Exploring Vancouver: cycling the Seawall Bike Route of Stanley Park
Vancouver's Stanley Park is home to one of the most beautiful scenic bike trails in North America - the Seawall Bike Route.
We thoroughly enjoyed biking the mostly flat, paved, and easy-breezy ride with absolutely stunning views of beaches, and gorgeous old-growth forests, as well as the sparkling waters of English Bay and the harbor of Vancouver with its impressive city skyline.
The scenic Stanley Park Seawall Bike Route.
As scenic bike rides go, the Seawall Bike Route is truly a great one; not only is it fun and beautiful - its claim to fame is being the longest uninterrupted waterfront path in the world.
So it’s not surprising that we found this ride to be the highlight of our trip to Vancouver, and something we would consider a “must-do” when visiting the area. I wouldn’t call us hardcore cyclists, but we do always enjoy a great ride and we find biking to be a perfect “ground level” way to really appreciate the nuances of new places.
The ride around the 9 km seawall (@ 5.6 miles) route takes about an hour by bike and 2-3 hours on foot.
Considering the fact that it is plopped right onto a bustling city, there are an astonishing amount of activities available at Stanley Park! Along with biking & hiking trails, and the beloved swimming beaches, there are playgrounds, tennis courts, ballfields, a scenic railway tour, historical points of interest, and spots to grab a bite to eat. Stanley Park is also home to Canada’s largest aquarium.
This article focuses on the Seawall Bike Route, but we will also touch on some of the other things to see and do at Stanley Park.
Table of Contents
Getting to Stanley Park by Bike
Stanley Park is located on a peninsula that connects to Vancouver's West End. It is very accessible from downtown via walking, biking, driving or taking public transit.
We rented bikes in downtown Vancouver to explore the city and rode them into Stanley Park. Since biking in Stanley Park is a very popular thing, there is no issue finding bike rentals in Vancouver. More on renting bikes below.
We accessed the park via the Georgia Street entrance, but you can also enter off English Bay on the west side of the park.
The Seawall Bike Route is one way, and moves counterclockwise around the perimeter of the peninsula, so be sure to follow the directional signs. The outer lane of the path is for walkers, joggers and rollerbladers and the inside lane is for bicycles.
Local bicyclists will often opt for Stanley Park Drive instead of the Seawall Route, which is a little further inside the perimeter. You can go faster on this road but you also are sharing it with cars, and you don’t get the remarkable views of the bay - it’ll just be like riding in any nice park.
So for visitors, the Seawall Route makes more sense - just be aware that you are sharing it with people who may be moving slowly - families with kids and such. But the stunning views along the seawall make that an easy trade-off!
There has recently been a bit of controversy surrounding the Stanley Park Drive and bicyclists. During COVID restrictions a few years ago, the drive was divided with barriers and a separated bike lane was available to cyclists who wanted to use it instead of the slower and more crowded seawall path.
Now that restrictions are over, it has been returned to regular vehicle traffic, and bikes and cars are no longer physically separated on the drive. Cycle enthusiasts are fighting to keep the bike lane as a permanent thing, but at the moment, they need to share it with cars.
Transit options to get to Stanley Park
TransLink is the agency that manages public transportation in Vancouver.
TransLink's bus #19 takes you into Stanley Park.
The bus stops at two different places:
Stanley Park Drive and Pipeline Road near Lost Lagoon
Stanley Park Loop near the Miniature Train, which is a short walk from the Vancouver Aquarium
If you are taking the SeaBus into Vancouver, it’s a short walk to transfer to the #19 bus, or alternatively, you can walk, bike or rollerblade along the waterfront Coal Harbour Route to Stanley Park.
Bikes on Transit - Bike racks are provided on all TransLink buses. You can also take your bike on the SkyTrain, SeaBus, and West Coast Express, with some restrictions. For complete information, see TransLink’s website at Bikes on Transit | TransLink.
There is no public transit service around the park once you are in there.
Driving into Stanley Park
Debbie and John biking Stanley Park.
You can also drive into Stanley Park. Enter the park from the main entrance at the west end of Georgia Street, from downtown Vancouver. Alternately, enter the park from the English Bay side via Beach Avenue.
You will need to purchase an hourly or daily parking pass - the daily pass is the best deal if you are planning to spend the day. Parking is managed by EasyPark, so check out their website for fees and information.
A ticket purchased at any of the park’s meters is valid for parking at any location throughout the park - so you can actually move your car to another spot without paying again. Overnight parking is not permitted in the park.
Conditions such as road work can affect parking availability so check the city’s website at Stanley Park | City of Vancouver.
EV charging stations are available outside the Aquarium.
Bike Rentals in Vancouver for your Stanley Park bike ride
Bike rentals are available at many locations outside of the park. Since biking is extremely popular in Vancouver, and in Stanley Park especially, all the rental places are pretty comparable price-wise, so just choose a rental company that is convenient for you to get to from wherever you are staying.
There are no bike rentals actually inside the park, so you will need to get your bike outside.
Our experiences overall with bike rentals in many places we have visited where biking is a thing have been very good. The bikes are generally well maintained, and staff are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about biking so they are very helpful with anything you need.
Here are some well-reviewed Bike Rentals in Vancouver:
1798 W Georgia St, Vancouver
Adult bikes start at $8.57 per hour, children's bikes & family attachments start at $4.76 per hour.
