Stanley Park

Stanley Park is a large urban park on a peninsula adjacent to downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, covering roughly 405 hectares and established in 1888. It is a major recreational and cultural green space for the city.

The park features a roughly 9 kilometre Seawall used for cycling and walking, shoreline viewpoints, beaches and forested trails. Cultural highlights include the carved totem poles at Brockton Point and institutions such as the Vancouver Aquarium.

Set aside as a public park in the late 19th century and named after Lord Stanley, the site has long been used by local Indigenous peoples and later developed with recreational facilities, landscaped drives and formal attractions. Over time the park has been adapted to balance urban recreation with conservation of natural stands of coastal forest.

Occupying a prominent peninsula beside downtown Vancouver, the park is bounded by Burrard Inlet and English Bay and is a short walk or cycle from the city centre.

• Size and founding: Covers about 405 hectares and was established as a public park in 1888, making it one of Vancouver's largest urban green spaces.
• Seawall length: The outer Seawall is approximately 9 kilometres long and provides a flat, continuous route for cyclists and walkers with harbour views.
• Best time to visit: Early morning and late afternoon offer the best light for city and water views from the park; the totem poles at Brockton Point are busiest midday.

What to See #

• Seawall: A continuous paved and mixed-surface path that runs roughly 9 kilometres around the park perimeter and is used for walking, running and cycling.
• Brockton Point Totem Poles: A collection of carved First Nations poles displayed at Brockton Point that are among the city's most visited cultural exhibits.
• Vancouver Aquarium: A public aquarium located inside the park offering marine and freshwater exhibits and daily shows, operated independently of city parks.
• Lost Lagoon: A freshwater lagoon on the park's inner edge formed by historic tidal and creek channels, popular for birdwatching and short walks.