8 Fall Foliage Hikes in Vancouver for the Best Views

Looking for things to do in Vancouver this fall? Beyond pumpkin patches, spooky experiences, and cozy cafés, some of Vancouver’s best fall activities are found on the trails, where red and golden forests open up to sweeping mountain and ocean views. So grab your rain jacket, lace up your hiking boots, and explore beneath a canopy of changing leaves and colourful fungi. Whether you’re looking for gentle fall hikes in Vancouver or full-day wilderness adventures, these hikes will get you outdoors and immersed in Vancouver's fall magic.

Easy Fall Hikes in Vancouver

Not every hike has to be an intense undertaking. Sometimes an easy fall foliage stroll is the perfect way to spend the day. Here are a couple of our favourite easy hikes to check out this fall.

Pacific Spirit Park

Trail Stats: 10-90m elevation gain / 2-10+ km / 1-3+ hrs

For a quick hit of fall colours without leaving the city, head to Pacific Spirit Regional Park on Vancouver’s west side near UBC. It’s easy to get there via several Translink bus routes, by car or rideshare.

The sprawling park has over 55 kilometres of trails to explore, so you can choose your own route using the park map. Most wind through shady evergreen forests filled with ferns and moss. But the Admiralty Trail near Spanish Banks Beach bursts into gold in the fall, a vibrant tunnel of bigleaf maples with sea and mountain glimpses through the trees. The easy hike takes about 1.5 hours.

After your hike, treat yourself on West 10th Avenue in Point Grey. The cheery Little Umbrella Cafe is a cozy place to warm up with a gooey grilled cheese on a chilly fall day.

Maplewood Flats

Trail Stats: 10 m elevation gain / 4 km / 1 hr

If you want to combine the serenity of birdwatching with the splendour of autumn colours, take an easy 1-hour loop hike at Maplewood Flats in North Vancouver. Run by the Wild Bird Trust of British Columbia, this oceanside conservation area has a network of trails perfect for autumn. They wind past tidal flats, ponds, and groves of maples and alders bursting with fall hues.

Use the self-guided tour brochure and bring binoculars to spot finches flitting through brambles, blue herons stalking in the shallows and bald eagles soaring overhead. Stop by Otter Point and Osprey Point for sweeping views of Burrard Inlet framed by autumn colour.

Cates Park, just down the road, is a dreamy picnic spot. Pick up some sandwiches and coffee from United Strangers Coffee, a community-focused cafe, then enjoy your lunch in the salty ocean air before beachcombing to spot starfish and tiny crabs.

Moderate Fall Vancouver Hikes

These are fall hikes in Vancouver to consider when you’re up for a challenge, but don’t want to go all-out. These moderate hikes range from quick one-hour workouts to half-day adventures, offering enough elevation to get your heart pumping while remaining accessible to a range of hiking abilities.

Velodrome and Pandora Trail, Burnaby Mountain

Trail Stats: 233 m elevation gain / 3.1 km / 1-2 hrs

This short but steep hike is aptly nicknamed the Burnaby Grind. It consists of over 500 stairs to the top of Burnaby Mountain. Along the way, you’ll pass through a deciduous forest that lights up in red and gold each fall. Be sure to take photos at the top, as the trees near Horizons Restaurant are spectacular in autumn. Bring the City of Burnaby’s map to stay on track.

Goldie & Flower Lake Loop via Perimeter Trail

Trail Stats: 233 m elevation gain / 5.8 km / 2-2.5 hrs

Fall in the alpine looks a little different than at sea level. Instead of leafy maples and oaks dropping leaves from far overhead, you’ll walk through waist-high thickets of blueberry bushes, their leaves glowing yellow and orange against the crisp blue sky.

For a gentle introduction to Vancouver’s mountain-top trails, try the Goldie Lake Loop in Mount Seymour Provincial Park. The 1.5-hour loop trail dips through ski runs and circles quiet little lakes edged in heather and blueberry bushes in shades of yellow and red. Every breath tastes of cold, clean alpine air.

