These hikes are definitely not ordinary. They visit abandoned places, take in a bit of history, let you see some wildlife and visit some enormous trees. I can guarantee you that each of them has an interesting destination.

If you’re sick of the same old hikes you’ve seen on social media, try one of these off-the-beaten-path hikes near Vancouver instead.

This is a sensitive wilderness area. Learn how to Leave No Trace to keep the wilderness wild. Make sure you are prepared by bringing the 10 Essentials. Get ready for adventure with this checklist of things to do before every hike.

Explore World War II Military Gun Emplacements

Did you know that during World War II the Canadian military prepared to defend Vancouver from Japanese submarines? Thankfully the subs never showed up. There’s still some interesting left-over war infrastructure out at UBC.

Take trails 3 or 4 down to Tower Beach to see two abandoned search light towers, now heavily covered in graffiti. Or walk the trails behind the Museum of Anthropology to see the remains of some gun emplacements, complete with locked doors to underground bunkers.

Bring a copy of the Pacific Spirit Park map so you can make a 2.5km loop to see both the towers and the gun emplacements. You can find more info about the military history of the area on Scout Vancouver. I’ve got more info about this hike in my guide to coastal hiking in Vancouver.

Walk Amongst Migrating Birds

The Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta has nearly 5km of trails that pass by numerous ponds and wetlands. If you visit in the spring or fall you can see many different types of migrating birds including the huge (and slightly intimidating Sandhill Cranes).

You can also climb up the viewing tower or hide in one of the bird blinds to get an alternative perspective.

It costs $5 to visit the sanctuary and they also sell bird seed if you want to feed the ducks. Since it can get crowded, you need to book a time slot in advance on the Reifel Bird Sanctuary website.

The quiet roads on Westham Island leading up to the sanctuary also make a great bike ride. See my recommended bike route.

Visit a Thousand Year Old Fir Tree

Did you know that just a few hundred meters above the fancy houses in West Vancouver’s British Properties neighbourhood there’s an absolutely huge tree? The Hollyburn Fir is over 10 meters around, measures 44 meters tall and is estimated to be about 1000 years old!

You can find it at the intersection of the Brewis and Crossover Trails on Lower Hollyburn. If you only want to see the fir it’s just over a kilometre from the Millstream Road trailhead via the Millstream and Brewis trails.

But a way better idea is to follow the route for West Vancouver’s Lawson Creek Heritage Walk that passes by a number of historic sites. It’s one of my picks for the best winter hikes in Vancouver that are usually snow-free all year.

Hike Amongst the Cutest Cabins

Up near the cross country ski area at Cypress Mountain there are nearly 100 private cabins nestled in the forest. These off-the-grid cabins have no running water or electricity and have to be accessed on foot. Most were built in the 1920s and 1930s.

You can read more about the cabins (and see some awesome historical photos) on the Hollyburn Heritage website.

To find the cabins, park at the cross country ski area, then take the Hollyburn trail to the Hollyburn Lodge. Turn right onto any of the trails leading downhill from the lodge and you’ll soon spot lots of cabins.

There are tons of trails in the area and it’s easy to get turned around so make sure you bring a map or GPS. The Cypress Provincial Park map has some of the trails but it’s much easier to navigate with a GPS. I use the Gaia GPS app for my phone.

Note: All of these cabins are private property so please stay on the trails and respect the cabin owner’s privacy.

Visit a Cold War Plane Crash

If you’ve ever skied at Cypress Mountain, you might know that there’s a run called T-33. But did you know it’s named after the Royal Canadian Navy T-33 jet that crashed there during a training run in 1963?

It was the height of the Cold War so until the plane was found, there was a lot of speculation about whether the Russians were involved. (Spoiler: they weren’t.)

Remains of the jet are still on the mountain, along with a plaque commemorating the two crew members who perished. 

If you just want to visit the crash site you can do it as part of a hike up Mount Strachan. Vancouver Trails has a good route description for a loop hike that takes in some of the lesser travelled trails in the area and passes by the crash.

Poop in Vancouver’s Most Beautiful Outhouse

There are a lot of outhouses on the trails around Vancouver, and most of them are… not awesome. However, the outhouse at West Vancouver’s Whyte Lake is actually quite beautiful. Constructed out of sturdy cedar, it has a metal roof and even a small window to let in natural light.

