Lynn Canyon Park

Lynn Canyon is the alternative to Capilano: a suspension bridge about fifty metres above Lynn Creek, built in 1912, in a park of second-growth rainforest with trails through it, and admission is free. The creek runs through a narrow rock gorge with pools, of which Thirty Foot Pool is the well-known one. The water is the danger here: the creek looks calm at the surface but has undercut rock, cold temperature and sudden level changes after rain, and there have been many drownings and cliff-jumping deaths over the years, with signs and rescue callouts to match. An ecology centre by the bridge explains the forest.

What you actually see

• The 1912 suspension bridge - a free crossing fifty metres above the creek.
• The gorge pools - rock basins including Thirty Foot Pool downstream.
• The rainforest trails - loops through second-growth forest and to Rice Lake.
• The ecology centre - displays on the temperate rainforest system.

When to go

May to September; the trails are open year-round but slippery and dark in winter rain. Weekends fill the small car park by mid-morning. Take the bus if possible.

Honest expectations

The creek has killed a significant number of people through jumping and slips; the calm surface hides undercut rock and cold. Parking is very limited. Trails are steep and rooted with steps.

Nearby

Capilano Suspension Bridge lies west; Deep Cove is east.