Plan a quick outdoor adventure with our guide to the best provincial parks near Vancouver that do not require an intensive hike. These 10 B.C. Provincial Parks provide plenty of reasons to get out of the city and enjoy a walk in the forest. In British Columbia, we have 1,033 provincial parks, recreation areas, ecological reserves, protected areas and conservancies.
You may also want to check out: 10 Best B.C. Provincial Parks Near Vancouver, scenic trails at Derby Reach Regional Park Langley, walking trails of Campbell Valley Regional Park, Metro Vancouver and Port Alberni Travel Guide to 21 Great Adventures.
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10 Best BC Provincial Parks near Vancouver
Getting out exploring nature is good for the body and soul. Discover the health benefits of ‘Forest Bathing’.
1. Nairn Falls Provincial Park
Nairn Falls has an incredible rich geological history of water, glaciers and volcanic islands. It’s hard to believe that through time this spot has transitioned from a seashore into a mountainous area.
There are three hiking trails at Nairn Falls Provincial Park and the terrain is very steep in many areas.
Watch your footing as there are many steep banks above the fast flowing Green River. If travelling with children, please use extra caution because the trail has lots of raised tree roots. Hike through western red cedar, western hemlock, paper birch and coastal Douglas-fir.
Nairn Falls Provincial Park is 25 minutes north of Whistler on Highway 99. From the parking lot follow the 1.5 km trail to the view the 40-metre-high falls. Consider an overnight stay in Whistler or Pemberton or camp at the park or One Mile Lake.
Must See Nairn Falls Hike – Explore spectacular Nairn Falls Hike one of the top things to do in Whistler Pemberton area.
2. Cypress Provincial Park
Cypress Provincial Park near Vancouver towers high above the city in the rugged north shore mountains. The views on a clear day are spectacular and there are plenty of great photo opportunities overlooking Metro Vancouver, the Cascade Mountains, Mount Baker and views of the Georgia Strait towards Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands.
View from Cypress Mountain Provincial Park
Since the 1920s, this park has been local favourite for summer and winter recreation. In the summer; hike, mountain bike, picnic, dine, stargaze, sightsee, axe throw, hop on the Eagle Coaster or wilderness camp. In the winter: ski, Sno-Go skibike, snowshoe, toboggan, tube and more or enjoy Lights to the Lodge, an easy one-km. snowshoe trek to the historic Hollyburn Lodge.
One of the newest summer activities takes you higher up the mountain on the scenic chairlift ride to a viewing platform to see The Lions mountain range.
Download a brochure of the park or a Cypress Park trail map.
The park’s yellow-cedars in the surrounding ancient forests are more than 1,000 years old. The Roadside yellow-cedar is more than 1,200 years old, and is one of the largest known yellow-cedars in B.C. The diverse flora and fauna offers a wide variety of habitats and birdwatchers can find up to 113 species of birds.
During the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics, Cypress was a venue for snowboarding and freestyle skiing. Cypress Park is a short 30 minute drive from Downtown Vancouver, depending on the traffic.
How to get to Cypress Mountain from Vancouver
3. Golden Ears Provincial Park
Golden Ears Provincial Park is one of the largest provincial parks in B.C. This beautiful mountainous park offers lots of recreational opportunities. At the South Beach day use area, Alouette Lake offers several beaches spots to enjoy for a swim or other popular water sport and boating activities. Rentals are available for canoes and kayaks.
Golden Ears Provincial Park, Alouette Lake
4. Cultus Lake Provincial Park
We can see why Cultus Lake is one of the most popular destinations for Greater Vancouver residents. There are so many wonderful activities available to enjoy in nature in the park, or the more commercialized fun outside park boundaries.
Besides 290 camp spots and four group sites, did you know that there are 25 cabin and hut rentals, as well as two trailer rentals?
Hiking, swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding and wildlife viewing are a few activities to partake in. Bird-watching enthusiast can look for 100 different types of bird species in the area
These are five favoured trails in the park ranging in length and difficulty. We have selected two worth checking out.
- Teapot Hill Trail offers great wildlife from the viewing platform at the end of the trail, as well as stunning views of Cultus Lake and Columbia Valley. This trail is 5 km. round trip, but the steep sections make it moderately difficult.
- Maple Bay Trail is a short 30-minute nature walk with self-guided interpretive signs.
The drive to Cultus Lake is about 1 hour and 39 minutes, depending on the traffic.
