Stanley Park

It’s funny how we can live so close to nature and barely take advantage of it. For the last three years, I’ve been working five minutes away from Stanley Park. But it wasn’t until I got into running and moved to a neighbourhood close to Stanley Park, that I finally spend time exploring this special place.

Everyone living or visiting Vancouver has probably taken a walk around the seawall, Stanley Park’s most prominent feature. But it seems like comparably few people spend time getting to know the trails that weave through the forest itself.

To me, Stanley Park’s trails are the best part about Vancouver’s 1,000 + acres green oasis. Especially when I stroll along some of the more remote and hidden tracks, I find it hard to imagine that the hustle and bustle of the big city is only a quick 40-minute walk away.

My favourite time of the year for long, lonely walks through Stanley Park is fall.

We think of fall as the last “huzzah” before winter rushes in, pressing the pause button on nature’s cycle and our lives. Forests with their vibrant fall colours and fragrant smells perfectly encapsulate that idea. It’s the time of the year when Stanley Park is at its best: the mossy trees sport a green so lush it almost looks illuminated, the air is full of moisture and the smell of wet leaves, and everywhere you go, you see squirrels spiralling their way up massive tree trunks on their quest for nuts and seeds.

So, next time you’re visiting Stanley Park, abandon the busy seawall and get to know the park’s quieter, mysterious side. It’s worth it. Pinky promise.