The waterfront
Ambleside Park and its partner Capilano River Regional Park, are among
the most sociable gathering places on the North Shore. Visitors come
to stretch their legs and exercise their dogs while taking in the
view of others doing the same across First Narrows on the Stanley
Park Seawall. Although most of the leisure activity takes place close
to the Capilano River’s confluence with the ocean, Capilano River
Regional Park’s hiking trail runs 5 miles (8 km) north from Ambleside
Park to Capilano Lake.
Ambleside Park is easily reached from numerous entrances along
Marine Drive, including the south end of Taylor Way, the first major
intersection west of the Lions Gate Bridge. There’s usually a buzz
of marine activity offshore from Ambleside beneath the Lions Gate
Bridge. On Saturday evenings in summer this is a picture-perfect
place to watch gaily lit cruise ships power their way out of port.
When salmon are running in the Capilano River in September, you
can count on seeing dozens of small pleasure craft drift-fishing
just offshore. Upstream at such times, residents of the Capilano
Indian Reserve, on whose land Ambleside Park and the north end of
the Lions Gate Bridge are located, will also be fishing along the
riverbank. Tidal currents ripple the surface of First Narrows, but
the water at Ambleside’s sandy beach is predictably calm. Skip a
stone, toss a stick, talk to your neighbour: it’s that kind of park.
As you follow the Capilano River Trail upstream from Ambleside
Park (a short section of the trail is also signed as West Vancouver’s
Town Trail), it will lead you through a residential neighbourhood
before reaching the wilder side of the park. From this point north
there’s easy access to the boulder-filled river. For many visitors,
this sea-level section of the park provides enough exploring to
take up an entire visit. For others, there’s a long ribbon of trail
to follow as the Capilano-Pacific Trail leads along the west
side of Capilano Canyon to the Fish Hatchery and Cleveland Dam.
Allow three to four hours to complete the round trip from Ambleside
Park.
Going to the beach is a far different experience on the
North Shore than across Burrard Inlet in Vancouver (which, interestingly,
is never referred to as the South Shore). Over here it’s
rugged from tideline to skyline. Cobble beaches and rocky outcroppings
make beaches on English Bay look positively cushy by comparison.
That being said, a few soft pockets do exist in places such as Caulfeild
and Ambleside Parks in West Vancouver, and Cates Park in North Vancouver’s
Deep Cove neighbourhood. All are extremely popular with families
on weekends and yet can be almost deserted on weekdays. Cates has
a forested ambience that leads out to Roche Point, while Ambleside
and Caulfeild are open, windswept expanses. No matter which you
choose, the views of English Bay and Burrard Inlet are terrific.
Ambleside Park is located in North Vancouver, on the North Shore of Vancouver, British Columbia.