Paseos y miradores

A 6.5 acre linear park along the Imperial Landing boardwalk that links Britannia Shipyards to Steveston Village. It has piers, benches, interpretive signs about the former BC Packers fish plant, and the Japanese Canadian Fishermen's Memorial sculpture Wind (2002) by Junichiro Iwase. It is free to visit.

An 8 acre linear park on the Fraser River, opened in 2001, with backwater tidal channels and native riparian woodland that support salmon, birds and other wildlife. A 1 km walk with bridges, benches and viewpoints lets you watch tugboats and marine birds on the river. Free to visit.

A 5 km walk (about 6,561 steps) from the trailhead at the Fraser River, with parking on Carrington Street just before the bridge to Deering Island. The route passes an ancient Musqueam village and burial site at least 4,000 years old, contemporary Musqueam art, Deering Island Park and Musqueam Cutthroat Creek. Paths are dirt, gravel and concrete, shared with horses and muddy after rain, and the Bridal Path is often not suitable for wheelchairs; it is free.

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.