Lynn Canyon Park - North Vancouver, Canada

September 2022

Lynn Canyon Park – North Vancouver, Canada

There are endless outdoor activities in and around Vancouver, including different and unique ways to explore the mountains. One of those most popular things to do around the city is visit one of the many suspension bridges. When I created a rough draft itinerary for Vancouver, I posed the question of which suspension bridge is the best to visit. There are two popular ones in the area that we considered – Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge and Capilano Suspension Bridge.

Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge – free, located in a neighborhood, off the beaten path, untouched in nature, locals visit frequently, need a car to visit
Capilano Suspension Bridge – entrance fee, attractions to explore, educational activities, could get via tourist bus or public transit of did not have a car

So we decided to visit both and find out for ourselves.

Our first visit was to Lynn Canyon Park and we arrived just after the 7AM opening time to an empty parking lot. The park opened in 1912 and features many walking trails including a suspension bridge that is 50 meters over the canyon. While the park is free, there is a small parking fee but since we arrived so early it was not in effect yet. When we checked the map, we were surprised to see just how big this park was and how many trails there were to choose from. Since we had a limited amount of time, we decided to stick to the Suspension Bridge and follow a loop to the Twin Falls Bridge.

The first thing we noted was how darn peaceful it was here – the intense quiet, the lush green forest, the smells of all around us. Lynn Canyon Park is untouched in nature screaming Fern Gully vibes.

The Suspension Bridge was our first stop shortly after entering the park. While it did not seem that long of a bridge, it was very high – I was certainly weak in the knees crossing this suspension bridge. There was a beautiful waterfall leading into the river below.

The trail to the Twin Falls Bridge was calm and relaxing with intervals of boardwalk and dirt paths. We were surprised to not have seen more wildlife since it was early so it really was just the two of us.

We came upon the Twin Falls Bridge which was much less scary than the Suspension Bridge – probably since it was a stationary bridge. The view from this bridge was also great showcasing the cascading falls into the river below.

As we made our way to the car, we passed a number of runners, walkers, and dogs along the way. This has to be a very popular spot for locals as it is tucked away and offers an easy way to get into nature.

We ended up spending under an hour here but could have easily extended to explore all the trails on the map. We loved our morning stroll through Lynn Canyon Park!

I wondered why I could not find a definitive answer to Lynn Canyon vs Capilano and I now know why – you really can’t compare them. They are attracting two very different groups of people. I am glad we visited both and I think if time permits on your trip, you should definitely visit both as well.