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Lighthouse Park & Point Atkinson – Canadian History & Spectacular Views

Enjoy a delightful kids-friendly hike through Lighthouse Park, stop by a historic Point Atkinson landmark & breathe in spectacular ocean scenery at the heart of West Vancouver, BC.

Are you an outdoor enthusiast who is also curious about some history? Point Atkinson Lighthouse Trail within the famous West Vancouver's Lighthouse Park may be just the perfect spot for you to check out! Beautiful kids-friendly half-day hike across a rocky peninsula offers spectacular ocean views of Burrard Inlet. We've visited Lighthouse Park a few times, and will definitely keep coming back for more!

The park is open and is much enjoyable all year round. Depending on the weather and the season you may find heavy traffic here as the park is a popular tourist attraction, and its Point Atkinson Lighthouse is a National Historic Site of Canada.

***All recommendations and feedback are ours and based on personal experience. Please refer to our Disclosure Policy.

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Directions

GPS / Google Maps anchor point: Lighthouse Park, West Vancouver @ 4902 Beacon Ln, West Vancouver, BC V7W 1K5

If you are heading to Lighthouse Park from Coquitlam Centre, it will take you about an hour to get here.

The parking lot is extremely small. When visiting Lighthouse Park on the weekend, try to get in as early as possible – plan to be there by 10am, or after 4pm, otherwise, you risk not finding a spot to park. The nearby residential area doesn't have many parking options either.

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Lighthouse Park – Point Atkinson Trail – Quick Facts

There is a bio-washroom a short distance from the parking lot along the main Lighthouse trail. In addition, there is are few small houses next to the Point Atkinson Lighthouse itself, where you can find a proper washroom with running water. Otherwise, there are no more facilities once you head over to the rocky shores and inside trails.

To help our active parents who can't seem to figure out how to get their kids to enjoy hiking, we have prepared this post: Five Tried-And-True Outdoor Activities To Get Kids to Absolutely Love Hiking – find many creative ideas, kids outdoor activities, treasure hunts, and nature experiments within!

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The Lighthouse Trail

There are many little trails crisscrossing the park. Easy to get a bit lost. The good news, however – the Lighthouse Park is not that big, so eventually, you could find your way out or meet someone on the trail who can help you with directions.

We've used AllTrails app to navigate – they have most of the little trails mapped out and make it very easy.

If you are interested in checking out the Point Atkinson Lighthouse itself – the easiest trail to take is Beacon Lane trail which starts right at the parking lot.

The Beacon Lane trail is stroller-friendly: it is well-maintained and clear of typical wilderness debris. This part of the trail was a super-easy one for our 3yo Cosmos, as it was short and sweet with minimum elevation. Beacon Lane will lead you to the famous Point Atkinson Lighthouse – National Historic Site of Canada. Most of the time gates are locked so you won't be able to get super-near Point Atkinson lighthouse building itself. You can, however, enjoy the spectacular view of Burrard Inlet from the rocks on top of the Lighthouse.

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Once you pass the Lighthouse, the stroller-accessible part of the trail is over, and your stroller won't go any further. A good baby carrier is a much better option if you'd like to do the full loop, that is if your toddler can't walk by her/himself.

We do not recommend the Lighthouse Trail full loop to someone with mobility challenges, as at times you'd need to climb over few stony flights of rocks here and there. Depending on the weather and the trail conditions, it could be difficult – the rocks become extremely slippery when wet, and some trail sections become quite muddy.

There are few of those rocky shoreline openings, which offer spectacular views of the Burrard Inlet from different angles. Don't miss a chance to take some stunning photos!

Our family spent about 3 hours at Lighthouse Park. We've done the full Lighthouse Trail loop and enjoyed a nice little picnic “with the view” at one of the shoreline large boulder rocks.

We've seen fishermen enjoying the serene fishing experience. Few kayakers were trying to park – but it provided quite difficult as the shoreline is quite steep and is affected by tides.

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Stay Safe While Hiking Lighthouse Trail Ocean Shores

Once you get to the rocky shoreline, be careful as the rocks are extremely slippery when wet. To make matters worse there are sharp shells stuck to the rocks, you can seriously injure yourself if step on those barefoot. Make sure to wear non-slip shoes or special water-shoes to climb around.

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Prepare For Your Visit to Lighthouse Park

When hiking with kids, safety should be at the top of your priority list. Check out our recent post on Hiking With Kids: 12 Simple Safety Rules Every Parent Should Follow

On a sunny day do not forget to use sunscreen. As always, due to the extreme fragility of our local environment, please opt-in to use only non-toxic, non-spray, natural sunscreen solutions. Check out our recent report on baby-friendly natural sunscreens available in Canada/USA.

Leave No Trace principles and Outdoor Ethics refresher: Leave No Trace & Outdoor Ethics – Zero Impact Family Adventures

Caution: We've seen few notices of poison ivy along the main trail – be mindful when entering smaller bushy pathways.

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More Easy Hiking Trails Near Vancouver!

Did you know this Lighthouse and Point Atkinson hiking trail is accessible all year round? It has recently made our list of Top 22 Gorgeous & Easy Winter Hikes Near Vancouver To Absolutely Enjoy!

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Fun Family Outdoor Learning

Want to have even more family fun outdoors when visiting Lighthouse Park? Check out our PerfectDayToPlay FREE printable Scavenger Hunt sheets! These fantastic outdoor treasure hunt printable sheets are available for free download!

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Are you an outdoor enthusiast who is curious about historic landmarks? Or maybe you know of other cool lighthouses in or near Vancouver? Please share it with us! We'd love to check them out!

More Beautiful Britsh Columbia to check out next:

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Enjoy your visit!

Cheerfully yours,

Alexandra, Alex & Cosmos

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Share your pictures on social media! tag #PerfectDayToPlayHike to be featured on our Instagram!

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