5. Rolley Lake Provincial Park
Just a short drive from the Vancouver, Rolley Lake Provincial Park provides picnic spots, hiking trails and overnight camping. The park’s warm water lake provides great recreational opportunities for canoeing, kayaking, swimming, and fishing.
Take a trip to Rolley Falls, accessed via a short 4.7 km moderate loop trail.
Rolley Lake will take just over one hour to drive to from Vancouver.
6. E.C. Manning Provincial Park
Manning Park is a great all season destination offering activities all year and it’s a perfect spot for photographers.
Watch for wildlife in the early morning hours, but be responsible by following the B.C. viewing wildlife safely guidelines. The park has squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, pika, coyotes, beaver, muskrat, deer, moose and bears. We always see marmots on the grassy area at Lightning Lake. Watch out for the holes in the ground.
Hiking
There are easy, moderate and more challenging hikes varying in length from a quick 15 minutes to six days in length. Download a trail map. We prefer the easier, shorter hikes or walks and these two hikes are our favourite.
- Try the 0.5 km Rhododendron Flats loop for birding. In June, the rhododendron’s red blooms are at their peak.
- Looking for wildflowers? From mid-July to mid-August, the 30 min. 1.5 km Paintbrush loop is perfect for viewing wildflowers.
Summer Season
- Manning Park interpretive program is offered June through September.
- Swimming and boating on Lightning Lake. Rentals are available from May through Thanksgiving for rowboats, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards.
- With more than 200 species of birds, Manning Park is an important birding destination. Take part in the annual two day Bird Blitz event in June.
Winter Season
Manning Park offers areas for snowshoeing, tubing, outdoor ice skating (weather dependent), snowboarding, downhill and cross country skiing. The park also has a new tobogganing area near the resort.
Year-round Stargazing
This is a dark sky location with spectacular stargazing at Lightning Lake Day Use Area on a clear night. Be sure to check the night sky calendar. If the timing is right, there could be a Perseid Meteor shower. In 2023, the showers occurred from mid July to late August.
Get an early start, Manning Park is a longer day trip. The drive takes 2 hr and 18 minutes from Vancouver. Consider extending the trip with a stay at Manning Park Resort or one of the many campsites.
Lightning Lake views at Manning Provincial Park.
7. Brandywine Falls Provinical Park
Take a short walk along the trail to the falls viewpoint to see the spectacular 70-metre-high Brandywine Falls. The park was formed after a volcano erupted more than 13,000 years ago.
The falls are located 114 kms north of Vancouver and 17 kms south of Whistler, near Squamish.
Spectacular Brandywine Falls view along from the trail. Top things to do on the most scenic drive in North America, Whistler Sea to Sky Highway. Photo Credit: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©
8. Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park
Delicate cascading Bridal Veil Falls tumbles down 60-metres. Walk through a forest of western red cedar, western hemlock and broadleaf maple.
Many of the trees have thick moss dripping from their branches and the forest floor is covered with ferns. Make sure to listen for songbirds.
The park is located just east of Chilliwack and about 117 kms from Vancouver. Find out more about Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park.
9. Shannon Falls Provincial Park
Visit Shannon Falls Provincial Park to view the third highest waterfall in British Columbia. The impressive falls drop 335 meters.
Take the short trail through the forest along the river to the falls from the parking lot. This is always a favourite picnic stop. The park is open year-round, but use extra caution on wet days as the trails and other surface can be extremely slippery.
Spectacular Shannon Falls best day trips from Vancouver. Photo Credit: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©
Carling O’Keefe Brewery owned the area in 1976 and used the mountain water to make its beer. The land was later donated to B.C. Parks in 1982.
Located 59.3 kms north of Vancouver the drive to Shannon Falls Provincial Park takes about 50 mins on the spectacular Sea-to-Sky Highway BC-99 on the route to Whistler.
Read more about exploring the Sea-to-Sky Highway, one of the most scenic drives in North America.
10. Sasquatch Provincial Park
Lookout for the legendary Bigfoot when visiting this park. Located north of Harrison Hot Springs, Sasquatch Provincial Park lies on the eastern shores of Harrison Lake. The park has three lakes within its boundaries, Hicks, Deer, and Trout lakes.
Sasquatch Park is located 130 km from Vancouver.
We hope this information is helpful. Subscribe below to be alerted to the next article as soon as it’s published. We pride ourselves in writing informative articles with interesting tips. If you found this article informative, please share and leave any comments, questions or suggestions below.
Planning a trip? Search for accommodation in using Booking.Com or book a sightseeing tour using Viator and any commissions earned will help keep this website running.
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