What are the Best Trails in Lynn Canyon and Peak?

Quietly situated between it’s larger and better known siblings, Lynn Canyon is a gem for locals looking for a day out in nature. It only took less than a full week of moving to the beautiful Vancouver before we found time to bag our first hike. With our base camp in North Vancouver, the hiking options from the front door are almost endless. So to start our great Canadian outdoors adventure, we decided to stay very local and try out Lynn Canyon Park and Lynn Peak as a long day hike. This post will cover directions to the trailhead and the route taken along with some key stats and must see places.

Hike Stats

• Distance– 21km / 13 mi
• Duration– 5h 30m
• Elevation Gain – 1196m / 3924ft
• Highest Elevation – 992m
• Difficulty – Moderate
• Season – May to Sept

Lynn Canyon: Getting There

Lynn Creek is a popular destination for outdoors lover to escape into the woods and valley on the North Shore. It is conveniently located in close proximity to Lynn Town and Upper Lynn with Translink buses (209, 210, 227 & 228) all available. Plus there are car parks at Inter River Park, Lynn Canyon Park and Norvan Fall Parking (paid ones for info). Lynn Canyon park has many trails for easy strolls to more serious days hiking. It can be linked with other routes such as the Baden Powell Trail from Mount Seymour and Grouse Mountain.

Lynn Canyon Trail

It took less than 1 week before I heard the call. After moving our lives across to Vancouver, I had no desire to waste any time in exploring what the stunning landscape had to offer. And one of the biggest draws of Vancouver is the proximity of the mountains on your doorstep. So we took it literally and left our accommodation to head to Lynn Canyon. We’d never heard of this magical valley until it was recommended by a local when sorting out our Canadian work docs. Initially, we planned to visit Capilano Suspension Bridge but couldn’t justify the steep ticket price ($76.60). Had we found a free suspension bridge alternative?

Suspension Bridge

The trail started off gentle along a gravel track next to the tree covered mountain stream. The Saturday morning was busier than I’d have liked especially having to dodge dogs running around freely on the narrow board walks. We ascended up Lynn Canyon in the lush forest but constantly had walkers and runners within earshot. To escape the path, there were peaceful spots to descend down to the water to relax alongside. Then, we headed to the first attraction, Twin Falls Waterfalls, which was quieter than the next stop. Further up is the main attraction in the Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge where the masses had accumulated. The Bridge may not be as impressive as Capilano but still hangs 50m over the canyon. Considering it’s free and has a good view still, I would argue it’s much better value.

30 Foot Pool

A short stroll further on was the equally popular 30 Foot Pool. A refreshing and crystal clear swimming hole for people to cool off and bask in the sun. As tempting as a quick dip would have been, I had to attend to a leaking bladder, a hydration bladder that is. So far the trail had been easy going with a few wooden stairs to go up but now faced the biggest challenge. A very large set of wooden stairs await to climb a vertical cliff face. We’re fit and fast hikers but given this was our first hike of the year, I was blowing after! At the top we met a couple of more serious hikers with whom we exchanged hellos. A nice change compared to the casual walkers and dogs along the creek and bridges.

Rice Lake

We had reached the end of Lynn Canyon and were faced with a decision point. Do we go to Rice Lake and then return to civilisation? Or should we attempt to climb Lynn Peak?

We choose the head towards Lynn Headwater and then climb Lynn Peak in the hopes of a clear view of Vancouver from the vantage point. First, we required to refuel in preparation for the gruelling ascent to come. And where better to enjoy a packed lunch than next to a serene mountain lake. Rice Lake was hotspot for fishing and families with the treeline and mountains reflected in the still waters. We took a 20min break before doing a short lap around the lake to get warmed up and help digest the food.

Lynn Peak Trail

Lynn Peak stands in-between Grouse Mountain and Mount Seymour with potential for epic views of both. However to get to the top is a 700m climb in 3.5km from the trailhead up a steep route with loose rocks and tree roots. A critical error was made on this hike. Usually my trusted La Sportiva TX4 Approach Shoes are used for any mountain hikes. However, as we hadn’t planned on Lynn Peak until lunchtime, I was wearing Nike Pegasus trail running shoes which were not up to the task! Lacking in ankle support and grip, I lost confidence and tired more easily up the climb. It became a mental battle with a worry about how to safely descend without the usual Hiking Gear. At least it was a quieter trail compared to Lynn Canyon with a few fellow hikers who were mainly descending.

We counted down every 100m climbed as the day was hot and we were already above 15km in distance. The trail felt eerily quiet with so few hikers around. We began to feel tired due to the warm weather and lack of hiking in the legs. Soon we approached the top and felt like we deserved something for the grind. The path topped out and only went downhill towards the next peak along the ridge. Trees surrounded us and shielded the views of Grouse and Seymour. Naturally, we felt disappointed and begrudgingly started on the way down.

Viewpoint

Off the trail, we heard voices towards a clearing so went to investigate. Finally, our efforts were rewarded with a stunning viewpoint overlooking Burnaby, Vancouver, and further afield to America. My attention was drawn to the looming snow capped peak of Mount Baker in the US, topping 3000m! The voices belonged to the 2 hikers we met at the 30 Foot Pool; they were now enjoying the sun and views. They had a quick photo shoot so we offered to take a picture of them and got chatting. They were impressed we had done the hike less than 1 week since moving to Vancouver. And recommended several other hikes in BC for us to check out as well as some valuable perspective on finding jobs in Canada. Their advice was thanked and we started the steep descent which proved better than expected given our less than favoured equipment.

Soon we re-joined the main trail before we reached the Norvan Fall Car Park. A final obstacle unexpectedly awaited with a steep wooden stair climb over a ridge to get the bus. Exhaustedly we hiked over the ridge and stopped our 21Km hike at the bus stop. Our appetites had built up which we satisfied with Scratch Kitchen Pizza in Central Lonsdale which I would highly recommend!

Hiking Highlights

The Best Hiking route through the Canyon in my opinion is from the south then climbing up towards the must-see attractions. The Bridge, Pools and Falls are all within a short walk of each other and not far from the car park or café.

• 30 Foot Pool – The swimming hole looked refreshing with it’s green and blue colours. I’ll be returning for a dip once summer is in full swing!
• Forrest Walks – The board walks and tree trail are peaceful especially on weekdays. With some nice rises and wooden stairs, it’s easy to navigate Lynn Canyon park.
• Lynn Peak Lookout – Great view on a clear day that made the climb worth it

Hike Rating

Rating – 3.0 / 5
A fun 1st day out with a variety of things and places to see. The hike to Lynn Peak was steep with little viewpoints apart from near the top. On a cloudy day, it would be hard to recommend the steep climb without the reward. It’s a busy and popular area Lynn Canyon so be prepared on weekends for plenty of dog walkers, runners, families and hikers enjoying the area.

Stay tuned for more Vancouver & British Columbia (BC) hiking trails and ratings! Next up the Famous Grouse Grind…