Stanley Park in Vancouver, Canada – Magnificent Green Oasis

One of the top few things I wanted to do in Vancouver was visit Stanley Park. I can happily say we visited the park a couple of times and it is quite beautiful.  It’s hard to believe that it opened on September 27, 1888. It’s still so beautiful after all these years. We were there in May of 2016, but I could imagine how nice it would be in the fall. I couldn’t help but compare it to Central Park in New York the year before.  Hopefully, we will be able to visit Stanley Park sometime for my birthday in October.

The park is massive with over 400-hectare of natural West Coast rainforest with views of the water, mountains, sky, and majestic trees. Some of these said threes stand as tall as 76 meters (249 ft) and are up to hundreds of years old. There are literally kilometers of trails, beautiful beaches, local wildlife, as well as natural, cultural, and historical landmarks. There was no way to see half of what we wanted to see in one day. We definitely wished we had been able to spend more time exploring the park, but we did enjoy what we were able to see.

We saw quite a few things in the park, but one of the first things I wanted to share that we saw was the statue of Lord Stanley. The statue depicts Lord Stanley, who was Governor-General in 1888, standing with outstretched arms, welcoming all to the park. The 8-foot tall statue is made of bronze and granite. I thought it was quite appropriate that it is located close to the entrance of the park named in his honour.

We also saw the Stanley Park Totem Poles. These are really cool, and I found out that these totems are the most-visited tourist attraction in all of British Columbia.  Apparently, four of the original Stanley Park totems were from Alert Bay on Vancouver Island; additional pieces were from the Queen Charlotte Islands and Rivers Inlet on the central coast of BC. Wherever they came from, they are exquisite.

While in the park, we also spent a little time walking about the Yacht Club area. It was very nice and made me wish we had a boat and could hit the water 🙂 Oh well, maybe next time. Not far from the Yacht Club is where the Horse-drawn carriage tours take off from. We were able to pet a couple of the horses and talk to their handlers. Sounded like a nice way to explore the park. Definitely worth looking into if you are in the park.  You can also take a shuttle or a bus tour. Click on their website to see info about their different tours.

There was so much more we wanted to see and do in Stanley Park, but sadly only had so much time. We would have loved to have visited their Aquarium, the Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden, the Shakespeare Garden, and Siwash Rock, just to name a few. Interestingly enough, we did run into a couple from Australia that we had shared breakfast with at our hotel that morning. Crazy small world, lol.

One last happy note. We stopped near the water to take a few pictures and came across a happy couple who had just gotten married and were taking wedding photos in the park. I have to say, I can’t think of a more beautiful place in Vancouver to capture their special day.  I hope you enjoyed our visit and the information about Stanley Park.  Please click on their website for more info and updates. It is definitely worth spending a few hours visiting. If you like parks, you also need to check out Lynn Canyon Park and its suspension bridge. It is also pretty amazing.

Stanley Park Visitor Information

Address:

1166 Stanley Park Drive
Vancouver, BC V6G

Phone:

604-681-6728

Price:

Free

Hours:

Daily – 6 am – 10 pm

Directions:

With its proximity to downtown Vancouver, Stanley Park is easy to access whatever mode of transportation you choose.

Walk or bike

Pedestrians and cyclists can take advantage of a number of routes linking the peninsula of Stanley Park to downtown Vancouver and beyond.

Access the west side of the park off English Bay along the Seawall, using the Seaside Bike Route. If you are cycling, make your way to Second Beach and the interior of the park. Those on foot can continue walking around the park on the Seawall.

Or access the park from the Georgia Street entrance, which connects to major transportation links like the SeaBus and Skytrain via the Coal Harbour Route portion of the Seawall.

Take transit

TransLink’s #19 bus will get you into Stanley Park. The bus stops at:

• Stanley Park Drive and Pipeline Road near Lost Lagoon
• Stanley Park Loop near the Miniature Train, and a short walk from the Vancouver Aquarium

If you are taking the SeaBus to Vancouver, you can either take a short walk to transfer to the #19 or walk, bike or rollerblade along the waterfront Coal Harbour Route to Stanley Park. There is no public transit service around the park. Visit the TransLink website for more information.

• Visit TransLink

Combine transit with cycling

Bike racks are provided on all TransLink buses. Bicycles are also allowed on the SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express for no extra cost. Visit TransLink’s website for more information

• Visit TransLink’s Bikes on Transit section

Drive

Access the park from the main entrance at the west end of Georgia Street, west of downtown Vancouver. Alternately, depending on your planned destination, enter the park from the English Bayside via Beach Avenue.

If you are planning to drive to Stanley Park for the day, consider buying a daily parking pass. A daily parking pass lets you move your car and park at any location within Stanley Park.

Hourly parking passes are valid only in the lots or spaces closest to the parking meter where you purchased the ticket.

Parking Passes and Fees:

Hourly and daily passes

Daily passes are good for any lot or space in Stanley Park. The blue pins on the map show where you can buy hourly and daily passes. The orange pins show where you can buy hourly passes only.

April 1 to September 30

• $3.60 per hour
• $13.25 per day (a daily pass might not be available in and around commercial operations)

October 1 to March 31

• $2.60 per hour
• $7.15 per day

Season and annual passes

Visiting often? Get a season or annual pass.

• Season pass: $292.95 including tax, valid April 1 to September 30
• Off-season pass: $156.24 including tax, valid October 1 to March 31
• Annual pass: $455.70 including tax, valid for one year from when you paid

Buy a season or annual pass from EasyPark