Walks and Views

One of Vancouver's quiet beaches, a long sandy stretch between Jericho and Spanish Banks with tall evergreens behind it. Views reach across English Bay to West Vancouver and Bowen Island, and sunsets here are some of the best in the city. Free, with picnic tables, washrooms and seasonal lifeguards in summer.

A big waterfront park at Kits Point with views of downtown, Stanley Park and the North Shore mountains. Open fields, ponds and the seawall make it the city's favourite spot for flying kites, picnics and sunset walks. Free and open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (the museums inside the park charge admission).

A 62 hectare riverside park in southeast Calgary with the largest fenced off-leash area in the city. Paths wind along the Bow River past an island, flood plain and marshes, and you will find picnic tables and the public artwork Deux Chiens Assis. Free and open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.

A large natural park on the north bank of the Bow River in northwest Calgary, with an escarpment that shows the city's geological history. Trails lead to Waterfall Valley, Nautilus Pond and Dale Hodges Park, with river views along the way. Free and open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., with an off-leash area for dogs.

The North Shore's wild bird sanctuary: a conservation area of salt marsh, tidal mudflats, ponds and woods on Burrard Inlet with about 5 km of easy trails and more than 200 bird species, from herons and eagles to ospreys in summer. Run by the non profit Wild Bird Trust of BC, with free guided nature walks on the 2nd Saturday of each month at 10 a.m. Access is free; donations welcome.

A seaside park on Burrard Inlet near Deep Cove, an ancestral village site of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation whose name Whey-ah-Wichen means "faces the wind". About 6 km of easy waterfront and forest trails, sandy and rocky beaches, a big playground, picnic spots and a pier with views across the water. Free to visit all year, a District of North Vancouver park.

A waterfront park at the foot of 13th Street with a sandy beach, a duck pond, a playground and a skate park, and the start of the West Vancouver seawall that runs west toward Dundarave. It has some of the closest views of the Lions Gate Bridge and Stanley Park. Free, a District of West Vancouver park, lovely for a walk any time of year.

A prairie park on the southeast edge of Calgary set in Canada's largest man made wetland, with trails, viewing decks, a natural playground, a community orchard, public art and mountain views. The Environmental Education Centre, which stands on stilts over the water, is open Wednesday to Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the park is open from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Free. No dogs, and bring bug spray in summer.

A wild natural area of about 237 hectares where the Elbow River winds into the Glenmore Reservoir, forming Calgary's only river delta. Trails and the Barry Erskine Bridge lead through forest, meadows and wetlands rich in birds, beavers and deer, and connect to North and South Glenmore parks. Open daily from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Free, a City of Calgary park.

A big wetland park around Burnaby Lake, the largest lake in the heart of the city, with a flat gravel trail of about 10 km that circles the water, boardwalks and quiet side paths. It is a great place to spot herons, ducks, beavers and turtles, all year round. Free, a Metro Vancouver regional park.

Walk across the top of the Cleveland Dam for a big view of Capilano Lake and the North Shore mountains, then follow forest trails down the Capilano Canyon past the salmon hatchery. One of Metro Vancouver's oldest regional parks, open all year with picnic areas. Free to enter, a Metro Vancouver regional park (not the paid suspension bridge further down the road). Stay out of the river: water can rise quickly when the dam releases water.

A large waterfront park at the southwest tip of Richmond, a short walk from Steveston Village, with a sandy, log strewn beach, rolling lawns for picnics and kite flying, and the Kuno Garden, a Japanese style memorial garden. It is one of the best places in Richmond to watch the sunset over the Salish Sea and the Gulf Islands, and the cherry trees bloom here in April. Free, a City of Richmond park.