Hello! Welcome back to the trip report series. We’re down to the second to the last report of this trip, unfortunately. But we’re going to go out with a bang! The last few days of this trip were really special to me and I can’t wait to share them with you! So settle in, it’s time for another report, this time of the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park!
Subscribe to my Youtube channel @ Stephen Flores Travel, like me on Facebook at Passport Perspective, and follow me on Instagram / Twitter / Tiktok @StephenJFlores. And now let’s get on with my day!
And the Rain Rain Rain Came Down Down Down
Unlike the previous days, I actually slept in today. My tiredness eventually caught up with me and I needed the extra 2 hours of sleep. But I was out of the house and on my way to Tim Hortons by 9am.
I should note that at this point it was raining, and the forecast said the rain would dissipate by around 1pm (which was what I was banking on). The plan for the day was to go to Tim Hortons, wait out the rain for a bit, and then take the free shuttle from Canada Place to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is one of two famous outdoor attractions that are easily accessible from Vancouver, the other one being Grouse Mountain. I originally scheduled to do both on the same day, but when I extended my trip by a day I ended up separating them (which ended up being the right decision as I got to explore each of them more thoroughly)
I arrived at the Tim Hortons by Canada Place and ordered a breakfast biscuit and hot chocolate. I then took a seat and waited for the rain to let up. I knew that the park was going to be open late, so I didn’t really need to get there very early. I just took my time that morning.
The minutes turned to hours, and soon it was about 11:30 and I was still waiting for the rain to cease. It didn’t look like it was going to stop anytime soon, so I told myself that I would head to Capilano at 1:30pm, rain or shine. Before then, I wandered around the Canada Place area, including checking out the iFly Canada attraction. I decided against doing it because it was too expensive, but soon enough it was 1:30pm so I hopped on one of the free shuttles and headed for Capilano.
The bus ride was pretty uneventful. We passed by a few hotels, then made our way to the Lions Gate Bridge. It was cool getting to see Stanley Park and the surrounding area from the bus window. The rain also stopped at this point, which was good. We then crossed the bridge and were at the gates of the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park by around 2pm.
Up in the Air
I quickly paid the CAD$ 71.95 cost for a ticket and entered the park. As soon as you enter, you’re greeted by a wooden Capilano Suspension Bridge sign and a small area with placards containing information about the park and the bridge. The park started as a cabin located on the canyon wall that was owned and built by a civil engineer named George Grant Mackay in 1888. A year later, Mr. Mackay built a suspension bridge made of hemp, rope, and cedar planks across the canyon. They got the bridge across the canyon by enlisting horses to cross the river with the bridge then lifted it up the canyon wall. It was then anchored on cedar logs.
The hemp bridge was replaced by a wire bridge in 1903. It was further reinforced in 1914 when Edward Mahon bought the bridge and the surrounding land adjacent to the bridge. The land was sold a couple more times until it landed in the hands of Nancy Stibbard in 1983. She then transformed the area into a tourist attraction, resulting in the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park that exists today.
After passing the museum displays, you’re then taken to an area with totem poles, a gift shop, a food stand, and the entrance to both the cliff walk and the suspension bridge that leads to the rest of the park. I decided to head straight to the main area of the park, so I stepped onto the suspension bridge and began the 450 foot walk to the other side.
I immediately noticed how shaky the bridge was. The wind was also not helping and it took me a bit of time to get used to the swaying. But the views from the bridge were spectacular. Forest in every direction, a river underneath you, and fog hanging low by the trees. It felt so ethereal, and I made a point to snap as many pictures as I could. I actually stood in the middle of the bridge for a while just looking out at the view, taking it all in. After doing this for a couple of minutes, I proceeded to the other side of the canyon.
Once I got there, I found a number of paths that I could take to explore the park. I decided, after looking at the map, to head to the right and make a big loop around the whole park. And so off I went into the forest. After heading to the right, I made my way up this incline and at the top was the Treetops Adventure.
