Hello,

My husband and I are planning to return to Vancouver for a second visit and have read about Grouse Mountain being a nice day trip. Can anyone tell me if it's worth the drive and tickets?
Thanks,
Belindalouwho/lettuceland.com

DW and I spent a day there last Summer with my sister and three small children. We had an enjoyable day there although it was quite family / kid oriented.

They did have a Grizzly Bear exhibit - quite good - and the best part of the Falcon and Hawk show was seeing a wild hawk flying through to check out what was going on!

All in all I think it is a good place to go - the view is spectacular - but I wouldn't make it a 'must see'.

The drive isn't far as long as you are not trying to cross the Lions Gate Bridge against traffic flow at rush hour.

We didn't stop at the Capilano Suspension Bridge on the way up to Grouse mountain.

It's not worth it if it's raining or cloudy - it obstructs the view, and that should be the primary reason for going there. Everything else (the restaurants, the trails, the gift shop) come secondary.

The restaurant/gift shops up there are nothing special - you can get the same kind of stuff in Vancouver. The trails are nice for hiking, but if you're seeking a hiking destination, there are hundreds of other choices in the same mountains, but free.

If you have a car, I don't think it's worth it, as you can drive up Cypress Mountain (the peak west of Grouse) or Mount Seymour (the peak east of Grouse) for free. And you get similar views, but without the $33 per person price tag.

Grouse can be fun if you aren't expecting a whole lot, it's sunny outside, and you really don't mind paying that kind of money. But you wouldn't need more than 2 hours there. In the summer they have events like a free ride on a chair lift up and down the ski run, a hokey lumberjack show and a talk on birds of prey. But those shows stop in September. The grizzlies are there year round.

If you're looking for a day trip in North Vancouver (where Grouse Mountain is), I can recommend spending time in Lynn Canyon Park where there's a free suspension bridge. There are a variety of easy hiking trails up and down the canyon and through the temperate rainforest. The trails that hug the canyon are staircases with railings, so it's not dangerous. And if the suspension bridge idea doesn't appeal to you, they have another regular bridge you can use to cross the canyon. Note that this is different from Capilano Suspension Bridge, which is a touristy park with a similar bridge, except they charge a $25 per person admission fee!

After Lynn Canyon you can drive along Hwy 1 and take the Cypress Mountain exit. About 5-10 minutes later (2/3rds up the mountain), there's a free lookout where you can see Vancouver and hundreds of miles beyond.

If you want more wilderness hiking, you can drive further to the top of Cypress where there's a parking lot. If there isn't snow already falling there, you can go hiking there through the alpine forest.

Once you're done with Cypress, I recommend driving down the residential roads past the mansions down to Marine Drive. This is a scenic waterfront drive. You can choose to visit Lighthouse Park, which is home to an untouched temperate rainforest - easy hiking trails - relatively flat.

Or you can continue driving on to the village of Horseshoe Bay. There are a few shops there and restaurants.

That would be my day trip.

Oh yes, and all those recommendations I gave you are entirely free - no admission fees.

Yes, those recommendations were even offered free of charge !


Anyway, Grouse Mountain is a pricy little adventure, but fun in its own special way.

I advise going up there straddling the exact moment of sunset, so you get daytime views, sunset views, and after-dark views for the price.

Where else are you going to pay to take a gondola up the side of a mountain?

The only time I ever went to the restaurant up there, my friends and I walked in, sat down, and after 45 minutes nobody has waited on us, so we got up and left. (it wasn't even busy) (admittedly that was 1986 - maybe things are better now)

Photography is super up there, and I guess you can go winter or summer and gain something from it. You're at the bottom of a bustling ski area during winter.

I would say that Grouse Mountain is something that you should do IF you can afford the cost, and that you may indeed find better entertainment FOR THE PRICE if budget is a prohibitive factor.

If I were bringing first-time friends to Vancouver I would take them there.

Granted, it was November when we went, but I thought it was a big disappointment and a waste of time and money.