Hiking in Cypress Provincial Park: Which hike is the best?
Cypress Provincial Park is a fantastic outdoor recreation area just 30 minutes outside of Vancouver with multiple different hiking options, ranging from easy strolls to very difficult all day affairs. Cypress draws all sorts of hikers to the region, whether somebody completely new to hiking looking for a stroll around Yew Lake, or an experienced mountaineer trekking along the entire Howe Sound Crest Trail.
While many people opt to stay within the southern section of the park, Cypress Provincial Park officially covers much of the HSCT, spanning as far north as Deeks Lake.
With this in mind I’m going to use this page as a guide to each of the hikes in the park, though I admittedly still have a few left on the to-do list that I’ll be completing soon and adding below! Without further ado, here is your guide to the best hikes in Cypress Provincial Park.
Maintaining this website requires a significant investment of both time and money, if you find this website a useful resource, please consider making a donation using this button.
Difficulty: Very Easy
Distance: 4.5Km
Elevation Gain: 150m
Highest Elevation: 1,040m
Average Gradient: 6.67%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Very Low / Low
Time Needed:
– Slow: 2 – 3 Hours
– Moderate: 1.5 – 2 Hours
– Fast: 1 – 1.5 Hours
Worthiness: Worth It
Bowen Lookout is a popular hike, particularly in the winter for anybody wanting to see some snow in an avalanche safe area, but also during the summer for those that want a quick and easy outing to a nice viewpoint. Combined with Yew Lake, which is a pleasant stroll in itself, this loop is just 4.5km and 150m elevation gain, making it perfect for a quick outing
While the view from Bowen Lookout is nice, overlooking Bowen Island and the Howe Sound, it’s certainly not as good as many of the views on other hikes in Cypress Provincial Park.
The trail to Bowen Lookout and Yew Lake is well maintained & easy to navigate, making it a good choice for families. It’s also a great option for a sunrise or sunset hike.
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 10.5Km
Elevation Gain: 580m
Highest Elevation: 1,371m
Average Gradient: 11.04%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 4.5 – 6 Hours
– Moderate: 3.5 – 4.5 Hours
– Fast: 2.5 – 3.5 Hours
Worthiness: Worth it
With its stunning viewpoint over the Howe Sound and perpetual presence on Instagram, Saint Marks Summit is easily the most popular hike in Cypress Provincial Park. At 10.5km and 580m elevation gain, Saint Marks falls right in that difficulty range where it’s accessible (though challenging) for beginner hikers, but also challenging enough for experienced outdoorsmen who want a quick blitz to a viewpoint.
While the views at the end of the hike to Saint Marks Summit are undoubtedly great, the popularity of this trail is a major drawback, with crowds hanging around the limited viewpoints throughout much of the day. With that in mind it’s advised to avoid a sunny summer weekend, or at the very least set off extremely early to avoid the rush.
Much of the trail is muddy and boggy throughout the year so proper footwear is important. While Saint Marks Summit is accessible year-round, it does pass through some avalanche terrain, so during the winter months this is considered backcountry and is only recommended for those with avalanche safety training and preparedness. Personally, I find spring or fall the best time to hike Saint Marks Summit to avoid the crowds.
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 7Km
Elevation Gain: 460m
Highest Elevation: 1,326m
Average Gradient: 13.14%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 3.5 – 5 Hours
– Moderate: 2.5 – 3.5 Hours
– Fast: 1.5 – 2.5 Hours
Worthiness: Worth it
Hollyburn Peak is a very popular hike during the winter, providing a steep, stern challenge to anybody wanting to get out into the snow. This hike is far less popular during the summer as the views aren’t as good and the trail is far easier in snow than the otherwise rocky trail of the summer.
The views from Hollyburn Peak are very nice and 360 degrees, unlike Saint Marks or Bowen Lookout. From the top you can see the city of Vancouver, Black Mountain, Bowen Island, the Howe Sound, Mount Baker, the Lions and much more.
As a winter objective Hollyburn Peak is a good challenge for all abilities, and even the fittest of hikers will be breathless on the steep final ascent. Still, it’s only 3.5km each way and it’s possible to summit Hollyburn in under an hour if you’re particularly fit.
Overall, Hollyburn Peak is a good winter option but not the best during summer.
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 8Km
Elevation Gain: 435m
Highest Elevation: 1,217m
Average Gradient: 10.8%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 4 – 5 Hours
– Moderate: 3 – 4 Hours
– Fast: 2 – 3 Hours
Worthiness: Worth It
Eagle Bluffs is a viewpoint on the west side of Cypress Provincial Park overlooking the City of Vancouver, the Howe Sound, Mount Baker and the Sunshine Coast. This is another popular hike, though still far less busy than Saint Marks Summit.
While much of the hike is relatively benign, the beginning is very steep and will challenge even the fittest of hikers. Thankfully once you hit Black Mountain it mellows out to more of a nice stroll.
Eagle Bluffs is another year-round option, though BC Parks doesn’t maintain the trail beyond Black Mountain and discourages people to go. Well, many people ignore this advice as frankly there is limited risk in going beyond the maintained boundary and the trail is popular enough to be well packed down even in the midst of winter.
Eagle Bluffs is another hike I prefer to save for a quick jaunt in the winter/shoulder season on a sunny, clear day. Many people choose to go in summer though, stopping at Cabin Lake on the way just before Black Mountain.
