Nail biting Cliff Diving at Lynn Canyon

We wanted to do a day-trip from Vancouver. We read about Capilano, the longest rope suspension bridge in the world. There is a free bus from Canada Place in Vancouver, which takes you right to Capilano suspension bridge, and there are tree-top boardwalks as well. However, it costs $39.85 each. I’m sure it would be a lovely day out, but I thought $40 was unacceptably expensive for a rope bridge. So, we found an alternative; Lynn Canyon.

Lynn Canyon also boasts a rope suspension bridge, which is slightly smaller in height and length than Capilano suspension bridge. However, don’t underestimate it – it is fun and thrilling in equal measure, and perhaps more importantly, it is FREE!! As the name would suggest, it hangs over a canyon with a river below, which you can try to look at while people jump or stamp their way across the bridge, causing it to sway! It only takes 30 seconds to walk across the bridge, but it can get crowded and if people stop for photos it takes longer!

After a jaunt across the bridge we followed the forest walk along the river which was really pretty.

Before long we reached 30 Foot Pool, which as the name would suggest is a pool around 30 foot deep surrounded by rocks and cliffs. We watched with baited breath as cliff divers showed off. My BF made friends with one of them, and he said he hit his head on one of his backwards dives! It is not advisable to any sane person as there is a small window of opportunity where it is safe to land… but if you misjudge it the consequences would be grave. Our new friend did his finale by climbing right up the steep cliff above the pool and jumping from there, which is terrifying to watch! I should point out that this is very dangerous and NOT allowed by the park authorities!

We walked down to twin falls nearby. The whole place is either a footpath or boardwalk through a forest. It is a lovely place to get into nature in easy distance from Vancouver.

Obviously we can’t compare Capilano and Lynn Canyon as we didn’t go to the former, but after debating whether to pay the $80 for the two of us for Capilano, I was really glad that we chose Lynn Canyon.

Getting there:

Take the ferry from Waterfront Station to North Vancouver. Then there are 2 options:-

either take bus 228 and get off 3 stops after the Lynn Valley Centre. Walk down Peters Road, a quiet residential road, for 5-10 mins to the park entrance.
OR, from North Vancouver ferry terminal you can take bus 228 or 229 to Lynn Valley Centre and change to bus 227 which will take you to the door of Lynn Canyon.

Whichever bus you choose, the bus costs around $5 each normally, or $2.75 each for Sundays/Bank Hols, and you can use the same ticket on the ferry and the bus (it is valid for 90 minutes). And it is free entry to get into the park.

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