Half and full-day discounts
768 Denman St, Vancouver,
Rent bikes, e-bikes, and scooters starting at $7 per hour.
Half-day packages are available.
All rentals include a lock, helmet, and basket
710 Denman St, Vancouver,
Rent bikes, e-bikes, Scooters, and rollerblades starting at $7 per hour
Half-day packages are available.
What to see along the Seawall Bike Route in Stanley Park
View of the Vancouver skyline from Stanley Park.
As mentioned above, the paved 9 km trail of the Seawall is mostly flat and a pretty easy ride. It is raised in some places above the walking trail, which can feel a little weird at first, and goes in one direction only, from Coal Harbour counterclockwise to English Bay, so you can’t “go back” if you are feeling done. But no worries, there are a few places where you can cut through the park to shorten your ride.
I couldn’t help but be impressed by the overall “blueness” of Vancouver, as the rich blue sea and clear sky seems to dominate the surroundings, giving it all a sapphire shimmer. It’s breathtakingly beautiful and there is a soft peacefulness about it. Take notice of the changing scenery around you as you cycle the path and definitely make a few stops to explore!
During the early part of the ride, you can look back over the harbor where you came from and see the skyline of Vancouver, which is surprisingly built up, considering how remote it feels in some ways.
Definitely check out a beach or two! There was a lot going on while we were there - music playing and what seemed to be some sort of festival.
Totem Poles in Stanley Park.
Turn off the trail for the Brockton Point Visitor’s Center to see the authentic totem poles of indigenous Coast Salish people. This collection began in the 1920s and was moved to this accessible display in the 1960s. This area that we now know as Stanley Park was once home to many Indigenous peoples and remains a culturally significant area for the local First Nations people today.
Also at Brockton Point, is the Brockton Lighthouse, built in 1914. You can walk along the shoreline pathway under the arches supporting the lighthouse tower, which is pretty cool!
Further up the trail, at Prospect Point, you can also get great views of Lions Gate Bridge, the suspension bridge that crosses the first narrows of Burrard Inlet and since 1938 has been connecting the City of Vancouver, British Columbia, to the North Shore area. The name "Lions Gate" comes from the pair of mountain peaks north of Vancouver that are referred to as The Lions. A pair of concrete lions, designed by sculptor Charles Marega, were placed on either side of the south approach to the bridge in 1939.
The distinctive Siwash Rock in Stanley Park.
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Check out Siwash Rock as you come around to the west side of the island. It juts out of the bay with such a distinct shape, it seems impossible that it is a natural outcrop and not something man made. It stands alone like a tall, imposing sentinel. There is a rather complicated First Nations legend that says the rock represents “clean fatherhood”, as a young warrior father was turned to stone in sacrifice to protect his child. Not sure I understand all that, but the sight of it is impressive enough for me, even without a legend.
Another important area for indigenous people is Lost Lagoon - the body of water to the west of the causeway as you enter Stanley Park from the Georgia Street entrance. A walk around this freshwater pond takes about 30 minutes if you want a little side trip.
The area around Lost Lagoon is a bird sanctuary; home to herons, swans, and several species of ducks, so a good spot for some birdwatching.
But even if you don’t stop there, look for the Golden Jubilee Fountain which was placed in the middle of the Lagoon in 1936 to mark Vancouver’s 50th anniversary of colonization. It is clearly visible from any vantage point around the lagoon.
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Stanley Park hours
Vancouver parks are open from 6am to 10pm unless otherwise posted, and access to restrooms is available from dawn until dusk.
A sandy beach along the Stanley Park bike route.
Granville Island
A good add-on to make a day of your Stanley Park bike rental is to stop at Granville Island after leaving the park. It’s easy to get to from downtown Vancouver and since parking is very limited on the popular island, having the bike is a great way to get there.
There are several ways to access Granville Island by bike; we decided to take the Aquabus. They run a bike-friendly boat – the Cyquabus – that allows bicyclers to hop aboard from the dock at the foot of Hornby St for a nominal extra charge of .50 per bike.
View of Vancouver from Granville Island.
Granville Island is a charming bustling place; at one time an industrial wasteland but now it is a busy cultural and artistic hub. It features a famous Public Market that is home to more than 50 independent food purveyors.
The market is open daily from 9am to 7pm.
There are also lots of artsy shops, and I couldn’t resist buying some fancy yarn at Fibre Art Studio. We also enjoyed some delicious poutine and while sitting outside enjoying the treat, we were unexpectedly mooned by participants of Naked Bike Ride Day passing through!!! (I had to google it and it is apparently a “friendly protest against car culture and oil dependency” that takes place yearly in Vancouver. Who knew!!!)
I think we will keep our bike riding to the clothed variety, thank you! ;)
Vancouver is certainly a great place to enjoy a bike ride, with the many available trails, bike rental facilities, bike-friendly transit and of course the awesome scenery.
We definitely think the Stanley Park Seawall Bike Route is something you should make a point of doing while visiting Vancouver.
If you are looking for other wonderful things to do in the Pacific Northwest check out our post about Visiting Mount Rainier.
This post was researched and written by Debbie of the Empty Nest Explorers. You can learn more about the Empty Nest Explorers here.
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