A Tour of Stanley Park

Stanley Park Drive circles the park, often parallel to the Seawall walking/cycling path. If you're walking or cycling, start at the foot of Alberni Street, beside Lost Lagoon. Go through the underpass and veer right, following the cycle-path markings, to the seawall.

Whichever route you travel, the old wooden structure that you pass on your right is the Vancouver Rowing Club, a private athletic club established in 1903. Ahead and to your left is a parking lot, an information booth, and a turnoff to the aquarium and Painters Circle, where artists sell their work. A Salmon Demonstration Stream near the information booth has facts about the life cycle of the fish.

Continue along past the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, and after ½ km (¼ mile) you'll reach the causeway to Deadman's Island. The totem poles, a bit farther down Stanley Park Drive and on your left, are a popular photo stop. The Nine O'Clock Gun is ahead at the water's edge, just past the sign for Hallelujah Point. Brockton Point and its small lighthouse and foghorn are to the north. Brockton Oval, where you can often catch a rugby game in winter or cricket in summer, is on your left. On the water side, watch for the Girl in a Wetsuit, a sculpture that mimics Copenhagen's Little Mermaid. A little farther along the seashore stands a replica of the dragon-shaped figurehead from the SS Empress of Japan, which plied these waters between 1891 and 1922.

Lumbermen's Arch, a log archway, is at km 3 (mile 2) of the drive. There's a picnic area, a snack bar, and a small beach. The Variety Kids Water Park, across the road, is a big draw in summer. Cyclists and walkers can turn off here for a shortcut back to the Vancouver Aquarium, the Miniature Railway, and the park entrance.

At the Lions Gate Bridge: cyclists go under the bridge, past Prospect Point; drivers go over the bridge to a viewpoint–café at the top of Prospect Point. Both routes continue to the English Bay side of the park and its beaches. Keep an eye open for the Hollow Tree. The imposing monolith offshore (not visible from the road) is Siwash Rock, the focus of a native legend. Continue to the swimming area and snack bar at Third Beach, then the heated pool at Second Beach. If you're walking or cycling, you can shortcut from here back to Lost Lagoon by taking the perpendicular path behind the pool that cuts into the park. Either footbridge ahead leads to a path along the south side of the lagoon that will take you to Alberni and Georgia streets. If you continue along the seawall from Second Beach, you'll emerge into a residential part of the West End.