Home Vancouver’s North Shore Events, Attractions and Places of Interest

Vancouver’s North Shore Events, Attractions and Places of Interest

Lower Lonsdale at Night

The North Shore is home to North Vancouver, West Vancouver, three ski hills, two suspension bridges and some of the world’s most beautiful nature.

 


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Best Places in North Vancouver | Best Places in West Vancouver | Best North Shore Events | North Shore Hotels | Other Information


 

The North Shore in Metro Vancouver

The North Shore’s cities are set at the base of Vancouver’s stunning mountains where the ski resorts of CypressSeymour and Grouse are also located.

The region stretches from Horseshoe Bay at the far end of West Vancouver to picturesque Deep Cove at the eastern edge of North Vancouver. In between are world-class parks, shoreline and places of interest.

The North Shore is a paradise for skiers, serious mountain bikers, hikers and water sport enthusiasts from around the world.

 

Shipyards and Lower Lonsdale Waterfront
Lower Lonsdale Waterfront

 

The North Shore’s Best Places

If you’ve come to Vancouver for the mountains and outdoor activities, the North Shore won’t disappoint and  it’s where you’ll want to go. The region runs from North Vancouver’s Deep Cove in the east to Horseshoe Bay in the west. From one end to the other is about 30 km and takes roughly half an hour to drive in good traffic. Below is what you’ll find in the region.

 

Vancouver and Shipbuilders' Pier
Burrard Dry Dock Pier

 

Best Places in North Vancouver

Below are places of interest in North Vancouver. The first list is of places in the Lower Lonsdale and Shipyards District within the City of North Vancouver. The second list is of places west of Lonsdale Avenue (which is a major road running north to south from the mountains to the waterfront in the middle of North Vancouver). The third list is of places of interest east of Lonsdale Avenue.

 

Reckless Shipyards E-Bikes

 

In the Lower Lonsdale and Shipyards District

  • Burrard Dry Dock Pier – the massive dock that is open for the public to walk along in the Shipyards District. (It’s also sometimes called Shipbuilders’ Pier.)
  • Cates Deck – an outdoor plaza between Lonsdale Quay and the Polygon Gallery. It’s one of a small number of outdoor places you can drink alcohol in public.
  • Lonsdale Quay – home to a year-round public market, the SeaBus terminal that is a transit point between the North Shore and downtown Vancouver, and more.
  • Lower Lonsdale – the district at the bottom of Lonsdale Avenue that includes the Shipyards, Polygon Gallery and the Lonsdale Quay Public Market.
  • MONOVA: The Museum of North Vancouver – the city’s museum is a great place to learn about the history of the area. The attraction also hosts free walking tours in the summer with the Shipyard Pals.

 

Shipyard Pals Sam and Sal
Shipyard Pals Tour Guides

 

  • Polygon Gallery – an art gallery in Lower Lonsdale at 101 Carrie Cates Court.
  • The Shipyards – the area where you’ll find Shipbuilders’ Square, Shipyard Commons and the Burrard Dry Dock Pier (which is also known as Shipbuilders’ Pier). In Shipbuilders’ Square and on Cates Deck (near the Polygon Gallery) you’ll also find places where you can drink alcohol in public.
  • Waterfront Park – a nice place with a children’s play area, large grassy lawn, dog park and views of Vancouver near Lonsdale Quay. It’s also a place where you can consume alcohol in public.

Hotels in this area include the Lonsdale Quay Hotel and Pinnacle at the Pier.

 

OHM Bikes

 

Places Where You Can Drink Alcohol

In addition to the above, the City of North Vancouver has a number of plazas and parks where you can drink alcohol in public (between 11:00 am and dusk). These include Shipbuilders’ Square and Cates Deck as well as areas at Grand Boulevard, Kings Mill Walk, Mahon, Ray Perrault, Victoria and Waterfront parks. To learn more see Places You Can Drink Alcohol in Public.

 

Cleveland Dam Lookout
Cleveland Dam

 

Places West of Lonsdale Avenue

Parks and attractions located west of Lonsdale Avenue include the following:

  • Capilano River Regional Park – one of the best places for beautiful views and nature in the Lower Mainland, plus home to both the Capilano River Hatchery and Cleveland Dam.
  • Capilano Suspension Bridge – one of Metro Vancouver’s most famous attractions in the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, with bridges across a canyon and through the trees, plus amazing light displays at Christmas.
  • Cleveland Dam – a dam and waterfall at Cleveland Park in Capilano River Regional Park.
  • Goat Mountain – a mountain and four-hour hiking trail that begins at Grouse Mountain.
  • Grouse Grind – a hike up Grouse Mountain that’s popular with people wanting a workout. Dubbed “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster.”
  • Grouse Mountain – a popular and highly accessible ski hill with year-round activities.

