Hiking The Lions near Lions Bay
Contents
The Lions Hike Information
Difficulty: Very Difficult
Distance: 16Km
Elevation Gain: 1,500m
Highest Elevation: 1,654m
Average Gradient: 18.75%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 7 – 9 Hours
– Moderate: 6 – 7 Hours
– Fast: 5 – 6 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~July – October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: One short unexposed climb to the ridge beneath the West Lion, significant exposed scrambling to the summit
The Lions Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°28’14.7″N 123°14’04.5″W
The Lions Overview
The Lions, also known as the Twin Sisters, are an iconic pair of peaks on the North Shore of Vancouver, immediately recognizable for any local. They can be seen throughout Metro Vancouver on a clear day, with many people aspiring to be able to say they have hiked to the top. That is far easier said than done though, with an ascent of the West Lion involving a significant amount of exposed climbing, and the East Lion being unobtainable to all except experienced mountaineers. From a hiking point of view, when people say they are going to hike “The Lions”, they generally always mean the West Lion.
There are two popular approaches to the Lions, the hike discussed here covers the Lions Binkert trail starting in Lions Bay, but you can also get there by starting at Cypress Lodge and summiting St. Marks Summit and Unnecessary Mountain on the way. An even longer route would start from Porteau Cove, passing the Lions on the 29km Howe Sound Crest Trail.
This guide will not be covering the climb up the West Lion as frankly I have not done it and I’m unsure if I ever will. The hike to the base of the West Lion is relatively safe, but scaling the West Lion itself involves a high degree of exposed scrambling and should only be left to experienced mountaineers. There have been numerous people needing rescue from the scramble up the West Lion, often because the descent is far trickier than the ascent, leaving people stuck. There has even been a couple of deaths on the West Lion from hikers going the wrong way and getting into difficult terrain, or from loose rocks giving way during the scramble.
Don’t be discouraged though, a hike to the base of the West Lion is absolutely worth it, with unbelievable views of the Lions themselves, Vancouver, the North Shore Mountains and the Howe Sound.
The Lions Binkert trail is predominantly a summer only hike due to significant avalanche terrain in every direction around the peak. This is both 2WD accessible and pet friendly (to the base of the West Lion).
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Is the Lions hike worthwhile?
In a short answer, yes. The Lions are the most iconic peaks visible from Vancouver, so getting up close to them is worthy in itself. The views from the saddle between the Lions and Unnecessary Mountain are absolutely incredible and well worth the effort to get up there. Whether you take the Lions Binkert Trail or another route to reach the Lions, this is absolutely a great hike.
How difficult is the Lions?
I’m not sure why but I was taken aback at how difficult this hike was. For some reason I was expecting it to be easier, but the stats don’t lie. 1,500m elevation over just 16km is very steep, as evidenced by the average gradient of 18.75%. The ascent is pretty relentless, especially in the latter half of the hike when it seems to just go on and on and on. There aren’t too many hikes steeper than this one in Vancouver and for that reason I would consider this a very difficult hike.
From a technical perspective the hike isn’t super challenging. There are parts in the forested section where the trail is pretty rough with lots of tree roots and slippery rocks, and towards the top you will have to ascend a steep boulder section involving a short period of climbing, but it’s not exposed and very brief (like, one or two hand movements) so most people should be fine.
The Lions Route Information
The Lions Binkert Trail begins at Lions Bay on the Magnesia Creek Trail. You can park at Sunset Trailhead parking lot, but be warned it charges a steep fee in the summer months. Parking is available throughout Lions Bay but most of it is also paid during the peak season. In the winter months parking is often free, but it’s not likely you’ll be hiking this trail in the winter.
There are a lot of trails that begin on the Magnesia Creek Trail, namely Brunswick Mountain, Mount Harvey, the Lions & Tunnel Bluffs to name some, and there are only around 15 parking stalls available. The parking is typically full before 8am on a sunny weekend, so get there very early.
