Paseos y miradores

A flat 3.63 km seawall walk (about 4,763 steps) from Granville Island to Kitsilano Beach Park, past moored boats, Vanier Park, the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Hadden Park and the Kitsilano Showboat stage. Views open onto the North Shore mountains, Stanley Park and English Bay. The shared paths mix compact gravel and pavement and are wheelchair accessible; it is free.

A wheelchair accessible 2.1 km walk (about 2,755 steps) on pavement and boardwalks, starting in the southwest corner of Hastings Park near Renfrew Street. It passes Il Giardino Italiano, the Momiji Garden, the Chief Dan George Welcome Pole and the Sanctuary, where a stream hidden in a culvert for over 50 years was brought back to the surface. Ducks, geese and other birds are common, with 106 species reported; it is free.

A 2.37 km loop (about 3,110 steps and 35 minutes) through Vancouver's fifth largest park, starting from the parking lot on the east side of Kerr Street. You pass Avalon Pond, Kingscross Creek and Manfred's Meadow, three art installations, and spots where you can see or hear the Fraser River. The gravel paths are wheelchair accessible, while the bark mulch trails can be uneven; it is free.

A free self guided stroll through Vancouver's oldest neighbourhood. Start at the Steam Clock, which whistles every quarter hour, see Waterfront Station built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1914 and the Angel of Victory statue outside it, then continue to Maple Tree Square and Gaoler's Mews, the site of the city's first jail.

Walk the promenade around Canada Place to watch cruise ships and floatplanes, with views of Stanley Park and the North Shore mountains. The Canadian Trail along the building is free to walk and no ticket is needed.

A woodland of almost 40 hectares with 4.4 km of trails and interpretive panels, plus pollinator and educational gardens and a dog park. Snowshoeing is welcome in winter. Open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., with free parking; dogs must stay on a leash.

Two steep sided ravines linked by a public trail in the middle of a suburb, with a boardwalk at the west end over a seasonal stream and wetland. Wooded north slopes and grassy south slopes attract chickadees, magpies, waxwings and owls. Free, open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.

A 35.5 hectare ravine park with hiking trails, pathways, a playground, fitness equipment, a gazebo, picnic tables, tennis and basketball, reached from the parking lot on the east side of Edgebrook Boulevard N.W. A naturalized marsh is home to birds, and deer and coyotes live in the ravines. Free, open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.

A 135 hectare park by the Bow River, partly on former gravel workings, with two ponds, a lake and a lagoon, pathways, trails, benches and picnic tables. It is popular for fishing, bird watching and non motorized boats; dogs must be on leash and swimming is not allowed. Free, open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., with washrooms open all year.

A 190 hectare natural park in a classic prairie coulee, with hiking trails, sandstone outcrops, a self guided walking tour and two off leash areas, north and south of Tuscany Boulevard. A stone tipi ring about 2,000 years old was found here, and the name recalls a mail drop about 12 miles from the old post office on the stagecoach route to Cochrane. Free, open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.

A riverside promenade in East Village, opened in 2012, that runs along the Bow River from Centre Street to The Confluence, then along the Elbow River to 9th Avenue S.E. It is a year round multiuse path for walks, bike rides and commuting, with the Wheel of Women plaza and a portrait series by Alex Kwong along the way. Free.

An 18 hectare natural park on a hill overlooking the Bow River where it meets Nose Creek, with hiking trails, an off leash area and an interpretive exhibit with a view of the city skyline. It protects a small patch of rough fescue grassland, and the name comes from a big Tom Campbell's Hats sign that once stood here. Free, open 5 a.m. to 11 p.m.