Comments

Rob from North Shore writes:

The rating is for Lions Bay reaction to trying to stop outsiders from enjoy the trails in the area
Parking at the Brunswick Rd off ramp has become a tow away zone after the Municipal leaders went to the highways
department and demanded it be taken away. The excuse was to stop people using the trails during the coronavirus but they have no intention of giving it back. Towing there is aggressive since some of the residents phone in as soon as they spot a car knowing full well the vehicle will be towed to North Van by Payless leaving people stranded and forking out $ 200.00 to get it back. Nice
If some one does find a little spot to park it is soon reported and quickly ends up with a no parking sign
Lions Bay is the only member of Metro Vancouver to completely ban outsiders from parking in their municipality. The have no tow yard to retrieve your vehicle from. At the same time residents of Lions Bay have no problem parking and using the facilities of neighbouring communities that they don't pay for.
They even band people from up the highway from using the park n ride
What to do to get access to hiking back ? Call, write or social media Metro Vancouver 604-432-6200 ,
Lions Bay 604-921-9333 and the M of Transportation 604-250-387-3198. It is not fair that Lions Bay residents can use all of Metro Vancouver's park and facilities while if you try to access BC land in the area you are punished .

Posted: June 5, 2020 09:16:19 AM PST

Christine from Vancouver writes:

My dog and I love this trail! Easy to get to, relatively quiet, and a nice waterfall - it's an easy terrain that can still make you sweat. If you get a tuna melt and beer from the General Store at the end of the hike, you're doing it right. Beautiful views and easy access makes this hike fuss free whether you want to do a shorter or longer loop.

Posted: April 10, 2020 10:24:40 PM PST

53DP5ZZSF www.yandex.ru from 53DP5ZZSF www.yandex.ru writes:

53DP5ZZSF www.yandex.ru

Posted: February 17, 2020 02:20:54 AM PST

Adrian from North Vancouver writes:

Not sure what Ron's issue (below) is with the parking ? Lions Bay requires permit parking within a couple blocks of the marina / Lions Bay Beach and also a couple blocks within the entrance to the Lions Trail way up at the top of Sunset Dr.

The rest of Lions Bay is NOT permit parking and parking is usually easy on the street, or in the parking area adjacent to the municipal office (next to the ambulance station).

Likewise, the earlier reviewer saying the directions are all wrong seems confused. The road heading down towards joining Hwy99 Northbound is where you start, opposite the entrance to the parking for the General Store. North side of that small road, a big blue sign indicates the trailhead.

One of the more relatively easy hikes in Lions Bay so a good way to get out and see the village.

Always recommend calling into the General Store & Cafe afterwards for a beer and a sandwich or pastry, great way to wind down after your hike.

Posted: September 30, 2019 09:26:43 AM PST

Ron from Vancouver writes:

Parking is a major issue so your best to check out the bus service to the area it is great. Drops you off and no worries of getting towed
If you dare to drive. There is pay parking at the bottom of Lions Bay by the marina . Yes is it pay parking but a tow bill is about three hundred dollars
Only residents can park in Lions Bay and you must display a current parking pass or you get towed
Sometimes there is parking at the school on weekends and summer holidays
There has been people parking on the off ramp . There are few spots but you have to park pointing in not parallel to the road
This allows more people park. You must be completely off the road . People get very upset at those who hog parking
No overnight parking so if you plan on that you may find your vehicle gone in the morning .. They Tow and the Tow often
There has been a problem with hikers cleaning out their cars and leaving garbage before driving away. That is causing a lot of resentment from the locals
The area you are hiking in is also Lions Bay watershed.. So think about that ..
The area is also very dry . Please if you see any one smoking or starting a fire phone the Lions Bay Fire Department and report it

Posted: June 16, 2019 09:24:12 AM PST

Jen from Vancouver writes:

Good, easy hike. The directions on the site were spot on accurate, not sure why the previous comment said description was confusing. There were short fun facts along the beginning of the hike so it is a good family trail. Some highway noise but not too disturbing. Not busy and quite enjoyable!

