Snowshoeing at Cypress Mountain

West Vancouver’s Cypress Mountain offers 11 kms of snowshoe trails for outdoor enthusiasts of all skill levels to enjoy during Vancouver’s winter season.

There are ticketed trails at the ski hill, but also free backcountry ones within Cypress Provincial Park.

For general information about the resort, see our main article about Cypress Mountain. For ski conditions, click Lower Mainland Snow Conditions. To learn more about snowshoeing at Cypress, see below. Or for details about similar opportunities on other North Shore Mountains, check out our articles on Mount Seymour and Grouse Mountain.

This article includes the following information about snowshoeing at Cypress:

Snowshoe Tours | Prices | Tips & Advice | Other Information

Cypress Snowshoeing Trails

Cypress Mountain is located in West Vancouver and is Metro Vancouver’s largest ski hill. In addition to downhill and Nordic skiing opportunities, the resort features nearly 12 kms of snowshoeing terrain.

Snowshoeing at Cypress takes place on Hollyburn Mountain, which is located right before the downhill ski area. Both tubing and Nordic skiing also take place in the Hollyburn area.

The snowshoe trails are open for regular hours from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm daily, with special snowshoe walks available in the evenings. The resort’s main snowshoe trails do not have lighting, which is why they close earlier than the rest of the mountain.

Cypress Snowshoe Tours

There are different ways to enjoy the snowshoe trails up at Cypress Mountain. You can grab a map and go on a self-guided tour during the day, or experience the mountain’s evening offering – Lights to the Lodge.

Self-Guided Snowshoeing

There are plenty of trails to explore on Cypress Mountain. Maps are provided at the ticket counter, and the trails up the mountain are clearly marked. Trail difficulty ranges from easy (green trails) to hard (black trails). There are also warming huts scattered across the mountain.

TIP: The snowshoe trails can be very narrow. Snowshoe trail etiquette involves being courteous and moving to the side when people behind you want to pass.

Lights to the Lodge Snowshoeing

Lights to the Lodge is Cypress Mountain’s night-time snowshoeing option. It’s a 1-km trek that’s lit with LED lights to the Hollyburn Lodge. It’s open daily from 4:00 to 9:00 pm as it can be difficult to see the lights when the sun is out.

Cypress Mountain Sky Card holders receive a discount on Lights to the Lodge treks. Adults save about $8 with their Sky Card, youth and seniors save about $7, and children save about $4.

Guided Snowshoe Tours

Cypress Mountain used to offer different guided snowshoe tour options. There was the Chocolate Fondue, Hollyburn Meadows, Cheese & Chocolate Fondue, and Winter Wanderer S’mores tours.

All guided snowshoe tour packages included snowshoe rentals, headlamps, food (if applicable) and a guide on the trails. Prices for the guided snowshoe tours ranged from around $49 to $92, depending on the type of tour and age of guests.

It doesn’t seem like these tours are being offered in the 2024/25 season, nor have they been the last couple years.

Cypress Snowshoeing Prices

Prices for a trail pass during the 2024/2025 season are below. (Note: Prices are subject to change. Check the official Cypress Mountain website for the most up-to-date details.)

Adults (ages 19 to 64) – $22
Seniors (ages 65+) – $16
Youth (ages 13 to 18) – $16
Children (ages 6 to 12) – $12
Little Kids (ages 0 to 5) – $6

For people who don’t have their own snowshoes, rentals cost around $10 to $20 more.

Tips & Advice

Below are some suggestions to help you make the most of your snowshoeing experience at Cypress Mountain.

TIP #1: Bring your own snowshoes if you have them – it saves time and a few dollars. In addition, you won’t have to worry about returning the equipment before the shop closes!

TIP #2: Your car needs to have snow tires! The roads can get very slick and icy in the winter. (When we last went, on a day when it was snowing, we saw a number of people having to turn back because their cars couldn’t make it up the mountain).

TIP #3: Get there early. Not only will it give you more time to enjoy the snow, but the parking lot can get very crowded. Sometimes the traffic to enter the parking lot even backs up down the hill!

TIP #4: In addition to ticketed trails, there are also free snowshoeing trails at Cypress Provincial Park. These include trails that are outside the resort’s boundaries such as ones that lead to Black Mountain Plateau, the Bowen Lookout and Hollyburn Mountain. These trails are not patrolled, however, so using them is at one’s own risk. If you are experienced at backcountry exploring, and go prepared, they are a good option. If you don’t know what you’re doing, though, stick to the paid trails or check out the Snowshoeing at Mount Seymour or Snowshoeing on Grouse instead.