Capilano Suspension Bridge

Undoubtedly the most famous and advertised tourist attraction in North Vancouver is Capilano Suspension Bridge, and it is a fantastic afternoon out, so long as you’re not deathly afraid of heights– and even if you are it’s an enjoyable personal challenge.  A delicate and faintly swaying plank bridge stretches across a steep ravine, with a rocky, swift-currented river at the bottom.  As entertaining as crossing it yourself is watching other people cross it: some trying to pretend it’s just a normal walk in the park, others clinging to the sides and mincing across, and always, a few children or teenagers who run immediately to the middle and start jumping, further terrifying those with no head for heights.  But don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe.

In the rest of the park you can observe First Nations performers or singers dressed in Victorian costume (Capilano Suspension Bridge opened in 1889), buy fudge or maple syrup and see examples of the famous West Coast totem poles.  On the other side of the bridge, smaller suspension bridges have been swung through the cedars, and you can walk at branch level with the trees, observing the North Vancouver rainforest from a slightly different perspective.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Strung with Christmas Lights

Rates are expensive ($29.95 for adults) and there are other, less commercialized alternatives to Capilano suspension bridge, but one time of year at least it is absolutely worth going: at Christmas, when the trees and the bridge are strung with lights, the totem poles loom impressively, and the water thunders almost-invisible in the darkness of the canyon.

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