Posted: June 3, 2019 01:21:33 PM PST

spaulson from South Surrey writes:

The directions for this hike were completely off. I use this site alot but I was very disappointed with the lack detail. Google Map location was completely different. We hiked the side of a mountain instead. Very disappointed.

Posted: April 29, 2019 04:38:49 PM PST

LE from Vancouver writes:

Good rewarding hike close to the City that doesn't have huge elevation gain - good to do in the winter. Great views of Howe Sound - even better accompanied by a beer from the Lions Bay General Store.

Posted: January 27, 2019 05:39:33 PM PST

callyann from north vancouver writes:

we did this hike today. the views were beautiful. the explanations given on the site were very helpful.

Posted: January 13, 2019 05:13:47 PM PST

Lauren from Wellington, NZ writes:

Did this hike today, it was beautiful. There are more connecting trails you can take that are harder(sleepless night trail), similar to the grouse grind in intensity. The view at the top is so worth it, but the lookout is easy to miss because it is very small and inconspicuous. Definitely take a photo of the trail map before leaving if you’re going to do this, the trails up higher aren’t marked very clearly.

Posted: August 4, 2018 07:36:33 PM PST

daphne from Quebec writes:

We went to do this hike thinking it would be something totally different so here are some things you might want to know about Lion's Bay trails.
First of all, you DON'T have to park on the highway. There's a cafe/general store literally 100m from the beginning of the trail and you can park there. There's also a small parking lot a little bit further away (or park at the local elementary school if you can and there are trails starting from there and it'll lead you to the main view points)
The hike starts north of the Cafe.
If you do only the first part of the hike to see, it is an easy hike and you can do it with kids. But, if you want to hike to the top, it's not easy and it'll take more than 2 hours. The view is gorgeous on the top and is worth the crazy hike.
First of all, as soon as you start the second part of the hike, the indications to tell you where to go are very basic. Follow the orange triangles on the trees. a couple of time, we got lost because we had to cross some gravel path/street leading to some kind of place to filter mountain water, used by people working for the town I guess. So you have to be careful because the trail is crossing the gravel path and you have to find the other part of the trail on the other side of the gravel path.
When you start of climb up, it takes at least an hour and a half to reach to top. Keep following the orange triangle and you'll get to a small beautiful viewpoint. We got lost so many times, but it was worth it, it was a quiet hike, we didn't see anybody. Lots of spiderweb, lots of lizards, lots of steps... just be prepared.
If you think you're lost, l
make sure you still see the orange triangles, they'll y
lead you to the viewpoint.
When you get close to the viewpoint, they are two path, you have to go right. if you don't, you'll start hiking down, meaning that you won't see the viewpoint. Once you're done admiring the view, you can either take the same trail to go back, or a different one (go left at the intersection)
It's not an easy hike, the second part is difficult.

Posted: July 22, 2018 09:36:18 AM PST

Nancy from Vancouver writes:

Loved the first half of the loop, you get to enjoy many sights along Howe sound. For a more details review and pictures, head over to my blog post! http://www.nancyra.com/blog/2017/06/19/lions-bay-loop/

Posted: July 17, 2017 03:32:42 PM PST

Ron from Vancouver writes:

There is no parking . You have to park on the highway then walk along it while people are zooming past you. Lions bay should make some parking for the area since Lions Bay has posted the hiking trials on their website to tell people to come.
The towing signs are every were.

You can not park in the residential area for some reason even though there is lots of room. Closest bathroom is Horseshoe Bay.

As for the trails there is always the roar of the highway.. Not well maintained .

