Waymark
Trek Vancouver — North Shore, Canada

The Grouse Grind

Vancouver's famous fitness test: 2.5 kilometres and about 800 metres of relentless climbing, much of it on stairs, straight up the face of Grouse Mountain through rainforest to a chalet with a view over the whole city. You ride the gondola down.

The Grouse Grind
Photo: Pburka at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Duration
1 day
Distance
2.5 km
Ascent
800 m
Difficulty
Hard
Best season
Late spring to autumn, when the trail is open; usually closed from about November to April
Print day cards Packing list

Nicknamed Mother Nature’s Stairmaster, the Grouse Grind climbs straight up the southern face of Grouse Mountain with almost no flat ground from bottom to top. It was built in the early 1980s by two local hikers, Don McPherson and Phil Severy, and has become a Vancouver ritual: on summer mornings you will find first-timers gasping at the quarter mark and regulars who run it before work in well under an hour. The official figures are 2.5 kilometres and about 800 metres of elevation gain, with some 2,830 steps built into the steepest sections; other measurements put it slightly longer and higher.

There are no views on the way up, just dense second-growth forest of cedar, hemlock and fir, rock and root steps, and quarter markers to count down. The reward is at the top, where the trail emerges beside the Grouse Mountain chalet with the city, the Lions Gate Bridge, Stanley Park and the Strait of Georgia spread out below. Most people take two hours or so; the official guidance is about two to two and a half hours for an average hiker.

The trail is one-way. Hiking down is not allowed because the descent is hard on knees and dangerous on the steep, wet steps, and descending hikers clog the narrow trail. Everyone rides down on the mountain’s Skyride or gondola, which requires a download ticket.

Getting there. The trailhead is at the base of Grouse Mountain at the top of Capilano Road in North Vancouver, beside the Skyride base station. Take the SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay and bus 236 to Grouse Mountain, or drive and use the pay parking. From downtown in summer, the Grouse Mountain shuttle from Canada Place is another option; check its current schedule.

Permits & tickets. The hike is free, but you must buy a download ticket for the Skyride or gondola to get back down; buy it at the top or in advance online. Prices change; check Grouse Mountain’s official site. The trail is part of a Metro Vancouver regional park, which sets the opening dates and hours.

Good to know:

Tips & Insights for this route Planning this route? Read our practical tips before you go — 9 tips. Read the tips
Download waypoints (GPX) Points of interest in walking order — not a trail trace.

Day by day

DayDistanceAscentDescentWalking time
Day 1 Hardest dayBase to summit, then the ride down
Distance2.5 kmAscent800 mDescentNot recordedWalking timeNot recorded
Day 1

Base to summit, then the ride down

Grouse Grind trailhead, Capilano Road → Grouse Mountain Skyride base station 2.5 km 800 m
Navigate this day Print day

The whole Grind, marked by quarter signs, ending at the Grouse Mountain chalet. The distance and climb per quarter below are rough even splits, not official figures.

Segments

  1. The first quarter 0.6 km 200 m Map

    Grouse Grind trailhead → Quarter marker

    Steep forest trail with rock and root steps

    From the gate beside the Skyride base station the trail climbs immediately and does not relent. Everyone starts too fast: keep a pace you can hold for two hours, because the first quarter is where most people discover what they have signed up for. About 25 to 35 minutes for a typical hiker.

  2. The second quarter 0.6 km 200 m Map

    Quarter marker → Halfway marker

    Steep trail and timber stairs

    Deeper into the rainforest, the trail climbs through cedar and hemlock on built wooden and rock steps. The halfway sign is a favourite rest stop; step aside to let faster hikers pass, since the trail is narrow. About 25 to 35 minutes.

  3. The third quarter 0.6 km 200 m Map

    Halfway marker → Three-quarter marker

    Steepest stairs and rock

    Many hikers find this the hardest stretch, with long runs of steep steps and boulders. Break it into small goals, drink regularly, and remember there is no easy way down from here: continue up. About 25 to 35 minutes.

  4. The final quarter 0.7 km 200 m Map

    Three-quarter marker → Grouse Mountain chalet

    Steep trail easing near the top

    The forest thins and light begins to break through. The last few minutes ease slightly before you step out onto the plateau beside the chalet, where the view over Vancouver, the Lions Gate Bridge and the ocean opens out at once. About 20 to 30 minutes.

  5. The summit and the ride down 0 km 0 m Map

    Grouse Mountain chalet → Grouse Mountain Skyride base station

    Summit paths and aerial tramway

    Recover with a drink on the chalet terrace and, if you have energy left, walk to the summit attractions: in the warmer months the resort runs a grizzly bear refuge, a lumberjack show and a birds-of-prey display, some included only with a paid summit ticket. Then show your download ticket and ride the Skyride or gondola back to the base. About 30 to 60 minutes.

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