10 Things to Do Off the Beaten Track in Vancouver

The Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge is a lesser-known free-to-access suspension bridge that offers outstanding views of the surrounding Lynn Canyon park as well as easy access to outdoor adventure galore. After you capture photos or spend a few romantic moments enjoying the scenic surroundings, you can go swimming in the river, visit the Twin Falls, or spread a blanket out for a picnic on the other side of the bridge.

This bridge offers hiking and cycling trails rated easy to challenging. It's an ideal way to get back to nature, it doesn't cost a dime, and it's just a 22-minute drive northeast of city centre.

The Marine Building is possibly most famous as a film stand-in for some of the most iconic buildings in comics history, offering outstanding architecture and historic status. When Canada was part of the British Empire, it was in 1930 the tallest building in the Empire. That's no longer true, but it's still a spectacle to see with an intricate, terra cotta exterior with bas reliefs of zeppelins, steamships, trains, and biplanes. Inside, the building is dazzling with equally stunning wall carvings.

This building in the heart of city centre is also famed for film appearances. It has appeared as the Baxter Building in the Fantastic Four films and served as the Daily Planet in Smallville.

The Cambie Climbing Tree is a towering evergreen rising above a quiet residential area that offers a beautiful and wondrous secret hidden gem of a hangout spot for locals. The tree's location is intentionally kept secret, but it's about a 10-minute drive south of city centre Vancouver. Once just a normal, albeit tall, tree, the locals have added within its branches a tire swing, hammocks, buckets of toys, and even a bench tucked within the roots if you don't want to climb.

The branches of this tree are so close together that even novice climbers can reach the top. Be careful, though; there are no safety precautions in place, so be sure you know what you're doing when climbing.

The Quarry Rock Hike at Deep Cove is the place to go for a day hike to catch spectacular views with a variety of different environments near a quaint village. Before you start, or after you finish, grab a doughnut and coffee at a local café in Deep Cove Village, then hit the trails. It's an all-season hike that's easy enough that even children can go. It's also a dog-friendly spot, so bring Fido along and enjoy a relaxing nature walk.

The trail is about a half hour's drive to the east of city centre Vancouver. It covers about 2 and a half miles one way, so count on a few hours to hit the entire trail.

The Capilano Suspension Bridge Park offers several miles of outdoor adventures through a thick, green, evergreen forest, with a classic suspension bridge rising 230 feet above the Capilano River. The park does carry an entry fee, which goes towards the park's protection and conservation efforts. It's in North Vancouver, just a few minutes from city centre.

The bridge is famed for its appearances in several TV series ranging from MacGyver to Sliders, Psych to The Crow: Stairway to Heaven. It's even been featured in K-Pop videos. Other attractions here include Treetops Adventures and Cliffwalk, so you'll find plenty of adventures.

The Girl in Wetsuit at Stanley Park is a famed statue of a nude woman based on the Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, offering unique history and photo ops. The statue in Copenhagen has been copied many times but technically remains under the artist's copyright. This one has been changed just enough to avoid copyright. They "updated" the mermaid by giving her a stylish wetsuit, snorkel gear, and fins.

This rendered the Girl in a Wetsuit more family-friendly and portrayed her as a unique and popular landmark. Any visit to Vancouver should include a photograph of the statue to highlight your Instagram profile. She can be found just 10 minutes north of city centre.

The Vancouver Police Museum offers visitors a look at the history and archives of the local police force throughout the city's history, including the original morgue. You can see the autopsy suite used in days past and check out their collection of around 30,000 artefacts, photographs, documents, and ephemera. These include everything from historic firearms to counterfeit money. The museum is managed and operated by the Vancouver Police Historical Society.

The museum also offers youth and children's programmes where kids can learn about forensic investigation. An on-site book shop offers a collection of history and crime books written by local authors. It's a unique and interesting attraction located right in the heart of city centre Vancouver.

The Nine O'Clock Gun has stood sentinel to defend Canada for more than 100 years, a quirky piece of naval artillery that still fires every day, yes, at 9 pm. The cannon was never set up as an actual defensive installation; rather, it was intended to alert fishermen to the end of the workday. The gun is said to be so accurate that sailors set their timepieces to the blast. It has even built a collective of online followers who watch it go off on social media every day.

The gun is located on the Stanley Park Seawall. It's only about 10 minutes north of city centre and is sure to be an exciting addition to your social media.

The Gassy Jack Statue is an effigy of the Vancouver Gastown area namesake, John Deighton, and is an iconic public art installation that's a famous photo destination. Deighton gained his name because he was a barrel-chested, loud storyteller and talker. Deighton was well-traveled, having spent time in Hong Kong, England, and San Francisco. He opened a saloon in 1867 and became the patriarch of the community that built up around it. That community today is Gastown.

The statue is in the heart of Gastown and is mated to a nearby second statue that's slightly different and shorter. The original is on Water Street, just 7 minutes from city centre Vancouver.