Not going back

Posted: June 25, 2017 08:43:42 AM PST

Jane from North Vancouver writes:

We took 3 kids aged 9, 7 and 3 on a beautiful sunny day in May. Being next to the highway did not bother me at all. The forest sections are really special and the kids especially loved all the botanical info signs along the path. We printed out the instructions which came in handy because you actually follow different trails along the route.. I found it to be well marked. We took a little detour at Crystal Falls road and walked out to Brunswick Beach. Just follow the road under the hwy, cross the train tracks and head left to the end of the road for beach access. Because of the kids and the beach detour this ended up taking us over 3 hours. The terrain is easy but you need to be ready for some uphill climbs. All in all great family hike. I look forward to exploring some more in this area.

Posted: May 22, 2017 09:09:50 AM PST

Tanja from Vancouver writes:

While the views were nice and it's a beautiful forest, the constant sound of the highway didn't sit well with me at all. I go to nature to enjoy a peaceful and quiet time. The highway noises were very distracting and I'm not going back. The description on how to walk from this site was very helpful.

Posted: May 9, 2017 12:10:57 AM PST

VanHiker from Vancouver writes:

This is a very nice hike. There is many good view points of the 2 waterfalls. A lower falls which is pictured here and an upper falls that is much bigger on the same trail. When walking up the Crystal falls road, there is a private bridge on the left with nice view of falls. On other side of bridge, turn right and walk to a view point of falls. When rejoining the trail from the road, walk down to the creek to stand on the rocks with falls view. Further up the hill is the view with a bench to sit. Keep going up the hill to a road, turn left for a view of the bigger upper crystal falls. It is possible to walk down to the creek here.

Posted: May 6, 2017 10:43:24 AM PST

Finley from Edmonton writes:

First things first, I'm a very out-of-shape hiker with some experience, but honestly, not much. This trail was not at all an "easy" trail for me - it felt definitely more on the intermediate-to-hard end of things, but I think if I were in better shape it would be quite a bit easier. That said, here were some of my other impressions from the trail:

It was gorgeous! There really were some fantastic viewpoints and the creeks/couple of small waterfalls were really, really lovely. The Centennial portion of the trail was very well marked, but the rest of it not so much. I recommend having the instructions from this page on hand as that's really the only way I could see one getting through the trail without getting lost at least once. I hiked it today (May 4) and it was still quite muddy and slippery in certain sections. That said, the trees were beautiful and so was the forest. I only met I think three other people in total on the hike so it was nice and quiet, but that said, the noise from the highway actually made me feel a bit better as I'm a solo hiker so it was actually comforting knowing I wasn't ridiculously far from other people/other people's help should I need them.

My only other qualm with this hike is the spiderweb strands - they were EVERYWHERE. I was CONSTANTLY pulling them from my face, my arms, my chest. Not like actual webs, but it appears that the spiders will run single strands from fern to tree or fern to fern directly across the path. So, if you are extremely averse to that, I would not recommend this hike. I really dislike spiders so it started to get to be a bit much after a while, but if you don't mind bugs, you should be fine.

All in all, three stars! Not bad! I hope you enjoy the hike.

Posted: May 4, 2017 08:20:05 PM PST

Richard Donnan from Waldheim writes:

Does anyone know how high Crystal Falls near Lions Bay drops. Hard see the falls with all the trees.

Posted: October 28, 2016 05:17:12 PM PST

Carin from Sint Maartensdijk, Holland writes:

Very nice hike, with great views and variety.
We (from flat country) would not call this easy!
Amazing big cedars etc.
We parked at the P+R . It was 6,5 km in 2 hours.

Posted: May 18, 2016 11:49:28 AM PST

Vita from North Vancouver writes:

We did this hike on March 5 and loved it!
It's one of the view hikes that one can do year around and receive a decent workout.
We loved the scenic views, the change from descending to ascending trails and the fresh smell of the forest and the ocean.
This hike is much closer to Vancouver than Deep Cove, and much for scenic and less crowded.
Lions Bay Loop quickly became my favourite all season hike!