The best part is the dutch door that lets you close the bottom half while leaving the top half open to enjoy the view of the surrounding forest. The outhouse usually not stocked, so BYO toilet paper.

It’s a short 5km round trip hike to Whyte Lake. You can find directions on Vancouver Trails.

Crawl Through a Hidden Tunnel

History is all over the place on the North Shore. One such relic of the past is a short, cramped tunnel alongside the Fisherman’s Trail.

Apparently there used to be a water pipe along this trail and instead of going around a rocky headland, they decided to blast right through it. Today the pipe is gone but a wet and muddy tunnel still goes through the rocks. The tunnel is about 20 meters long and you’ll have to crouch to go through it.

To find it, park in the main lot at the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve and take the Twin Bridges trail downhill to the site of the former bridge. Turn left and follow the Fisherman’s trail up river for a few hundred meters. Look for the entrance to the tunnel on your left about 2.5km after the parking lot.

Either retrace your steps back to your car or continue following the Fisherman’s Trail to the Homestead Trail to make a loop. Other routes are possible too – make your own using the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve Trail Map.

Walk Through an Ancient Cedar

I don’t mean walk among ancient cedars… I actually do mean walk through one. Like, right through the middle. There’s an old, dead cedar snag in North Vancouver’s Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve that has been incorporated into a mountain bike trail… by routing the trail right through the hollow centre of the tree.

To find the tree, head for the northwestern loop on the Circuit 8 mountain bike trail. Keep in mind that this is a mountain bike primary trail so watch closely for bikers and be prepared to step off the trail to let them pass. Bring a copy of the LSCR map to help you find your way.

Explore A Graffiti-Covered Train Wreck

In the 1950s several train cars tumbled off the tracks just outside Whistler. They lay forgotten it the forest for years before Whistler locals found them and built a trail to the area. Today you can take an easy hike to see the seven abandoned boxcars, which serve as an informal gallery space for local graffiti artists.

While the train cars are the highlight of the hike, the views of the Cheakamus River canyon and the new suspension bridge you get to walk over are reason enough to visit.

Get directions for this short hike in my Whistler Train Wreck Trail hiking guide. (This trail is also on my list of the best hikes in Whistler and best places to snowshoe in Whistler.)

Visit a Ghost Town

Did you know there is a ghost town near Whistler? On the northern shore of Green Lake lies Parkhurst, a logging town that was abandoned in the 1960s. The town once had a few dozen residents, a mill, a store and a school, but very few buildings are still standing today.

You can still find tons of “historical garbage”, house ruins and abandoned cars around the site, with the forest growing up all around them.

The hike to Parkhurst is a a 6km loop. Check out my complete guide to hiking to Parkhurst Ghost Town for directions. (This is another gem that made my list of the best hikes in Whistler.)

Hike a Trail Covered in Teapots

Yes you read that right… teapots. The hike up to the top of Teapot Hill near Chilliwack is a popular one with locals. It’s a short 5km hike to the top of a hill where there is a view of Cultus Lake.

Over the years hikers have left actual teapots along the trail so try to see how many you can spot as you hike. (I’ve heard there can be as many as 80!)

The number of teapots varies since the park rangers clean them up periodically: the broken pots are a hazard to people and pets.

As well, many people prefer to see the wilderness in its natural state, rather than have it altered with teapots.  Leaving teapots or other objects in the forest is not in line with Leave No Trace principles so please don’t add your own teapots.

You can find more info about this hike on the Cultus Lake Provincial Park website.

Hike Through Abandoned Train Tunnels

Heads up: This trail was heavily damaged in the November 2021 floods and is currently closed with no expected opening date.

The Othello Tunnels near Hope were an engineering marvel when they first opened to railway traffic in 1914. And even though they aren’t used for trains anymore, they’re still pretty damn cool.

The tunnels are part of the old Kettle Valley Railway. In order to pass through the twisty canyon of the Coquihalla River, five tunnels and two bridges were built to keep the train heading straight.

Today you can walk right through since they are part of Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park. It’s a 3.5km round trip hike to hike through the tunnels and back again. The flat railway grade makes for an easy hike, but you might want flashlights for the tunnel portions.

