Driving Around Stanley Park
Going around the park by car is the method of choice if it is necessary to see
the most with little time available. There is no free parking in the park during
the day and overnight stays in campers or other vehicles are not allowed.
The main drive basically follows the circumference of the park and is one way
for most of its length going in the direction from Coal Harbour counter
clockwise to English Bay. The two exceptions are Pipeline Road from the Beaver
Lake access to the Georgia Street entrance and a stretch of the main drive from
Second Beach to the Beach Street entrance.
All other cut offs or shortcuts maintain the counter clockwise direction.
Each attraction or activity area has its own parking.
The Stanley Park Causeway is not a method of getting about the park even
though it does go through the park. It is a connector that allows traffic from
downtown to access the Lions Gate Bridge and cross to the North Shore and vice
versa.
Biking in Stanley Park
At the entrance to the Park you find many places to rent a tandem bike or
rollerblades.
Biking the Seawall is one of the best ways to see as much of Vancouver's
Stanley Park, the
Beaches and
English Bay as
you can in one afternoon. Biking the seawall is a favourite thing to do by
locals and visitors alike.
It is a well-paved, 9 km (5.4 miles) route that has little elevation change and
follows the coast line from downtown all the way to
Kitsilano and
Spanish Banks.
Walking Around Stanley Park
Wherever possible the best experience of the park is on foot. All areas are
accessible. A leisurely walk around the seawall takes approximately 2 hours
(10km). The whole park, including stops for meals, picnics and/or stepping into
the water at the beaches, can be experienced in a day without being rushed.
The Seawall is well paved and filled with wonderful vistas of the North Shore
Mountains, the downtown skyline and more, it is a stunning start to your day.
You could spend the day just seeing what Stanley park has to offer don't be
afraid to leave the seawall, and explore the Park, finding the seawall again is
really easy just look for the mountains and head there.
points of interest along the way
- 9 o'clock gun. (canon actually)
- Brockton Point and the Lighthouse
- Lumbermen's Arch ( kids spray park and concession stand)
- Aquarium, and miniature train
- Lion's Gate Bridge
- Siwash Rock
- Third Beach and second beach (stop for a dip or an ice cream)
At second beach you can leave the seawall and head back to your staring
destination depending on how you arrived at the park.
You can also continue along a section of the Seawall that surrounds English
Bay. Home to some of the most stunning sunsets in the city, this tree-lined
section is simply stunning. If you have had enough walking this is the spot
where you would have completed your loop of the park and ended up near Denman
and Davie Street.
Roller Blading Stanley Park
If you decide to roller blade you can rent these at the same places you would
rent bikes. depending on your skill level or endurance level hop on the seawall
and stay on the side of the walkway that is designated for bikes and blades. You
can take the same route as the bikers or cut through the park to see other
attractions. staying on the seawall is a preferred route as there are no hills
to navigate or climb.
Be sure to check out the Horse
Drawn
Tours
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