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.
Mount Strachan is part of the trio of mountains, also Black Mountain and Hollyburn Mountain that form a bowl, or Cypress Bowl that give the resort its name. The Cypress part of the name comes from the Cypress or yellow cedar that fills the valley. Both Strachan and Hollyburn are easy hikes from the Cypress Resort parking lot. Mount Strachan is a short but beautiful hike that can be done in just a couple hours from the trailhead at Cypress Mountain Resort.
It's a nice taste of the Howe Sound Crest Trail that extends to the horizon from here. For Strachan you can start near the main lodge walk directly up the gravel road and start along the Yew Lake trail. This immediately gets you into deep forest as you ascend toward the Howe Sound Crest Trail. There are excellent signs at all the trail junctions. The Howe Sound Crest Trail comes to a fork at about 2.5 kilometres from the trailhead near Cypress Mountain Lodge. Taking the trail to the right takes you to Mount Strachan in about 15 minutes. Past the Mount Strachan North Peak and Mount Strachan South Peak you can continue by following the Mount Strachan Trail which in turn connects to the Baden Powell Trail returning you to where you began near the Cypress Mountain Lodge. Roundtrip, this circle route is 6 kilometres and should take about 2 hours. Mount Strachan is part of the 29k Howe Sound Crest Trail as it lays at the one end of this span at the Cypress trailhead. Among the hiker friendly mountains (from Cypress north) on the Howe Sound Crest Trail are: St Mark`s Summit, Unnecessary Mountain, The Lions, Mount Harvey, Mount Hanover, Brunswick Mountain and finally Deeks Peak.
Driving Directions to Mount Strachan
The Mt Strachan trailhead is very easy to find. It is found at Cypress Mountain Resort in West Vancouver (free parking and free to use the trails). From downtown Vancouver follow the signs across the Lions Gate Bridge as if you were going to Whistler on the Sea to Sky Highway. From Sea to Sky Highway #99 (aka Highway #1), about 10 minutes from the Lions Gate Bridge take the #8 Exit to Cypress Provincial Park. There are clear signs on the highway for this exit so you can't miss it. Follow this road all the way to the end and park at the Cypress Mountain Resort Ski area. Right next to the main, huge Cypress Creek Daylodge, you will see three ski lifts. The one on the left of the three is called the Lions Express. In between the Lions Express lift and the daylodge you will see the well marked trailhead for the Howe Sound Crest Trail. Instead of following trails, the easiest way to get to the summit of Strachan is to walk up the ski runs (as no trails take you directly to Strachan). Hike up past the Lions Express to its left and continue up, bearing left until you reach the summit.
Explore Vancouver Hiking Trails!
Mystery Lake is an easy, well marked trail that leads to a cute mountain lake that is perfect for relaxing, swimming or having a picnic. It is just 1.5km to the lake and like the rest of Seymour Park, dogs are ...
Unnecessary Mountain gets its peculiar name from the fact it once was part of the route to reach The Lions whereas now the route avoids it. This now, unnecessary mountain, no longer needs to be climbed to ...
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 ...
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 Ancient Cedars trail is well marked and well worn and only gradually uphill for the 2.5 kilometre hike. At the Ancient Cedars forest there is a short circle trail that takes you throughout the giants ...
Wedgemount Lake itself is a magnificent destination for a day hike or spectacular overnight beneath the dazzling mountain peaks and stars. Many sleep under the stars on one of the many beautiful tent ...
The alpine hiking trails on Whistler Mountain are the ultimate in luxurious hiking. Little hiking effort gets you amazing views of turquoise lakes, snowy mountain, valleys of flowers, waterfalls and spectacular ...
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 ...
Mount Strachan is part of the trio of mountains, also Black Mountain and Hollyburn Mountain that form a bowl, or Cypress Bowl that give the resort its name. The Cypress part of the name comes from the Cypress or yellow cedar that fills the valley. Both Strachan and Hollyburn are easy hikes from the Cypress Resort parking lot. Mount Strachan is a short but beautiful hike that can be done in just a couple hours from the trailhead at Cypress Mountain Resort.
Trailhead starts at Cypress Mountain
Snow can persist into July!
Black Mountain 
Brunswick Mountain 
Burnaby Lake 
Burnaby Mountain 
Goat Mountain 
Grouse 
Mt Hanover 
Rice Lake 
The Mt Strachan trailhead is very easy to find. It is found at Cypress Mountain Resort in West Vancouver (free parking and free to use the trails). From downtown Vancouver follow the signs across the Lions Gate Bridge as if you were going to Whistler on the Sea to Sky Highway. From Sea to Sky Highway #99 (aka Highway #1), about 10 minutes from the Lions Gate Bridge take the #8 Exit to Cypress Provincial Park. There are clear signs on the highway for this exit so you can't miss it. Follow this road all the way to the end and park at the Cypress Mountain Resort Ski area. Right next to the main, huge Cypress Creek Daylodge, you will see three ski lifts. The one on the left of the three is called the Lions Express. In between the Lions Express lift and the daylodge you will see the well marked trailhead for the Howe Sound Crest Trail. Instead of following trails, the easiest way to get to the summit of Strachan is to walk up the ski runs (as no trails take you directly to Strachan). Hike up past the Lions Express to its left and continue up, bearing left until you reach the summit.