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 8.6Km
Elevation Gain: 590m
Highest Elevation: 1,459m
Average Gradient: 13.72%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 4.5 – 6 Hours
– Moderate: 3.5 – 4.5 Hours
– Fast: 2.5 – 3.5 Hours
Worthiness: Worth it
Mount Strachan is the highest summit in the southern section of Cypress Provincial Park, and also the least trafficked. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me as I found Mount Strachan to be one of the better options, and combined with the impressive Christmas Gully it was a lot of fun.
Perhaps it’s because Mount Strachan is a bit more challenging than all the other hikes in the area, with the incredibly steep (yet very photogenic) Christmas Gully section putting people off.
The views from the summit are 360 degrees and include the Lions, Unnecessary Mountain, Crown Mountain, Grouse Mountain, the Howe Sound, Black Mountain, Bowen Island and more.
Mount Strachan is more of a summer option than winter, especially if you want to go via Christmas Gully (you should!) which is serious avalanche terrain. You can go to Mount Strachan in the winter though, but not a lot of people do.
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 15.2Km
Elevation Gain: 1,074m
Highest Elevation: 1,548m
Average Gradient: 14.13%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 6 – 8 Hours
– Moderate: 5 – 6 Hours
– Fast: 4 – 5 Hours
Worthiness: Great Hike!
Unnecessary Mountain is a summit along the Howe Sound Crest trail further along than Saint Marks Summit. The views along the Unnecessary Mountain ridgeline are breathtaking and far better than Saint Marks, Eagle Bluffs and Bowen Lookout.
Getting to Unnecessary Mountain is a challenging trip though, involving a hike to Saint Marks Summit, followed by a steep descent and re-ascent up to Unnecessary Mountain. Not many people continue on from Saint Marks, making this a great option if you want some peace and quiet while enjoying your views.
Unnecessary Mountain is strictly a summer or shoulder season objective, and will be buried in snow for much of the year, so do check conditions before going. Approximately between July and November should be reasonable, though there may be some snow still.
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
Worthiness: Great Hike!
The Lions, also known as the Twin Sisters, are an iconic pair of peaks on the North Shore of Vancouver, immediately recognizable for any true Vancouverite. 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.
The Lions are technically within Cypress Provincial Park boundaries since they are along the Howe Sound Crest Trail, but if you take the Lions Binkert trail suggested here, most of the hike will not be within Cypress Provincial Park. You can alternatively begin at Cypress Bowl parking lot, hike over Saint Marks Summit, then Unnecessary Mountain before finally reaching the Lions. Either way, this is a very difficult hike and should only be attempted by fit and experienced parties.
To actually summit the West Lion requires a significant amount of exposed scrambling, so the linked guide only covers the hike to the base of the West Lion. Hiking to the Lions is only really possible during the summer, with the season running from approximately July – November, similar to Unnecessary Mountain.
Difficulty: Very Difficult
Distance: 15.1Km
Elevation Gain: 1,555m
Highest Elevation: 1,788m
Average Gradient: 20.60%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Very High / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 8 – 10 Hours
– Moderate: 6 – 8 Hours
– Fast: 5 – 6 Hours
Worthiness: One of the Best!
Similar to the Lions, while Brunswick Mountain is just within the boundaries of Cypress Provincial Park, you actually park at Lions Bay and the entire hike is not within the park boundaries. Still, technically it lies within the park so I’m including it here!
Brunswick Mountain is one of the most, if not the most, difficult hikes on the North Shore. It’s extremely steep almost the entire time, and particularly towards the end where some exposed scrambling is required. It should only be attempted by experienced and capable parties.
The views from the summit are some of the best views you will find anywhere on the North Shore, with breathtaking panoramic views in every direction.
Similar to the Lions, the season here typically runs from July – November before snow and ice become a concern. People do summit Brunswick Mountain in winter, though only the most experienced groups with avalanche training and mountaineering skills.
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 18Km
Elevation Gain: 1,500m
Highest Elevation: 1,644m
Average Gradient: 16.67%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 8 – 10 Hours
– Moderate: 6 – 8 Hours
– Fast: 5 – 6 Hours
Hat Mountain is another peak accessed from Lions Bay, and it’s possible t combine this summit with Brunswick Mountain for one huge and epic day hike. You can also hike it on its own though, making for a wonderful trip with excellent views
Similar to Brunswick Mountain, Hat Mountain is generally a summer only hike due to the avalanche concerns in the area. There is one particular spot that can get tricky if there is still snow lingering, so waiting until the snow has fully melted will be wise.
Other Cypress Provincial Park Hikes
There are a few hikes not covered here (yet) as I am yet to complete them. They all lie at the northern tip of Cypress Provincial Park and are generally only summited by experienced hikers. I’ll update this page once they’re completed:
- Mount Hanover
- David Peak
- James Peak
- Deeks Lake
Other Nearby Summits
There are a few other summits that are in the same region but lie just outside the official boundaries of Cypress Provincial Park, namely:
- Mount Harvey
- Deeks Peak
- Mount Windsor
I haven’t hiked the latter two yet, but Mount Harvey is also one of the best hikes in the area and should be high on your to-do list!
And that’s it! I will keep updating this page as I finish the remaining hikes in Cypress Provincial Park!