There are plenty of moderately challenging Vancouver hiking trails to choose from. These are five trails that stand out from the rest. Not too difficult, yet all have sensational views. Hollyburn, Dog Mountain and Mt Seymour are at the end of beautiful drives to reach the trailheads.
Crown Mountain, visible from downtown Vancouver, towers behind Grouse Mountain. It was appropriately named due to its crown shape over 150 years ago by an English captain charting the area. This very challenging hike offers some phenomenal views from its summit, deep in the North Shore Mountains. There are three main ways to reach the amazing Crown Mountain.
As it is located near Grouse Mountain, the most direct way to reach it is via Grouse Mountain. You can either hike the Grouse Grind for free or take the SkyRide for about $50 (return). From the Grouse Mountain Chalet the hike to Crown Mountain is 9.4k return and should take about 5 or 6 hours to complete. If you hike/run the Grouse Grind as well then add 2.9 kilometres to the journey there and 3.5 kilometres to the return (via the BCMC trail adjacent to the Grouse Grind) to get back to your car. The third and most challenging way to access Crown Mountain is by beginning and ending at the Lynn Headwaters Regional Park trailhead. This is a tough, but amazing 20k (one way) route to Crown Mountain through the amazing Lynn Valley. This access route to Crown Mountain often opens in late June or even July, Check at the trailhead before you head out on the trail make sure that the trail past Norvan Falls is open. From the Grouse Chalet on Grouse Mountain follow the path under the Peak Chair until you reach the trailhead and hiker check-in station. From here you follow the marked trail to Crown Mountain. You can either hike via Dam Mountain, or take the easier Alpine Trail. Both are roughly the same distance, but the Alpine Trail is a bit easier.
The trail then leads to Little Goat Mountain the descends into Crown Pass. There are several chain assisted sections here and some tricky scrambling, however, nothing too technical. Goat Mountain is just .7k from the main trail to Crown Mountain and well worth the look if you have the energy. There are few creeks along the Crown Mountain hike so ensure that you bring lots of water.
Trailhead Directions to Crown Mountain
The parking area at the base of the Grouse Grind and Grouse SkyRide is just 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver. Leaving Vancouver via the Lions Gate Bridge take the right hand lane after the bridge into North Vancouver. At the first set of lights you will need to then turn left on Capilano Road. Follow this to the Grouse Mountain parking lot. There are pay parking lots or you can park for free on the street nearby.
Explore Vancouver Hiking Trails!
Mount Fromme is the thickly forested mountain next to Grouse Mountain. If looking from the direction of downtown Vancouver, Fromme is just to the right. It is infrequently hiked, at least partly due to the high ...
Deer Lake is a relaxing 5 kilometre walk around a cute urban lake just 30 minutes from Vancouver. The route around the lake is good any time of year and is very popular with dog walkers in and around ...
The Kitsilano beaches begin as soon as you cross the Burrard Bridge and enter the residential paradise of Kitsilano. Though only this first beach is named Kitsilano Beach, you can walk from one beach to the next ...
Dog Mountain is a beautiful, short and fun hike (or snowshoe trek) close to Vancouver and starting from the parking lot of Mount Seymour Resort. Just 2.2 kilometres gets you from your car to breathtaking views of ...
Ring Lake is a idyllic, pristine and wonderfully remote lake similar to Cirque Lake but considerably farther to hike to reach it. The 10 kilometre(6.2 mile) hike takes you through a tranquil forest, then to ...
Black Tusk is the extraordinarily iconic and appropriately named mountain that can be seen from almost everywhere in Whistler. The massive black spire of crumbling rock juts out of the earth in an incredibly ...
Skookumchuck Hot Springs (aka: T'sek Hot Springs and St Agnes Well Hot Springs) is located two hours north of Whistler along the edge of Lillooet River. The name Skookumchuck means "strong water" in the ...
Helm Creek is a cute, meandering creek that winds its way from beyond Black Tusk, down the valley to the wonderful campground that takes its name. From the Helm Creek campground, Helm Creek descends further ...
Whistler is an amazing place to hike. Looking at a map of Whistler you see an extraordinary spider web of hiking trails. Easy trails, moderate trails and challenging hiking trails are all available. Another marvellous thing about Whistler is that Garibaldi Provincial ...
Squamish sits in the midst of some amazing places to hike. Garibaldi Park sprawls from Squamish up and beyond Whistler. Tantalus Provincial Park lays across the valley to the west and the beautiful and desolate, by comparison, Callaghan Valley to the north. Add to ...
Clayoquot Sound has a staggering array of hiking trails within it. Between Tofino and Ucluelet, Pacific Rim Park has several wilderness and beach trails, each one radically different from the last. The islands in the area are often Provincial parks on their own with ...
Victoria has a seemingly endless number of amazing hiking trails. Most take you to wild and beautiful Pacific Ocean views and others take you to tranquil lakes in beautiful BC Coastal Rainforest wilderness. Regional Parks and Provincial Parks are everywhere you turn ...
The West Coast Trail was created after decades of brutal and costly shipwrecks occurred along the West Coast of Vancouver Island. One shipwreck in particular was so horrific, tragic and unbelievable that it forced the creation of a trail along the coast, which ...
Crown Mountain, visible from downtown Vancouver, towers behind Grouse Mountain. It was appropriately named due to its crown shape over 150 years ago by an English captain charting the area. This very challenging hike offers some phenomenal views from its summit, deep in the North Shore Mountains. There are three main ways to reach the amazing Crown Mountain.
Tremendous views of Vancouver
Well marked trail is easy to lose
Black Mountain 
Brunswick Mountain 
Burnaby Lake 
Burnaby Mountain 
Goat Mountain 
Grouse 
Mt Hanover 
Rice Lake 
The parking area at the base of the Grouse Grind and Grouse SkyRide is just 30 minutes from downtown Vancouver. Leaving Vancouver via the Lions Gate Bridge take the right hand lane after the bridge into North Vancouver. At the first set of lights you will need to then turn left on Capilano Road. Follow this to the Grouse Mountain parking lot. There are pay parking lots or you can park for free on the street nearby.
