We spent our first full day in Vancouver up Grouse Mountain. After long flights and multiple airports to get to Canada we could think of no better way to stretch our legs and take in some fresh air.
About Grouse Mountain
The first hikers reached the top of the 3,000 ft tall Grouse Mountain in 1894, taking around three days to make the trek. The summit was named Grouse Mountain after the Grouse birds the hikers had seen living in the area.
There has been many developments made in the area over the years, making the mountain accessible to hikers and skiers alike. The first coming in 1949 when a chairlift was installed so skiers didn’t have to make the 3 hr trek carrying their equipment. This was followed in 1966 when the skyride was installed meaning up to 45 people could reach the summit in 12 minutes.
Since 1990 $25 million CAD has been spent on renovations, making it one of the top visitor attractions in Vancouver. An estimated 1.3 million visitors pass through Grouse Mountain on an annual basis.
Where is it?
Grouse Mountain is located in North Vancouver, about 15-20 mins drive away from downtown Vancouver.
How to get there?
We took the free shuttle from Canada Place to Grouse Mountain, which is included with an admission ticket.
Canada Place can get a wee bit chaotic first thing in the morning. All the main tours and hop on hop off buses seem leave from the same place, and at the same time! There is an information stand and plenty of reps walking about, so if in doubt, just ask! To be fair you can’t miss the bus when it comes in.
On Arrival
Now this is were the men are separated from the boys. Do you get your hike on and trek the two miles over an elevation of near 3,000 feet or jump on the Skyride for a 12 minute ride straight to the top.
We went for the Skyride. We could blame Megan, the lack of equipment, jet lag… but in reality we just didn’t fancy the hike!
The trek up the Grouse Grind Trail is meant to be amazing and directions are well sign posted from the car park. We noticed a lot of people hiking up, and taking the Skyride down, apparently this is because you are not allowed to hike down, so make sure you come prepared to pay for the ride back down!
Skyride Opening Hours and Cost.
Pass costs and opening hours change from time to time, so click check out the park website for more information.
What to see and do?
Unfortunately as luck would have it the weather on the day of our visit was very poor for July. There was almost zero visibility at the top of the mountain, which was very disappointing. However, we weren’t going to let a bit of fog (okay a lot of fog) spoil our day.
We spent about four hours wandering around. On a day with clear weather you could easily spend a full day, watching the shows and going for walks around the treks.
Skyride
As mentioned, the quickest and easiest way to the top is the skyride. The ride is very smooth and takes no more than 12 minutes.
Make sure on either the way up or down you get the side facing away from the mountain, the views are amazing.
Well maybe not as great if the weather is poor. However, Megan thought it was amazing being in the ‘Actual clouds’.
If you are feeling adventurous you can pay extra and climb on top of the skyride and surf your way up!
Resident Grizzly bears
Grinder and Coola were the only Grizzly bears we seen in Canada. We got to hear all about them from one of the guides, and how they were found as orphaned cubs and brought to Grouse mountain to be looked after. The guide explained how they have attempted to keep their enclosure as close to the wild as possible.
It was amazing seeing these beautiful animals in a controlled but natural environment. After the talk we walked the path round their enclosure to their den.
Birds of Prey
We understand that when the weather actually plays ball there is a bigger display then the one we seen. The handler was very knowledgeable and answered all the visitors questions about the baby owl. When it became a bit crowded and noisy for the Owl he brought the show to a natural end.
We learnt a lot from the short display and would recommend you stop by when you’re up there.
Wildlife Spotting
We spotted plenty of wildlife around the mountain from chipmunks to wild deer just walking around no more than a few feet away from you.
I would say there would have been a lot more spotting to do, only the fog was so heavy.
*Please do not feed the wildlife.
Lumber Jack Show
This Lumberjack show is not to be missed while on Grouse mountain. It’s very funny, entertaining, with just the right amount of cheese.. We laughed all the way through the show, only stopping to watch their amazing chainsaw techniques.
Top tip here, make sure you arrive 10 minutes before the show, even on a very quiet day like when we visited, everyone heads for the show. So, if you want a seat get there early.
Food and drinks
There are plenty of places to eat up on Grouse Mountain. If you do decide to eat away from one of the restaurants, please remember to lift all your left overs and rubbish and put it in the bins.
Our plan was to have a BBQ and a beer at the rusty nail, which turned out to be closed. We ended up heading indoors to Altitudes bistro. It is here that Megan discovered her love for Mac n Cheese. So it perhaps wasn’t the end of the world after all!
Carvings
Along the mountain walk we came across some wonderful carvings.
Megan had great fun with these trying to recreate what she seen in front of her, apparently this bear in the picture and Megan are eating the clouds!
Megan sampling some of Canada’s finest clouds.
Chair Lift
There are even higher peaks than the one you get off at. There is a Peak Chairlift that takes you to the summit. We enquired about taking the chairlift, but the operator advised it wouldn’t be worth our while due to the visibility, so we moved on. However, looking at photos from a clear day the view looks amazing. There are also options to para-glide and zip-line from the top too if you’re feeling adventurous!
High Ropes area
There is an area just beside the visitors centre which contains a high ropes area for kids and big kids, at an additional cost. Sadly as it was so foggy and very cold, we decided against letting Megan have a go. It was originally top of our list as Megan loves her outdoor adventures. More information on the high ropes can be found on the Grouse Mountain Website.
Would we recommend
We just happened to get incredibly unlucky with the weather up Grouse Mountain, we did hang around hoping it would clear but it just wasn’t to be. On a better day you could easily spend a full day on the mountain. We did still very much enjoy our time, and made the most of our visit. It would have just been the icing on the cake to have been able to take in the scenery, and maybe even see at least two feet in front of us!
We wouldn’t put people off going up it as its a brilliant introduction to the outdoors of Canada. It is very family friendly, with lots to see and do, and very popular with locals and tourists alike!
The price can get a little expensive when you add the Skyride to the admission price, and any extra activities like the high ropes. We recommend perhaps checking the weather before you book and pay.
Thank you for taking the time to read about our visit to Grouse Mountain.
The Lewis Family.
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