Stanley Park Visit

Location in Vancouver: West End of the downtown - two blocks West of Denman Street.

Liked: Walking around the seawall, natural views, numerous available forest paths, available horse-drawn tours, observing seaplanes.

Of note: Long stretches of the seawall have no shade. Pay parking in effect throughout Stanley Park.

Related Website: Stanley Park - City of Vancouver Official Site.

Other BC Cities, Towns and Locations We Have Visited: Agassiz, Bella Coola, Bralorne, Chilliwack, Fort Nelson, Gibsons, Gold Bridge, Harrison Hot Springs, Hope, Horseshoe Bay, Merritt, Mission, Nanaimo (Old City Square), Port Alberni, Prince George, Prince Rupert, Smithers, Squamish, Telkwa, Tofino, Tumbler Ridge, Vancouver (Seawall), West Vancouver (Ambleside Park).

This enormous urban park is Vancouver's green jewel, highly popular with locals and visitors alike. You can walk, jog, bike, rollerblade, chill on a beach, sit and watch the nature / passing boats / seaplanes, visit Vancouver Aquarium, have a meal in a restaurant, and do many other things. It's a busy place any time of the year, but, especially, during the tourist season. If, on top of that, it's a weekend, and the sun is out, you are bound to see some serious crowds in Stanley Park. Fortunately, it's big enough that even on a busiest day it's often possible to find a relatively quiet and secluded place, usually on one of the many paths in the forest.

1. There are many different ways of getting to Stanley Park. Aside from walking or biking, you can take public transit (trolley #19 goes right into the park), use one of the tour buses, or drive your own vehicle (parking fees in effect). Our trip starts on Georgia Street. We are looking West and are about to cross Denman Street. If you would like to rent a bicycle, there is a large rental shop on the corner of Denman and Georgia, to the left of where we are in the photo below.

Georgia Street at Denman Street Vancouver BC Canada

2. Leaving Georgia Street and entering Stanley Park.

Georgia Avenue Vancouver British Columbia - entering Stanley Park

3. If you are on foot, you would have time to check out the map of the park. Our location is shown with a purple circle closer to the bottom of the page, just to the right of Lost Lagoon.

Stanley Park Map - Vancouver British Columbia Canada

4. Soon, you would get to this roundabout.

Roundabout at the entrance to Stanley Park in Vancouver BC Canada

5. Unless you have a specific place in mind and know how to get there, it is a good idea after entering the roundabout to make an immediate right turn and drive where the red car in the photo below is heading.

Stanley Park in downtown Vancouver British Columbia

6. Very shortly, there is a statue of a Scottish poet, Robert Burns.

Robert Burns Statue Stanley Park Vancouver British Columbia Canada

7. And, right after that, there is a parking lot on the left side. There are quite a few of these in Stanley Park, and you can also park on a roadway here and there - just watch the signs regulating curbside parking.

Stanley Park Vancouver BC

8. Here is a parking payment machine. The ticket is good throughout Stanley Park. The rate is $3 per hour, or $10 all day (6 AM to 9 PM). Between 9 PM and 6 AM it's free. The rate is lower in off-season.

Stanley Park Pay Parking Machine in Vancouver British Columbia

9. The good thing about this parking lot is that it is right by the Info Centre.

Stanley Park Information Centre Vancouver BC Canada

10. The horse-drawn tours start right here too.

Stanley Park Horse Drawn Tour Wagon - Vancouver BC Canada

11. And, most importantly, the seawall runs nearby as well.

Stanley Park Seawall in Vancouver British Columbia

12. And so we started walking. Our first good view.

View from Stanley Park Seawall - Vancouver BC Canada

13. Downtown Vancouver seen from the Stanley Park seawall.

Downtown Vancouver BC

14. Here is Canada Place and Vancouver Convention Centre.

Canada Place Vancouver BC

15. This is a statue of Harry Jerome, British Columbia athlete of the century.

Harry Jerome Statue Stanley Park Vancouver BC Canada

16. Seaplanes flying by never cease to impress.

West Coast Air Seaplane seen from Stanley Park seawall - Vancouver British Columbia

17. The seawall is impressive all by itself.

Stanley Park seawall Vancouver BC

18. We found several fishers along the seawall. Here are some of them, with Lions Gate Bridge in the background.

Lions Gate Bridge Seen from Stanley Park in Vancouver BC Canada

19. Shortly thereafter, we left the seawall, as we decided to go to Prospect Point via the roadway. There is a bit of a grade involved.

Stanley Park Roadway - Vancouver British Columbia

20. Once at the top, you can walk for a few minutes on a trail running parallel to the roadway.

Stanley Park Vancouver BC

Our Stanley Park Visit Trip Report Continues on Page 2.

Other Trips in Vancouver Area:

Canada Line Opening Day	Bloedel Conservatory	Vancouver Maritime Museum
Vancouver Seawall Visit	Vancouver Science World	Admiralty Trail Hike