No car? No problem. These transit-friendly hikes in Metro Vancouver allow anyone to easily access some of the region’s best hiking and walking trails.
So you have no excuses. Just grab your Compass card and get ready for some outdoor adventures.
Transit-Friendly Hikes in Metro Vancouver
Lighthouse Park
This North Shore favourite features a network of easy trails to take on, with up to 6 kilometres to explore. They’re all relatively flat and take only a couple of hours to complete. Because of the stunning lighthouse and the coastline — you’re going to want to bring along some snacks and have a little picnic here as you soak up the views.
How to get there: The park is open year-round and is easily accessible by transit. Bus #250 to Horseshoe Bay / Dundarave from downtown Vancouver will take you across the Lions Gate Bridge, and into West Vancouver. You need to exit the bus at Beacon Lane and walk to the nearby Lighthouse Park.
Pacific Spirit Park
This is an idyllic spot for forest bathing as you will feel completely immersed in the wilderness. It has about 10 kilometres worth of trails, which could take up to 3 hours depending which route you go. With more than 750 hectares of forest to explore, you can find this serene park on the west side of Vancouver.
How to get there: As for transit, there’s lots of options to get there depending where you are getting the bus from and where you want to start. From downtown Vancouver to the trails along 16th Avenue, take the Canada Line Skytrain south and get off at King Edward Station. Take bus #84: UBC Westbound as it follows 16th. Get off the bus as you pass fields at Camosun Park.
Grouse Grind
The most popular spot to climb stairs is the Grouse Grind on the North Shore. The 2.9 kilometre trail has somewhere around 2,830 steps leading up to Grouse Mountain’s peak. It’s a grueling workout but the views at the top make it all worth it.
How to get there: From downtown Vancouver, ride the SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay, then take the #236 bus to Grouse Mountain (about a 25-minute ride). And if you’re coming from Phibbs Exchange, take bus #232.
Lynn Loop
Take a hike into the lush forested areas of Lynn Headwaters Regional Park by doing the Lynn Loop. Admire the rushing waters of Lynn Creek on this 5 kilometre round trip trek that takes about an hour-and-a-half to complete.
How to get there: From downtown Vancouver, take the Seabus across to North Vancouver and at the Lonsdale Quay bus loop, and then take bus #228 to Lynn Valley. You will want to get off of the bus near the end of the route at Dempsey and Lynn Valley Road. You can also take Bus #210 which will take you over the Iron Workers Bridge.
Quarry Rock
After being closed from 2019-2022, this trail has finally reopened in 2023. The Vancouver favourite is a 3.8 kilometre route in Deep Cove that takes you on a 1.5-hour round trip hike to an incredible viewing point. Sit on top of the rock and catch glimpses of Indian Arm and the mountains around Belcarra.
How to get there: From downtown Vancouver, take the Seabus across to North Vancouver and at the Lonsdale Quay bus loop, take bus #239: Capilano University to Phibbs Exchange bus loop. At Phibbs Exchange, transfer to bus #212, which will take you all the way to Deep Cove. Alternatively, you can take bus #210 or #211 over the Iron Workers Bridge.
Diez Vistas
Tackle this hike just east of Vancouver in the Buntzen Lake area. The scenic Diez Vistas trail offers up stunning views of Indian Arm. After an initial uphill climb, the hike descends gradually before going right and reaching a suspension bridge at the north end of Buntzen Lake. After a rest at the beach near the suspension bridge, walk back along the Buntzen Lake trail to main area of the park, where you can get the bus back home.
How to get there: From downtown Vancouver jump on the Skytrain to Commercial-Broadway Station, and jump onto the Millennium Line to Lafarge Lake-Douglas. Get off at Moody Centre Station. Then take bus #181 or #182 to Belcarra.
Velodrome Trail
Known as being Burnaby’s version of the Grind, this steep 3 kilometre trek takes about an hour to complete. It has an elevation gain of 240 metres and takes you from the north side of Burnaby Mountain to the totem poles by the old Horizons Restaurant.
How to get there: You can take the West Coast Express from Waterfront to Mission, and get off Moody Centre. The #160 Poco Station bus travels from downtown Vancouver and stops right in front of the Velodrome on Barnet Road. It’s best to ask the bus driver to stop at the Velodrome as it’s easy to miss and getting out at other locations on the Barnet could make it difficult to get back to the previous stop.
Or you can take the Skytrain to Commercial-Broadway Station, and jump onto the Millennium Line to Lafarge Lake-Douglas. Get off at Sperling Station. Then take bus #144 up to SFU, and find the path from above.
Admiralty Point
Find this beauty of a trail in the pristine Belcarra Regional Park. It offers unsurpassed views of Deep Cove, Mount Seymour and Burnaby Mountain. The 5 kilometre trek takes about an hour-and-a-half to complete.
How to get there: Either via skytrain or the West Coast express, get to Moody Centre Station, then take bus #182 to Belcarra, and get off at WB Bedwell Bay Rd @ Midden Rd. You will then be able to start your hike to Admiralty Point.
Coquitlam Crunch
This is another course that resembles the Grouse Grind. The steep urban 4.5 kilometre round-trip trail follows a route under hydro power lines. While it’s not a great spot to catch some views, it does make for an awesome workout.
How to get there: The Coquitlam Crunch trail is accessible by public transit. Either via skytrain or the West Coast express, get to Moody Centre Station Then take bus #184 to Noons Creek. Get off at NB Falcon Dr @ Runnel Dr, and you will be about a 4 minutes walk down Runnel Drive, and you will arrive at the from the bottom of the trail.
When in doubt, it is best to use Google Maps, with real time traffic reports. If you don’t have internet access, be sure to print out instructions beforehand, as real time conditions may vary.
