Stanley Park

Vancouver’s green jewel, Stanley Park is a 1,000-acre temperate rainforest jutting out into the ocean from the edge of the busy West End. Exploring the second-largest urban forest in Canada is one of Vancouver’s quintessential experiences. The park, created in 1888, is filled with towering western red cedars and Douglas firs, manicured lawns, flower gardens, placid lagoons, and countless shaded walking trails that meander through it all. The famed seawall runs along the waterside edge of the park, allowing cyclists and pedestrians to experience the magical interface of forest, sea, and sky. One of the most popular free attractions in the park is the collection of totem poles at Brockton Point, most of them carved in the 1980s to replace the original ones that were placed in the park in the 1920s and 1930s. The hour-long horse-drawn carriage ride operated from mid-March through October by AAA Horse & Carriage Ltd. is one of the most enjoyable ways to tour the park.