Posted: March 6, 2016 11:38:44 AM PST

Liz Kreutziger from Vancouver writes:

To do this hike, as this site describes, requires having the instructions on hand. There are a handful of paths that could take you off this hike. The best part of this hike was the waterfall. Well groomed, it was nice to walk amongst the trees, but if it weren't for a nice day, it would be dark in the forest.

Posted: October 25, 2015 09:01:59 AM PST

Kyle from New Westminster writes:

Did this hike yesterday and I must say some of the viewpoints are just incredible. The waterfall is beautiful and as an earlier poster stated worth scrambling along the wet rocks to get a closer view. Definitely has some technical steep sections and that ascent up the old logging road before the final descent seems like it will never end but definitely makes you feel a sense of achievement. Will definitely do this hike more often in the future.

Posted: August 22, 2015 04:37:35 PM PST

crossover from Vancouver, BC writes:

This is an enjoyable easy walk. The highway noise is noticeable but not annoying. There was a lot of botanical information along the Centennial trial. It would be fun for families with young kids or those with a curious mind. Some parts of the Harrison Trail is a bit steep but it should be manageable for most hikers. There are a few picnic tables along the loop trails (via the Centennial trail) and can be perfect spot for short breaks.


NB. There is only one single washroom available at the general store. The store owner is nice enough to allow the public to use it but I bought some snacks from them just to make it fair.

Posted: August 17, 2015 03:00:14 PM PST

Gini K from North Haven, CT writes:

This is a lovely trail for an easy day, and perfect for inexperienced hikers. The views from a number of vantage points are breathtaking.

Posted: August 9, 2015 09:41:20 AM PST

Penelope from Vancouver, BC writes:

Nice, quick hike. It is steep on some parts but still manageable - good way to keep up heart rate though! Went last Saturday and there is a bear alert at the beginning of the trail but we didn't see any sighting that day. Being near the highway is a bit odd but as you get further into the trail, it's not as bad.

Posted: July 22, 2015 09:15:52 AM PST

Adele from Vancouver writes:

A nice short walk. It took us about 1.5 hours with a nice break at the waterfall (make sure you hop over the rocks and enjoy it up close). Even though it's close to traffic it always feels safe and the route has enough ups and downs to feel like you're working a little, Only met one group along the way on a sunny sunday

Posted: June 28, 2015 11:15:53 PM PST

Jacqueline from Vancouver writes:

We hiked this trail this past May long weekend with our seven year old daughter and really enjoyed it. It starts out very easy then gets a bit more challenging at the turn off for the Harrison Trail. We did it the opposite direction as recommended above (by mistake) but it turned out fine. I think we preferred it as the Harrison Trail is quite steep and may have been a bit challenging for our daughter to descend.

Bring your camera and some snacks to stop at the many viewpoints along the way. We definitely plan on doing this one again - as another commenter mentioned, it wasn't very busy at all and there is much to see along the way.

Also, according to my "Map my Walk" app, the hike we did clocked in at 7.6 kms. Not sure where the discrepancy lies, but it did feel a bit longer than 4.5 kms for us.

Posted: May 19, 2015 03:35:36 PM PST

Bobby from Burnaby writes:

Great!
Isolated from the crowds! Awesome scenery with nice forest area and great look out spots to see the whole Lions bay!! Will definitely go again. There is highway next to it, but it is well groomed and has a nice little cafe at the start.

Posted: May 16, 2015 12:07:52 AM PST

Kat B from Vancouver writes:

Quick and easy trail with some great views, but being beside the highway did take away from the hike. This would be a great trail for beginners and nature enthusiasts - lots of facts and trivia along the trail talking about the flora and fauna in the area.

Posted: March 22, 2015 12:17:01 PM PST

Doug from Point Roberts writes:

While this trail does offer many beautiful views of the Howe Sound and a hefty collection of wild flowers, the amount of time you spend on old logging roads and how you are right above the highway for half the hike really takes away from the overall experience. I don't regret going to check it out, but I wouldn't go back.

Posted: June 16, 2014 09:22:09 AM PST