You will have hiked the beginning of this trail before if you’ve done any of the aforementioned hikes beginning at this trailhead. If not, the beginning is a largely uneventful stroll in the forest at a moderate but consistent gradient. Most people generally try and blitz this part of the hike as it’s easy to go fast, unlike the latter half of the hike. You won’t really have any choices to make until the 2 kilometer point, at which point there is a fork in the trail to Brunswick Mountain and Tunnel Bluffs. You’ll just keep going on the same trail though, which is much the same, until another kilometer passes and the junction to Mount Harvey appears. Again, just keep on the same trail. After a total of around 4.5km you will come to a junction where the Lions Binkert Trail begins. This is where the trail becomes far less manicured and more of a backcountry hike.
You’ll soon drop down into the forest and cross a bridge over Harvey Creek. Shortly thereafter you will cross a boulder field , being careful not to slip on the mossy rocks. I found the trail to be easy to lose at this stage, and thereafter, as an avalanche had recently swept through the trail, damaging large parts of it. Still, it is reasonably well marked and after checking your downloaded map for navigation it’s always easy enough to get back on track.
To go with the worsening trail condition the gradient also now takes a turn for the worse, becoming significantly steeper, which, I’m sorry to say is the theme for the rest of the hike. The next kilometer or so will be very steep, rising almost 500m in what can only be described as a messy forest grind. There’s not a whole lot to say, or enjoy, about this part, so just get it over with as fast as you can. Eventually you will break out of the forest at around the 1,300m elevation mark, still a good 300m shy of the base of the West Lion.
At least now you can actually see some sights, as up to this point you’ve been in the forest. You’ll soon come to your first view of the West Lion towering above you, as well as James Peak and David Peak to the north. Continuing forward you’ll now be mostly on rocks for the remainder of the hike, which may or may not be a relief from the muddy forest. Anyway, you will now at least have something to look at as the views of the Howe Sound really open up as you traverse across a boulder field.
While the gradient eases off slightly from the forest grind, it’s still quite steep and if the rocks are slippery like they were when I went you’ll definitely want to be careful with your footing. Navigation is a little trickier so keep your eye on your map and for orange markings on the rocks, as well as tape on the small trees. Soon you will cut left and hike up the steep boulder field. Eventually you’ll come to a wall with an arrow on it pointing to the left. You’ll notice a short rock face you will have to scale, but it’s straightforward enough and very brief. At the top of this climb you will join the Howe Sound Crest Trail and the saddle between Unnecessary Mountain and the Lions. Heading left towards the Lions the views are now outstanding in every direction. Howe Sound is to the west, Unnecessary Mountain is to the south and the Lions to the north east. As you work your way up the ridgeline between Unnecessary and the West Lion be careful with your footing as it’s a bit of a scramble at times, but never exposed. There’s plenty of opportunities for photos in every direction, but keep working towards the West Lion.
Soon enough you will be at the base of the West Lion, which you will stare up at and, if you’re anything like me, wonder how on earth people climb it. If you look closely you’ll see some ropes and tape marking the way but still, it’s an ominous sight. You might see a trail to the right heading down, this is the Howe Sound Crest Trail continuing around the Lions via Thomas Peak. Either way, this is the end of this hike, so feel free to wander around the summit area taking in the views and taking a whole host of photos. I was up here around sunrise on a cold October day, so I was frozen after around 30 minutes and quickly headed back down the way I came.
The route back is the same way and is a lot easier to navigate than the route up. Thankfully it’s downhill the entire way back and you’ll probably be surprised just how quickly you can get back to the car. I was racing this entire hike and managed to finish the round trip in around 5 hours, which even I was surprised by.
When should I hike The Lions?
Due to the elevation of this hike it has snow for a large part of the year. As it’s a very steep hike I wouldn’t suggest attempting in snowy or icy conditions and as such it’s best to save the Lions for July to October at the latest, ideally August/September would be the best time to hike this.
Top Tip
If you don’t care for the Lions Binkert trail but still want to do the Lions, if I were to do it again I would go from Cypress Lodge and take the Howe Sound Crest Trail via St. Marks Summit and Unnecessary Mountain. There is a lot more to see on this route and you get to tick off 3 popular hikes at once. It’s also less steep and less elevation than the Lions Binkert Trail. I had already done St. Marks and Unnecessary separately though so I had no real reason to do them again. Plus, the Lions Binkert Trail is a great physical challenge and one of the toughest hikes on the North Shore.