The Treetops Adventure was this series of hanging walkways between the tops of these huge trees (hence the name). It was pretty cool seeing the forest from that perspective. I climbed my way up to the first bridge and was just in awe of how beautiful the forest looked like from up there. I began walking around, taking photos along the way. It all felt so tranquil. I wish I could recreate that moment.
After traipsing through the Treetops Adventure, I headed back down and continued exploring. There was a little creek with a little wooden house in the middle of the forest area, along with some walkways that continued the loop I was on. So I started heading down a path and eventually came across a tiny lake. It had these beautiful spherical lights hanging from the trees. It was a pretty sight to see even though they weren’t on.
Heading a little farther down I ended up in the Raptors Ridge, which was this little area that functioned as a mini-aviary. That’s where some park workers were holding different kinds of birds. One was holding an owl and the other a hawk. Those birds were so adorable and majestic, even though they looked sleepy.
It was at this point that I realized that there were two paths in front of me. One took me back to the main bridge while the other one took me to something called the Nature’s Edge Boardwalk. The Boardwalk looked like an extended loop that went lower and closer to the edge (again, hence the name) than the path I was on. Of course I decided to do the Boardwalk, and I’m so glad that I did.
The Boardwalk was a series of walkways that led to amazing vistas of the bridge and the river below. Along the way there were these signposts that told you different fun facts and bits of information about the forest, trees, plants, and animals that call this forest home. It was one of the highlights of the park for me because I was able to get amazing vantage points of the surrounding area from it.
After completing the Nature’s Edge Boardwalk, I decided to head back across the bridge and do the Cliff Walk. The Cliff Walk is the most recent addition to the park, and it’s kind of tucked towards the back of the park beside the gift shop. It had two sections: one that featured steel walkways suspended over the canyon and another walk on the side of the canyon through a garden-like area with some cool installations that tell you facts about things like climate change and water conservation.
This was honestly one of the coolest parts of an already very cool area. The walkways were so thin so it looked like you could fall or drop something while on them, which added to the thrill. Be warned though that it does entail a lot of steps to get to the Cliff Walk and to get out of it, but I would encourage you to do it, except if you’re afraid of heights that is.
After doing that, I decided to have a late lunch. I went back to the food stall by the gift shop and bought myself some poutine with pulled pork. I devoured it quickly as I had had nothing to eat since the Tim Horton biscuit I had for breakfast. The poutine was also delicious, about as good as the one I had on my second day.
Walking through the whole park took about 2 hours. At this point it was about 4pm. It also started raining as I was eating. But then I decided that, since I didn’t know when I would be back and because the park was beautiful, that I wanted to see it all again. So I finished up my lunch and proceeded back over the bridge and into the park again. I did everything in the exact same order, from the trail to the Treetops Adventure to the mini lake.
When I passed the lake again, there was a worker doing a demonstration about a type of slug that you can find in the area. I stopped by to listen to her for a bit, then continued to Raptors Ridge and then to the Nature’s Edge Boardwalk. I crossed the suspension bridge one last time, then did the Cliff Walk. When I was done, I took one last look at the bridge, then headed out.
I jumped on the first bus and was soon back at Canada Place. I decided I wanted to head back to Granville Island to buy more of the nanaimo bars to take home. However, when I got to the market, it was past 6pm so everything was closed. I took a mental note of this and then proceeded to take the bus back to my Airbnb, and that ended my day at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park.
Our final trip report is up next! It covers Grouse Mountain and my last two days in Vancouver.
Vancouver, Canada ‘24 Trip Reports Introduction
Vancouver, Canada ‘24 Trip Report Part One: Almost Denied Boarding & The Most Beautiful Park
Vancouver Canada ‘24 Trip Report Part Two: The Most JAM PACKED Day Ever Part 1
Vancouver Canada ‘24 Trip Report Part Three: The Most JAM PACKED Day Ever Part 2
Vancouver Canada ‘24 Trip Report Part Four: Museums Galore!
Vancouver Canada ‘24 Trip Report Part Six: Climb Every Mountain
Leave A Comment