Lynn Canyon: Suspension Bridge, 30 Foot Pool and Twin Falls

The suspension bridge is narrow and gets crowded with tour groups on summer weekends. Arrive in the morning or on a weekday. After heavy rain the falls are most impressive, but the stairs are slick.

The SeaBus to Lonsdale Quay and bus 228 put you within a 15-minute walk of the entrance. Driving saves time only if you get a space; the lot fills early on sunny weekends.

Lynn Canyon’s bridge is shorter than Capilano’s, but it is free and hangs over a deeper-looking slot canyon. If you want the thrill without the admission price, this is the place.

Cliff jumping into Lynn Canyon’s pools has caused deaths and serious injuries, and rescues happen every summer. Water levels and currents change fast. If you swim, do so only in calm water at the 30 Foot Pool from the shore, and never alone.

The loop is short but full of wooden stairs, roots and wet rocks. Wear shoes with good tread and bring a rain jacket; this is a rainforest.

The Lynn Canyon Café by the park entrance serves coffee, snacks and simple meals; check its current opening hours, which are shorter in winter. For more choice, Lynn Valley Village is a short drive or bus ride away.

The Ecology Centre at the entrance, open since 1971, has hands-on displays about the rainforest and its animals. The loop is manageable for school-age kids, but the many stairs make it hard with a stroller.

The loop follows part of the Baden-Powell Trail, which crosses the North Shore for 48 kilometres from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove. Keep following its orange markers beyond Twin Falls if you want a longer walk into Lynn Headwaters.

Hotels around Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver are the closest convenient base, a bus ride from the park and close to Grouse Mountain and Capilano. From downtown, allow about 45 minutes each way by SeaBus and bus.