Trip 073 - September 12, 2014 (Friday)

Crown Mountain Trail Hike

Lynn Headwaters Regional Park

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Distance From Vancouver (South End of Lions Gate Bridge) to Grouse Mountain parking lot: 7.4 km. Turn left onto Capilano Road in North Vancouver right after crossing the Lions Gate Bridge. Or use Capilano Road exit from Highway 1 and go North. Upon arriving to the Grouse Mountain parking lot, either take a gondola or hike up via Grouse Grind (a very tough trail) to the Grouse Mountain Recreational Area. Then, follow the signs to the bear habitat, and, upon reaching a fork with three roads, take the middle one to reach the trailhead in about 5 minutes. Our Goat Mountain Hike trip report has the exact directions to the trailhead.

Liked: Mountain views, the views of Metro Vancouver, and available hiker registration.

Of note: Crown Mountain is a dangerous trail, and is for experienced hikers only. Hiking boots and poles are essential. Not recommended for hiking unless the ground is dry. The trail is popular. Getting to the trail means hiking The Grind first, or paying a substantial price for a gondola ticket. On the return trip, one must pay $10 for Gondola to go down, as downhill travel on The Grind is prohibited.

Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Backroad Mapbook (2010 edition) Coordinates: Page 11 (North Vancouver) D7-D6.

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22. We are almost there.

North Vancouver Hiking - Crown Mountain Trail BC Canada

23. And then, suddenly, great views arrive in bunches.

Mountain View Crown Mountain Trail - Hiking in British Columbia Canada

24. Cool.

Photo of a Mountain View From Crown Mountain Hiking Trail British Columbia Canada

25. The path still continues.

Hike in North Vancouver Area - Crown Mountain Trail BC Canada

26. And, finally, here it is - the peak of Crown Mountain.

Peak of Crown Mountain - British Columbia hiking

27. If you decide to get on the very top, be careful - there is little room for error with very steep drop-offs on both sides of the peak, and enough room for just one person. To get up there you'll need to use the shaded hole seen on the bottom left of this photo.

Crown Mountain Peak

28. We are on top. It's a bit scary to look down from there.

View from Top of Crown Mountain British Columbia Canada

29. But we looked anyway.

View from Top of Crown Mountain Lynn Headwaters Regional Park

30. The Lions get closer with a substantial zoom.

The Lions Mountains Seen from Crown Mountain BC Canada

31. Metro Vancouver.

Metro Vancouver Seen from the Peak of Crown Mountain

32. Zooming in.

Photo of Downtown Vancouver From Peak of Crown Mountain Province of BC Canada

33. A nearby mountain.

Mountain View from Peak of Crown Mountain BC Canada

34. The views are great in all directions.

Peak of Camel Mountain Seen from Peak of Crown Mountain

Here is our video of the views from the top of Crown Mountain:

More ihikebc videos are on our YouTube Channel.

35. Then again, why hike when you can parasail.

Parasailing Near Crown Mountain British Columbia Canada

36. Alex Fraser Bridge seen from Crown Mountain. 12x zoom.

Alex Fraser Bridge Seen From Crown Mountain British Columbia Canada

37. Lions Gate Bridge. The same magnification.

Photo of Lions Gate Bridge Seen from Crown Mountain BC Canada

38. And then it was time to do it all again: climbing down, and climbing up.

Crown Mountain Hiking Trail BC Canada

39. Back to civilization.

Grouse Mountain Chalet

40. The gondola arrives.

Grouse Mountain Skyride Gondola

41. A view of Metro Vancouver from the gondola platform.

42. A closer look.

Barges in Metro Vancouver seen from Grouse Mountain

Time from the start of the trail by the info board to the top of Crown Mountain: 3 hours. Time back: 2 hours 30 minutes. The views are great, but the trail is tough and dangerous. Recommended only for experienced hikers, and only if the ground is dry.