Where do we meet?
We will be meeting beside the entrance to the Second Beach swimming pool in Stanley Park, right across from the Second Beach concession stand and washrooms, next to the parking lot. The easiest way to find it is to search “Second Beach Swimming Pool” in Google Maps or Apple Maps. Stanley Park is one of the largest urban parks in the world, so it's important to plan your arrival accordingly. Simply arriving somewhere in the park doesn't mean you've reached the meeting point. I’ll be standing right near the exit to the pool (the entrance and exit are beside each other but I wait near the exit side to not get in the way of people trying to get to the pool).
How do I get to
Second Beach swimming pool?
TAXI, UBER, Lyft​​
If you’re using Uber, taxi, or Lyft, enter “8501 Stanley Park Dr” instead of “Second Beach” as the destination to avoid being routed around the park, since entering Second Beach directly sends you on a much longer much more expensive drive around the whole park. It’s a bit of a scam Uber does to make the ride cost more money, but entering 8501 Stanley Park Dr gives you the proper very short distance.
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Driving
If you are driving, enter Stanley Park via Barclay Street, Robson Street, or Beach Avenue. Avoid the Georgia Street entrance, as it leads into a one way loop around the park that can add significant extra time. From Barclay Street, continue along Stanley Park Drive beside the golf course, then take the left turn towards the large swimming pool and parking lot. If you miss the left turn and accidentally go right, you can still park along the road and walk back toward the ocean to reach the pool.
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​​​​​​​​​​​Walking
If you are walking, the easiest route is from English Bay Beach along the seawall by the ocean until you reach Second Beach. It is about a 10 to 15 minute walk from English Bay Beach. English Bay Beach is easy to bus to. Please don’t bus to the offical Stanley Park Bus Loop, it’s in a completely different section of the park. From the Stanley Park Bus loop it is a much longer 25 to 30 minute walk through the park, so it’s better to bus to English Bay instead.
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How long is the tour?
The walking tour is around 3 hours long. The time is a little flexible because sometimes people want to spend more time at certain trees and the walking speed of groups varies.
What should I wear?
This is a walking tour through a forest without paved paths, so please wear appropriate footwear for a nature walk through dirt and gravel trails. It rains A LOT in Vancouver, so please check the forecast and prepare for rain. Even if the skies look a little grey the weather can change quickly. This is especially true for fall, winter, and spring months.
What if its raining?
The tours are rain or shine! So if its raining wear a raincoat and water resistant pants or rain pants. There are no cancelations or refunds for poor weather.
What is the cancellation Policy?
You can cancel your tour 24 hours before the start time you booked.
What should I bring?
Dress appropriately for the weather, and wear proper footwear for unpaved nature trails. Bring water and snacks if you need a bit of fuel while we walk around for an hour and a half. We start the tour at a concession stand so you can stock up on whatever your heart desires as far as drinks and food before or after the tour.
Are there washroom breaks
on the tour?
We start and end the tour at an area that has public washrooms. While on the walking tour there will be no washrooms on the trails within the park.