Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in North Vancouver

We took things relatively easy on our final day in British Columbia, back in Vancouver after a couple days in Tofino.

Off to North Vancouver

After grabbing a coffee at Caffe Artigiano, we walked over to Canada Place to catch the shuttle bus up to North Vancouver. The city of North Van is located on the north shore of Burrard Inlet, across Lions Gate Bridge from downtown Vancouver. It is the second wealthiest city in Canada, after neighbouring West Vancouver, and is known for its many hiking and skiing trails along the North Shore Mountains. It’s unaffordable to live in for most, but a great spot for outdoor activities a short distance from Vancouver.

Visiting Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

Our plan for the day was to explore Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. The park’s main feature is a simple suspension bridge crossing the Capilano River. Built in 1889, it measures 140 metres (460 feet) long and sits 70 metres (260 feet) above the river. This is actually longer and higher than the scary looking bridge in Squamish. It felt more secure to me with the railings set closer to the bridge platform, but the wobbling while walking across still made my palms sweat — especially with the crowd of people ahead who kept pausing for photos.

The park is a private facility with a somewhat steep admission fee of about $60. It also features other attractions including the Cliffwalk, Treetops Adventure, and a nature trail.

The Cliffwalk took us across a series of cantilevered and suspended walkways along the granite cliff face above Capilano River.

The Treetops Adventure was a series of small suspension bridges attached to eight 250 year old Douglas fir trees.

In total, we spent about two hours at the park. Although it was quite touristy, I think it was fun enough to see once. If we had been feeling athletic, another nearby spot to visit could have been Grouse Mountain to do the Grouse Grind hike. There’s also Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge which is part of a public park with no admission fee.

Saying goodbye to Vancouver

The remainder of our day was spent catching up with friends. We had delicious soup dumplings at Dinesty for lunch, and then dinner at our friends’ home, where we got to meet their dog Lulu.

Speaking of dogs, we missed our silly shih tzu Gizmo so much while we were away. This was the longest we’ve ever left her, but she had a fun adventure of her own at her human grandma’s house in the suburbs, where she got to enjoy a backyard and practiced using the stairs.

Gizmo helping grandma in the garden

We did consider bringing Gizmo on this trip, as she probably would’ve loved the parks and outdoor excursions we went on. However, my research determined that it would be too logistically challenging to bring her along, as there are very few restaurants in Vancouver that allow dogs on their patios, and even some of the outdoor activities we did were not fully dog-friendly. She definitely would have hated that seaplane ride to Tofino. If you do want to travel with dogs to BC, I recommend having a car and arrangements for pet sitting while you are there.

This wraps up the recap of our trip out west. Hope you enjoyed following along!

19 responses to “Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in North Vancouver”

  1. Visiting Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in Vancouver was one of my favourite things to do in the city. I loved the beautiful views, fresh outdoor nature smells and the sounds of rushing water.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. If you’re ever back in Vancouver I also recommend Lynn Canyon Park. Very similar feel as Capilano and it’s free!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. A brief time away in Vancouver, but a wonderful and much-needed one nevertheless! The Capilano Suspension Bridge sounds like my jam, as it’s thrilling and offers beautiful views along the way– same goes for the Cliffwalk! You’re giving me good ideas of places to check out should I return to Vancouver someday. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You should definitely plan a trip back to Vancouver sometime soon, especially being so close from California!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. How gorgeous. I so envy people who can do the ‘heights’ thing.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m not a huge fan of heights either but survived 😛

      Like

  4. How often does anyone get to walk among the treetops? What fun you must have had. Oh, and now I’m in love with your fur baby. Gizmo is adorable!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s worth a visit when you make it to Vancouver!

      Liked by 1 person

  5. What an incredible walk up in the trees like that! I think I could happily spend the whole day up there just exploring around the paths.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It was very nice despite being a bit scary on the swaying bridge. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  6. Wow – that is steep, but what a fun adventure. We just got back from Colorado and the cost for some of the hot springs was outrageous, too. Ah well, that’s travel, huh? That trip was also the longest I’d been away from the cats, too. I missed them (and the bun) so much!!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yup, I think $50+ is the standard cost for these touristy attractions. What can you do…

      Liked by 1 person

  7. this looks brilliant Jess! I love a good bridge, and the walkway is amazing. Probably freak me out a little bit being so high, but would love to explore this national park!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It isn’t great for people afraid of heights but it’s a lovely park!

      Like

  8. I guess I can say I am lucky to live in North Vancouver because i love hiking and snowshoeing . I used to do x-country skiing too. And for cycling we have a great paved trail with no cars ( Demonstration Valley)… however you must be in good shape as it is quite hilly. Glad to read you enjoyed the North Shore. If you look for my blog, check out FUNandLIFE.2. (francef55.wordpress.com). My previous blog ( france55) is now private.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. It’s always fab to see this part of Vancouver from someone else’s eyes – it is a really gorgeous bridge/area to hike isn’t it!? I wish it wasn’t quite so pricy! We normally end up at the Lynn Canyon Bridge as we’re cheap-skates unless friends/family are visiting Vancouver! 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Lynn Canyon is a great spot. I would probably frequent that park if I was a local. Capilano was quite pricey and more for the tourists!

      Liked by 1 person

  10. I’ve never been out to western Canada, and this post reminds me that I definitely must do so 🙂 Beautiful!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Oh yes, you need to go out there! Such a beautiful place.

      Liked by 1 person

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