And heads up (literally): the tunnels are closed in the winter to protect hikers from falling rock and ice. Check out the provincial park website before you go to make sure it’s open.

Check Out an Abandoned Train Trestle

You might have heard about the abandoned train tunnels at Othello Tunnels, but did you know that further up the Coquihalla Canyon you can find another relic of the old Kettle Valley Railway? It’s called the Ladner Creek Trestle and it’s a huge steel train bridge that curves high above the river canyon.

The wooden decking is all rotted out, so it’s not safe to walk on, but there is a great viewpoint nearby. This 2km hike is short but challenging since it has some steep and unstable sections. For details check out Outdoor Vancouver.

Peer Into a Mine Shaft

Heads up: The bridge at the beginning of this trail is currently washed out thanks to the November 2021 floods and the trail is currently inaccessible at times of high water. In late summer, it is an easy ford.

You can find evidence of old mines in many places around BC. One of the more accessible sites is on the Skagit River Trail in Manning Provincial Park. This flat trail follows the Skagit River downstream for 16km but you only have to hike 1.5km to find the site of a small abandoned mine from the 1960s.

On the short side trail to the mine you’ll pass the remains of the miner’s camp: a flattened cabin (it collapsed under snow in the winter of 2008), and an old 1940s truck that is still in remarkably good shape.

You can peer into the boarded up mine shaft next to a waterfall, but please don’t go inside as it isn’t safe. The shaft is unsupported and could collapse at any time. For directions, see the Manning Provincial Park website.

Watch for Wildfires from a Historical Fire Lookout

Back in the days before airplanes and cell service were everywhere, the best way to watch out for wildfires was to station a guy in a tower on top of a mountain all summer and have him look for smoke.

There are still old fire lookouts around BC, but the closest one to Vancouver is on the top of Windy Joe Mountain in Manning Provincial Park. The Windy Joe lookout hasn’t been staffed since 1965 but it’s still in great shape thanks to BC Parks. 

It’s a 16km round trip hike with 800m of elevation gain, but the view from the top is worth the hike. You can climb up into the loft of the fire lookout and get a 360 degree view of the surrounding area. You can get more info about the trail on the Manning Provincial Park website.

So there’s my favourite weird yet wonderful and unusual hikes near Vancouver. Are there any off the beaten path hikes or hidden gems that I missed? Tell me about them in the comments.

More Vancouver Area Hikes:

• 35 Vancouver Hikes You Can Get to on Transit
• Waterfalls Near Vancouver You Can Hike To
• Most Instagrammed Hikes in Vancouver
• The 10 Best Hikes in Vancouver
• The Worst Hikes in Vancouver (And Where to Hike Instead)
• 100+ Snow-Free Hikes in Vancouver: Trails You Can Hike Year Round
• Where to Go Snowshoeing in Vancouver
• The Best Hikes in Whistler: A Guide to All the Trails

The post 15 Unusual Hikes Near Vancouver appeared first on Dawn Outdoors.

The hike to get there is fairly easy walking, however, there are lots of confusing trail junctions, so I’ve put together a complete trail guide for you. I even made you a custom map! This post includes:

• How to get to the Parkhurst Ghost Town trailhead
• Custom map of the Parkhurst Ghost Town hike
• Complete hiking directions for a loop hike to Parkhurst Ghost Town
• Where to find the coolest abandoned buildings and cars at Parkhurst
• Two alternative ways to get to Parkhurst Ghost Town

Psst: Looking for a full list of Whistler activities? Check out my list of the best things to do in Whistler. It includes over 80 ideas!

This is a sensitive wilderness area. Learn how to Leave No Trace to keep the wilderness wild. Make sure you are prepared by bringing the 10 Essentials. Get ready for adventure with this checklist of things to do before every hike.

Parkhurst Ghost Town Basics

Description: The Parkhurst Ghost Town is an abandoned town on the far side of Green Lake in Whistler. It’s one of the best hikes in Whistler. You can take a short loop hike through a network of mountain bike trails to reach it. 

History: Parkhurst was a logging settlement on the shores of Green Lake. It was founded in the 1920s and was abandoned in the 1960s. The settlement had a mill, bunkhouses, and a few private homes. Up to 70 men worked at the mill each summer. If you want to learn more about Parkhurst, there is lots of information on the Whistler Museum website.

