I grew up in Vancouver and now I live in Squamish, so I’ve been to Whistler more times than I can count. Since I’m not a skier, hiking in Whistler is my favourite thing to do when I visit. I’ve hiked most of the trails near Whistler and put together a list of the best …
Day hikes
If you’ve been out on the trails in the last few years you’ve probably noticed something: it’s crowded out there. Hiking has really grown in popularity recently. Some people point to Instagram, others say it’s just part of a trend towards different types of outdoor fitness. Either way, I think it’s a good thing that …
If you hike in Vancouver, chances are you’ve done the Grouse Grind or at least heard of it. It’s a super steep hike up to the top of Grouse Mountain. It’s considered a bit of a local bucket list hike or a fitness challenge. And it’s so popular that hikers are now tackling a bunch …
If you want an introduction to outdoor activities in Vancouver, pick up a copy of Active Vancouver by Roy Jantzen. It’s got local recommendations for hiking, trail running, paddling, snowshoeing, cycling and more. Each adventure has a really cool “Eco-Insight” section with fun info about some of the plants, animals, climate or geology you’ll see. …
If you’re looking to explore some of Olympic National Park’s rugged coastline, I recommend hiking to Toleak Point from Third Beach. It’s a moderately challenging trail that travels along beaches and across steep headlands. The area around Toleak Point is dotted with dozens of offshore islands and sea stacks, making it really picturesque. Plus there …
No car? No problem! There are actually lots of hikes in Vancouver that you can get to on transit. In fact, some trails are actually better on transit since parking can be a problem. There are even a few hikes that are best done as a one-way trip, which is much easier to do when …
I’ve hiked to lots of alpine lakes near Vancouver, but so far I haven’t made it to the famous Rocky Mountains in Colorado. And that’s a shame since there are so many awesome hikes in Colorado. So I’m pretty stoked about this post. It’s from Colorado local Sarah Maurer of missadventurepants.com. She gives us a …
It might be cliche, but everyone loves to defy TLC and “go chasin’ waterfalls”. I think waterfall hikes are some of the best because they are still beautiful in the rain and snow, so you can hike to them all year. There are a few well known waterfalls near Vancouver you can hike to (ahem …
Many people don’t know this about me, but I collect guidebooks. I own several hundred of them! They date from the 1960s to present and are mostly focused on southern British Columbia. So of course I get excited when a new guidebook is released. I was especially excited when I heard about The Glorious Mountains …
Let me just start out by saying that any hike that gets you outside into nature is a good hike. But the reality is that most of us don’t have infinite time to spend hiking. So when we go outside, we want to hike a trail that doesn’t suck. I’ve hiked a LOT of trails …