible network of flat, gravel trails meanders through an intertidal bird sanctuary in North Vancouver’s Maplewood Flats. Bring your binoculars to try to spot more than 200 species of birds in several ponds and channels. There are also good views of Burrard Inlet.

Rice Lake

Located in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve in North Vancouver, the compact gravel trail around Rice Lake is a great wheelchair-accessible hike. However, it does have a few low gradient hills. Be sure to stop at the lakeside viewpoints.

Brandywine Falls

Visit 70-metre-tall Brandywine Falls north of Squamish on a short and easy accessible hike. The gravel trail has some bumpy sections and a little bit of slope but is suitable for most wheelchair users. There is a great view of the falls from the wooden platform at the trail’s end.

Boundary Bay Regional Park

Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta is home to a wheelchair-accessible beach – in the summer a walkway over the sand provides an easy path to the water. You can also follow the accessible 12 Avenue Dyke Trail through the park. The 2-kilometre-long trail is wide with minimal slopes and has a semi-firm gravel surface. Watch for wildlife in Boundary Bay from viewing platforms along the way.

Tynehead Regional Park

Explore the salmon-bearing waters of the Serpentine River in Tynehead Regional Park. Located near Highway 1 in Surrey, this park has several wheelchair-accessible trails, including the Salmon Habitat Loop Trail, Hatchery Trail, and Birch Grove Trail. These trails have firm gravel surfaces or wooden boardwalks with gentle slopes. If you’re able to handle moderate slopes, check out the Tynehead Perimeter Trail on the east side of the park. This paved 4.8 km loop has some rolling hills but all slopes are less than 10%.

Brae Island Regional Park

Located across Bedford Channel from Fort Langley, Brae Island Regional Park has a great network of wheelchair-accessible hiking trails. The 2.1 km-long Tavistock Point Trail has a semi-firm gravel surface and slopes of less than 5%. Branching off from that, you’ll find the Tavistock Loop Trail which includes an accessible boardwalk and several riverside viewpoints.

Campbell Valley Regional Park

Most of the trails at Langley’s Campbell Valley Regional Park are multi-use, accommodating hikers, cyclists, equestrians, and wheelchair users. The Little River Loop Trail is an accessible gravel path with a gentle grade, but there is one short section with slopes between 6 and 8%. The 3.7 km-long Perimeter Trail is also accessible with gentle slopes, except for one short section that kicks up to 8% grade.

Pitt River Regional Greenway

Wheel along the top of the dikes to enjoy great views of the Fraser and Pitt Rivers on the Pitt River Regional Greenway. Most of the dike trail is wheelchair accessible and there are also accessible gravel trails, washrooms, and parking at Harris Landing.

Kanaka Creek Riverfront

Soak up views of Kanaka Creek and the Fraser River from the Kanaka Creek Riverfront Trail in Kanaka Creek Regional Park in Maple Ridge. The 3 km-long trail has a flat and accessible surface. The washrooms and picnic tables at the parking area are accessible too.

Hidden Groves

Sechelt’s Hidden Groves trail network includes two wheelchair-accessible trails, both of which depart from the main parking area. Monty’s Way is a short loop trail that meanders through the trees past several interpretive signs. Take It Easy, also known as “Ayat-Tsut” in the Sechelt language, climbs gently through the forest.