 

View from Panorama Park
Deep Cove

 

Places East of Lonsdale Avenue

Parks and places of interest in the eastern half of North Vancouver (and thus within the District of North Vancouver mostly) include the following:

  • Cates Park – a nice park with both sandy and rocky beaches and an amazing play structure for young children.
  • The Village of Deep Cove – a picturesque seaside village that’s great for kayaking and hiking in North Vancouver.
  • Deep Cove Theatre – a small community theatre venue in Deep Cove.
  • Inter River Park – a park with walking trails and North Vancouver’s highest concentration of grass soccer fields. It’s located along Lynn Creek just north of the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge near Capilano University.
  • Lynn Canyon Park – nature at its best, with lots of stairs and a free suspension bridge.
  • Lynn Headwaters Regional Park – great hiking trails in nature, for both beginners and experts.
  • Maplewood Conservation Area – a preserved area of tidal mudflats that’s good for bird watching just off Dollarton Highway in North Vancouver.
  • Maplewood Farm – a great place for very young children with pigs, horses, geese and other farm animals.
  • Mount Seymour – a place for skiing, tubing and snowshoeing with the family.
  • Mt. Seymour Provincial Park – a provincial park that’s popular for hiking, mountain biking and snowshoeing. It’s also home to the Mt. Seymour Ski Resort.
  • Northlands Golf Course – a golf club that’s owned and operated by the District of North Vancouver.
  • Rice Lake a beautiful spot for walking and fishing.
  • Seymour Demonstration Forest – paved cycling trails through the forest.

In addition to the above, there is the Baden Powell Trail. It is over 40 kilometres of hiking trails that stretch from West Vancouver to North Vancouver.

 

Caulfeild and Stearman Beaches
Caulfeild and Stearman Beaches

 

Best Places in West Vancouver

Parks and other places of interest within West Vancouver include the following:

  • Ambleside – a beautiful park and beach in West Vancouver.
  • Caulfeild Park – a park with beaches and walking trails near in Caulfeild and close to Stearman Beach and Lighthouse Park.
  • Cypress Falls Park – a popular place with forested hiking trails and a number of waterfalls.
  • Cypress Mountain – the North Shore’s largest ski hill with the most advanced terrain. It has ski slopes, cross-country trails, snowshoeing terrain and a tubing park. In summer there is also the Eagle Coaster.
  • Cypress Provincial Park – home to Cypress Ski Hill, but also hiking trails, forests and places to go backcountry camping north of West Vancouver.
  • Dundarave – a beach, village and pleasant place to walk along the seawall in West Vancouver.
  • Horseshoe Bay – location of one of BC Ferries’ terminals linking the Lower Mainland with Vancouver Island.
  • Kay Meek Arts Centre – a performing arts centre beside West Vancouver Secondary School.
  • Lighthouse Park – a rugged ocean-side park with rocky shores and views of Vancouver.
  • Millennium Park – a tiny park between John Lawson Park and Ambleside Beach. It’s significant because it’s a place where you can drink alcohol in public.
  • Park Royal Shopping Centre – a large and upscale shopping mall with over 280 stores and restaurants in West Vancouver near Ambleside Park.
  • West Vancouver Aquatic Centre – a large recreational facility with a swimming pool, water slide and kids’ play pools.
  • Whytecliff Park – a rugged ocean-side park in West Vancouver near Horseshoe Bay.
  • Whyte Lake Park & Trail – a hiking trail and large forested park in West Vancouver.

 

Jensen Signs

 

The North Shore’s Best Events

The North Shore hosts some of the Lower Mainland’s most popular annual events, including the following:

  • Brewhalla Beer & Music Festival – one of a series of beer festivals that take place around the Lower Mainland including at the Shipyards in North Vancouver.
  • Summer Concert Music Series – free live outdoor concerts take place on Friday evenings from early July until late August at Deep Cove’s Panorama Park, Lynn Valley Village, and in Edgemont Village.
  • Canada Day Celebrations – at Waterfront Park near Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver every July 1st and at the Red & White Picnic in John Lawson Park in West Vancouver.
  • Canyon Frights – lights and Halloween decorations at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park during the month of October.
  • Squamish Nation Youth Pow Wow – a First Nations cultural event at Capilano Reserve Park in West Vancouver in July.
  • Coho Festival – in early September at the waterfront in West Vancouver.
  • Harmony Arts Festival – an August festival that features live music, occasional outdoor movies and lots of art in West Vancouver.
  • Lynn Valley Day – a small community festival in the Lynn Valley neighborhood of North Vancouver in either May or June each year.
  • Osprey Festival – a small nature and Indigenous-themed event at North Vancouver’s Maplewood Flats in July.
  • Persian New Year – the West Vancouver Fire Festival happens at Ambleside in West Vancouver in mid-March. There is also usually an event at the Shipyards.
  • Shipyards Festival – a free street party-style festival at the bottom of Lonsdale Avenue in September.
  • North Shore Craft Beer Week – a series of beer-themed events at the Shipyards and local craft breweries. The biggest event, the Launch Party, takes place on the first day in the Pipe Shop.

 

Dancers at Squamish Nation Pow Wow
Squamish Nation Youth Pow Wow

 

Christmas Events

North Shore events with Christmas and winter holiday themes include the following:

 

Ambleside Artisan Farmers Market
Ambleside Artisan Farmers Market

 

North Shore Farmers Markets

In addition to the above, the North Shore is also home to a couple of farmers markets in the late spring, summer and early fall. They are the Lonsdale Quay Artisan Farmers Market on Saturdays in North Vancouver and the Ambleside Artisan Farmers Market on Sundays in West Vancouver.

 

North Shore Hotels

There are a few hotels on the North Shore. Most of them, including the Holiday Inn, Lonsdale Quay Hotel, Seaside Hotel and Pinnacle at the Pier, are in North Vancouver. Of these hotels, we’ve stayed at the Pinnacle and it was lovely!

To learn more about places to stay, see our article about North Vancouver Hotels.

 

Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier

 

West Vancouver at Night
West Vancouver at Night

 

Other Information

To learn more about the area, visit the local tourism association’s website at VancouversNorthShore.com.

Other articles that might be of interest include the following: