Stanley Park - A Vancouver Must-See

By Devon O'Malley

Recognized as one of the great parks of the world, Stanley Park is a must-see Vancouver attraction. This evergreen haven of 400 hectares (1,000 acres) is located on the edge of Vancouver's downtown core and is a site for recreational and leisure use. The park is rich in magnificent cedar, hemlock and fir trees and is home to many wildlife inhabitants. An 8.8 kilometre seawall lane surrounds the park's perimeter and is used a great deal for biking, roller-blading, jogging and more. A majority of the park is forested with approximately half a million trees that stand as high as 76 metres (250ft) and are hundreds of years old. Find out more about the history of Stanley Park here and discover all the things you can do on your next visit!

Park History The area of the park was once the traditional territory of a number of Coast Salish peoples and indigenous groups. The Squamish and Musqueam tribes had many villages in the park and used the region to gather food and resources, such as the cedar trees to build log houses and canoes. In the 1860s, the peninsula was selected as a military reserve for the region's colonial inhabitants, it was considered a tactical point if Americans chose to invade the area via the Burrard Inlet.

In 1886, Vancouver's city council voted to appeal to the Dominion government to charter the area for use as a park. A six-person park committee was formed in order to administer and oversee all park and recreation matters. The Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation was thus born and Stanley Park was established. Named after Lord Stanley, Governor General of Canada in 1888, the park quickly became a popular landmark for tourists and locals alike. Today, Stanley Park is North America's third largest urban core park and has an estimated 8 million people visit on a yearly basis.

Things to Do Stanley Park is full of activities that everyone in the family will enjoy. The seawall is an excellent way to take in the incredible beauty of the North Shore mountains, the surrounding bay and lush forest while still getting in some daily exercise. Everyone from cyclists, roller bladders, joggers and simple strollers roam and share the seawall path.

For those with small children, the park offers a number of facilities that kids will enjoy. The children's playground, Children's Farmyard, Water Park and Second Beach pool are perfect for tiny tot adventures. The Miniature Train ride offers an incredible journey through tiny trestles and tunnels and the Vancouver Aquarium includes a variety of undersea creatures that will fascinate both the young and young at heart. The park also includes a number of sites for group picnics and barbecues. Bring the whole family out for a day of good food and fun!

For those new to Vancouver and the Stanley Park area, take a ride on the free Stanley Park shuttle bus (open daily during the summer) or see the park in style on a peaceful horse-drawn carriage ride. The totem pole display at Brockton Point is known to be the most visited tourist site in all of British Columbia. Totem poles have been part of the park exhibition since the 1920s and although the current totem structures are not the originals that were first installed (they were restored due to erosion over time), they still play a large role in identifying and honouring the indigenous peoples that first roamed the peninsula.

Devon O'Malley is a staff writer for Alluradirect, a vacation rental website featuring Vancouver lodging direct from owners, free from commission fees. Experience one of North America's greatest urban parks and visit Stanley Park today!

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