Squamish sits in the midst of some amazing places to hike. Garibaldi Provincial Park sprawls from Squamish up and beyond Whistler. Tantalus Provincial Park lays across the valley to the west and the beautiful and desolate, by comparison, Callaghan Valley to the north.
GaribaldiProvincialPark
Garibaldi Provincial Park wraps around Squamish and is home to some amazing hiking trails. Garibaldi Lake, Panorama Ridge, Black Tusk and Elfin Lakes are all wonderful hiking destinations in this extraordinary Provincial Park so close to Squamish.
Everyone knows the Grouse Grind as the fantastically popular 2.9 kilometre workout in Vancouver. What is less known is that Grouse Mountain is the gateway, or rather back door to some amazing hiking in the Lynn Headwaters Regional Park. Dam Mountain, Goat Mountain, Crown Mountain, Norvan Falls, Coliseum Mountain, Lynn Peak and quite a lot more lay across the horizon from the top of the Grind.
Whether you start at the base of the Grind or at the top of the SkyRide, the beautifully addictive Grouse Grind is, for many, just the beginning of the trail to so much more. Lynn Headwaters Regional Park begins several kilometres away at the Lynn Valley trailhead and beautiful trails follow Lynn Creek for 7 kilometres to Norvan Falls. The trail then turns into Hanes Valley, connecting to Crown Mountain, Goat Mountain, Dam Mountain and finally leading to Grouse Mountain. The trail from the Lynn Headwaters trailhead to Grouse is about 20k as it carves a giant arc through the valley. Another amazing feature of this area is that both ends are connected by the Baden-Powell Trail. Just 8.6k separates the Lynn Headwaters Park trailhead parking and the base of the Grouse Grind. This forms a tremendous circle route that many have come to adore. Beginning at the Lynn Valley Regional Park trailhead, then trail run or hike the Baden-Powell Trail 8.6k to the Grouse Grind. Run the Grind, 2.9k. Then continue on to Dam Mountain with the short side-hike to either Goat Mountain or Crown Mountain, then down the Hanes Valley to Norvan Falls and back to the trailhead at Lynn Park. The route is just under 30k and amazing as a trail run or a hike. And incidentally, costs nothing. Grouse Mountain is a hive of activity and the famous Grouse Grind and Grouse Skyride are the main highlights. Grouse Mountain is home to a mountaintop habitat refuge. The highlight of this, you will immediately discover is an area containing grizzly bears. Grinder and Coola are the two lumbering giants that you often find play-fighting together. Both were rescued and brought here in 2001. Grinder was orphaned and found wandering along a logging road close to starvation. Coola was found along a highway in Bella Coola, BC, her mother was killed by a truck. Often overlooked, the grizzly bear habitat is almost hypnotizing. As you watch these enormously powerful and dangerous bears, playing with each other just metres away.
The parking area at the base of the Grouse Grind and Grouse SkyRide is just 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver. Leaving Vancouver via the Lions Gate Bridge take the right hand lane after the bridge into North Vancouver. At the first set of lights you will need to then turn left on Capilano Road. Follow this to the Grouse Mountain parking lot. There are pay parking lots or you can park for free on the street nearby.
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