Cap it off in Deep Cove, where the ocean sparkles and Honey’s Doughnuts serves up warm, cake-style treats that are a favourite with locals and visiting celebrities like Harry Styles and Kate Winslet.

Hollyburn Mountain

Trail Stats: 428 m elevation gain / 8.2 km / 3-4 hrs

Edging on difficult, Hollyburn Mountain is an iconic Vancouver hike that will get your blood pumping and reward you with incredible views. This hike in West Vancouver’s Cypress Provincial Park delivers a kaleidoscope of fall colours. Cross-country ski trails transform into corridors of huckleberry bushes blazing red and gold. From the top, downtown Vancouver's skyscrapers look like toys, ships drift through Burrard Inlet, and on a clear day, Vancouver Island's snowy peaks shimmer across the Strait of Georgia.

After your hike, head to the Cypress Village Pop-Up on the mountain's lower slopes. Order a wood-fired pizza at The Shed and enjoy the panoramic city views while you eat.

Challenging Fall Vancouver Hikes

Here are three of Vancouver’s most iconic hikes for seeing fall foliage in full display. Yes, they’re challenging, but you’ll be rewarded with spectacular lake views, blankets of golden meadows, snow-capped mountains, and quintessential Pacific Northwest scenery that’s well worth the wobbly legs the next day.

Elfin Lakes

Trail Stats: 808 m elevation gain / 20.8 km / 6-8 hrs

For an all-day adventure, tackle the challenging, but incredibly stunning, Elfin Lakes hike in Garibaldi Provincial Park near Squamish, about 1 hour north of Vancouver. Heads up: This autumn trail requires a free BC Parks day-use pass on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holiday Mondays between mid-June and mid-October.

Your hike starts with a climb through damp, mossy rainforest before opening onto a ridgeline where autumn paints the heather, huckleberry bushes, and meadow grasses in bold strokes of amber and crimson. Birdsong carries on the wind while glacier-capped Mount Garibaldi (Nch’kay in the Squamish language) towers in the distance. The sparkling twin Elfin Lakes are a welcome rest stop and picture-perfect lunch spot before the return journey.

While you’re in Squamish, wander recently opened Sp’akw’us Feather Park for front-row views of the Stawamus Chief, rising like a granite giant beside the thundering waters of Shannon Falls. Reward yourself with a coffee and a naturally leavened doughnut from Fox & Oak.

Mount Strachan Loop

Trail Stats: 568 m elevation gain / 7.1 km / 3-4.5 hrs

The open summit of Mount Strachan in Cypress Provincial Park is an ideal vantage point for watching the alpine meadows turn in the fall. The blueberry bushes and grasses shift from green to orange to vibrant red. On the hike up, you’ll pass through gorgeous rainforest and see a historic plane crash site. Read our Mount Strachan trail guide for a full hike description.

Elk Mountain, Chilliwack

Trail Stats: 792 m elevation gain / 8.5 km / 4-5 hrs.

The hike to the top of Elk Mountain in Chilliwack is a favourite for Fraser Valley hikers. It’s a steep climb through the forest to the top of a rolling alpine ridge. From the summit, there are great views of the valley below. Carpets of summer wildflowers give way to gorgeous fall colours at this time of year.

Fall Hiking Tips

Hiking is one of the most fun and rejuvenating fall activities, but it’s important to be prepared. Ensure you have all your essential safety and first aid gear, including extra clothing, a flashlight, etc., on every hike. Leave a trip plan so someone knows where you are going and when you plan to be back. Bears are more active as they get ready for winter, so hike in a group, make noise, and carry bear spray. Read our tips for safe fall hiking in Vancouver for more advice.

From blankets of red-and-gold maple groves to crimson alpine meadows, Vancouver’s trails put on a spectacular show each fall. Don’t let a little precipitation keep you from discovering the city this fall. Layer up, hit the trails, and see why rainy season is actually Vancouver’s best-kept secret.