Hiking Tunnel Bluffs near Lions Bay
Contents
Tunnel Bluffs Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 12.5Km
Elevation Gain: 500m
Highest Elevation: 692m
Average Gradient: 8.00%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 4.5 – 6 Hours
– Moderate: 3.5 – 4.5 Hours
– Fast: 2.5 – 3.5 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Tunnel Bluffs Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°28’14.8″N 123°14’03.0″W
Tunnel Bluffs Overview
Tunnel Bluffs is a lookout point over the Howe Sound near the village of Lions Bay on the Sea to Sky Highway, providing one of the best views of the Howe Sound in the region.
This is a hike for all abilities, though some might find it harder than others. It’s also a year-round option, and even in the depths of winter you’re likely able to manage without the requirement of snowshoes or micro spikes, though some might want to bring the latter for added traction if it’s particularly icy. There is also no risk of an avalanche along the trail, unlike other local hikes.
Due to its relative ease, immense view at the end and year-round accessibility, Tunnel Bluffs is one of the more popular hikes in the region, drawing in visitors of all abilities. On a sunny summer weekend you can bet this hike will be busy, often with crowds of people hanging around the viewpoint. Thankfully the viewpoint is a spacious area for all to enjoy the views. That being said, Tunnel Bluffs is not as popular as some other hikes and is a much preferred option than the likes of St. Marks Summit, which seems to draw far more attention even though the views at the end are inferior to Tunnel Bluffs.
Up until 2020 you used to be able to hike to Tunnel Bluffs beginning at Tunnel Point parking lot just off the Sea to Sky Highway. As this resulted in hikers illegally crossing the fast moving Sea to Sky Highway, it was deemed too dangerous and the parking was limited to a 30 minute maximum to deter hikers from this lot. There have been many instances of hikers ignoring these restrictions and having their car towed as a result. As such, the only option to hike to Tunnel Bluffs now is from Sunset Drive trailhead, which this guide is following. Unfortunately this turned a 7.2km grind into a 12.5km plod. It also made the already insufficient parking lot at Sunset Drive even busier, so an early start is absolutely necessary to ensure parking
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Is Tunnel Bluffs worthwhile?
Tunnel Bluffs is one of the better moderately difficult hikes in the region, offering a fantastic viewpoint for a relatively modest effort. It is a much preferred option to the likes of St. Marks Summit and many of the other North Shore hikes and for that reason it’s a great hike.
It’s also a hike you can complete pretty quickly in under half a day (including driving from Vancouver), meaning it makes a great option if you’re short on time.
How difficult is the hike to Tunnel Bluffs?
Honestly Tunnel Bluffs is a pretty easy hike. An 8% average gradient is pretty mellow, and 12.50km isn’t the longest hike. Nearly all of the elevation gain comes in the first 2km of the hike, making the remaining 10.50km a literal stroll in the forest. Don’t get me wrong, the first 2km is quite challenging and will leave you breathless for much of it, but the rest of the hike is as simple as it gets. All ability levels should be able to do this hike.
Technically speaking it’s also pretty straightforward. Most of the hike is on well manicured trails, the only challenging part might be the end where you have to navigate up and down a few simple rocks. Anybody can do it, there’s no exposure, you just need to be careful with footing.
Tunnel Bluffs Route Information
The hike to Tunnel Bluffs begins at the ever popular Sunset Trailhead parking lot in Lions Bay. During the summer this is usually paid parking, though when I went in winter I was pleasantly surprised to find the parking meter had been removed, so it was free. Either way, parking is very limited here and fills up fast as there are so many popular hikes from this trailhead. When I arrived at 7:15am the parking was almost full. In the summer I usually arrive even earlier to ensure a parking spot.
From the parking you will immediately join the Magnesia Creek trail, a wide open gravel road twisting its way up the hillside. The trail is rocky, loose and decently steep, but you should be able to make good consistent progress if you keep your head down. You’ll soon pass a concrete structure on your right, and further along the trail you’ll pass by a metal fence with the impressive Mount Harvey looming large behind.
The trail will narrow slightly as you keep climbing up the winding road, and the gradient will be challenging enough to leave you out of breath the entire time. I’m always surprised how long this section of the hike feels, the switchbacks seem endless, but just grind it out.
After 2km you will come to a junction with some signs on a tree. Continuing on the trail will lead towards the Lions and Mount Harvey, while going left will lead towards Brunswick Mountain and Tunnel Bluffs. Tunnel Bluffs is not mentioned on these signs but for now just follow the same trail as that to Brunswick Mountain.
The good news is you are just 2km into this hike but pretty much all of the elevation gain is behind you. The rest of the hike is an undulating stroll through the forest without ever being challenging. It’s pretty rare for a hike to have all the elevation right at the start, I have to say it’s nice!
A few hundred meters after the junction you’ll pass over a small creek, and then after a couple of hundred meters more you’ll cross a bridge over the much larger Magnesia Creek. This is a simple log bridge with one rope for stabilization, so be careful with footing, especially in the winter when the bridge is covered in snow.
A couple of hundred meters further along, at around the 3km mark, the trail splits again where going straight will continue onto Brunswick Mountain and going left down a little embankment will lead to Tunnel Bluffs.
The next kilometer of the trail will be a wide open, almost entirely flat gravel road. This had a good amount of snow on the trail when I went, but I still didn’t even need spikes and certainly not snowshoes. At times the trail here became very muddy even in winter, so I can only imagine how muddy it could be in spring or early summer.
At around the 4km mark the trail will narrow again and you’ll soon be hopping over a couple more creeks. The most notable will be M Creek which will have a similar bridge to that over Magnesia Creek. Continuing along you’ll soon pass the junction where the Tunnel Bluffs trail from Tunnel Point joins your trail. I noticed there was still a good amount of snow tracks leading down that trail, so clearly a lot of people chose to ignore the parking restrictions there.
A few hundred meters further along you’ll pass by another split in the trail where going right will take you up to Hat Mountain. Continue straight and a few hundred meters further along the trail becomes a little less obvious. You’ll have to climb up a short, narrow rocky section before traversing over a large boulder. This was pretty slick in the winter so be careful not to slip.
In just a few hundred meters you’ll break out at Tunnel Bluffs where the views will be mightily impressive. You’ll have a panoramic view over the Howe Sound and many of the islands within it, such as Bowen Island, Gambier Island, Keats Island and Anvil Island. You’ll also be able to see many of the peaks in Tetrahedron Provincial Park. If you look behind you you’ll also be able to see Mount Harvey and Brunswick Mountain, which were covered in snow when I was there.
I was fortunate enough to have the viewpoint to myself for a good 30 minutes since I set off early and hiked quickly. If you are going on a popular day the viewpoint can get very busy with people lounging around enjoying a picnic and taking photos.
After finishing up you just return the same way back to the trailhead.
When should I hike Tunnel Bluffs?
Since Tunnel Bluffs is a year round hike I prefer to save this one for the winter or shoulder season, there’s no point using a valuable summer day on it when it can be done at any time of year. It’s a great option when avalanche risk is high as it doesn’t pass any avalanche terrain. Just make sure to go on a nice sunny day to get the full view.
Top Tip
As always with any hike starting at Sunset Trailhead, get there very early! There isn’t a lot of choice for overflow parking in Lions Bay and any options usually add a lot of distance and elevation gain to your hike. It’s also nice to have a quiet viewpoint.