Distance: 6.5 km loop

Elevation Gain: 100 m

Difficulty: Moderate (but only due to route finding)

Time: 2-3 hours

Best time to go: The trail is usually snow-free from April to October. You will need snowshoes and good route-finding skills between December and March. (See my list of Whistler snowshoeing trails.)

Parkhurst Ghost Town Map

The hike to Parkhurst Ghost Town in Whistler can be a bit confusing as there are a lot of junctions. I couldn’t find a good map of the trails in the area, so I made one for you.

However, I also recommend that you use a GPS app like Gaia GPS, Alltrails, or Trailforks while you are on the hike. That way you can check which trail you are on as you walk. 

How to Get to the Parkhurst Ghost Town Trailhead

Driving to the Parkhurst Ghost Town Trailhead from Whistler is pretty straightforward.

Go north from Whistler on Highway 99 (Sea to Sky Highway). Just past the end of Green lake, follow signs for the Wedgemount Lake trail and turn right onto Wedge Creek Forest Service Road.

Immediately off the highway, cross a set of train tracks, then a single lane bridge over the Green River. On the other side, turn right at the fork, following signs for Whistler Paintball. The road has potholes but is 2WD accessible. Follow the road for about one kilometre. Ignore a turn off to the left to Whistler Paintball.

After the road goes under the power lines and passes two locked yellow gates on the left, pull over and park. Here is a link to Google Maps driving directions to the Parkhurst Ghost Town trailhead. 

If you don’t have a car, you can also hike to the Parkhurst Ghost Town directly from Whistler. See the alternate route description below.

Parkhurst Ghost Town Hiking Directions

From the trailhead, follow the gravel road behind the second yellow gate under the power lines. Continue on the road up the hill, ignoring another gravel road on the left.

In this section of the hike, keep an eye out for Sea to Sky Trail signs – you want to follow the Sea to Sky Trail (which is sometimes on the road). About 750m from the trailhead, cross a bridge high above Wedge Creek.

On the other side of the bridge, stay on the road as it goes around a tight hairpin turn. (Ignore the path to the right). A few minutes later, go left to follow a section of singletrack Sea to Sky Trail. It’s a pretty piece of pathway, but it soon emerges on the same gravel road.

Turn left and follow the road. In another minute, turn left again to follow another road down into a small hollow. Turn left to experience another singletrack section of the Sea to Sky Trail through a cut block. Climb up a small rise, and meet Jeff’s trail, a mountain bike trail, coming in from the left.

Continue straight to meet another gravel road near a power transmission tower on top of a rocky bluff. Turn right and walk up the hill past the bluff on the road, then down around the other side.

Go left on a long-abandoned road signed as the Parkhurst Trail. Follow this straight trail downhill through mossy forest for about 500m to a junction. Your route to the Parkhurst Ghost Town goes straight ahead. The trail to the right is the other half of the loop back to your car.

For now, go straight towards Parkhurst. Walk another minute or two, and reach another junction. This is the start of the loop through the Parkhurst Townsite. You can go either way around the loop, but I recommend going left so you can save the best sites for last.  

Hike down the trail, keeping an eye out for historical artefacts (or more accurately, old garbage). Follow faint side trails off the main trail to discover more relics hiding in the forest. But be careful where you step as rusty metal, broken glass, and hidden holes are everywhere.

The first thing you will see is an old stove and some piles of very rusty old trash. The remains of a collapsed building are also nearby. 

Continue following the trail as it curves around to the north. The CN railway line is just downhill to your left. You can follow a spur trail down to the tracks, then to the shores of Green Lake.

Use caution when crossing as this is an active rail line and trains can come past at any time. You can get a great view of some fancy houses on the other side of the lake. During Parkhurst’s heyday, there were no roads in the area and the only way to reach it was by train.

Back on the main trail, you will pass through the heart of Parkhurst. There are collapsed buildings, an abandoned truck, and lots of rusty garbage on both sides of the trail. Explore faint paths up into the forest to the right to find even more old trucks.

Keep walking on the main trail, sometimes recognizable as the old road through the town. A spur trail leads steeply downhill to the railway tracks again. There is a huge abandoned logging caterpillar on the edge of Green Lake near here, but it is best viewed from the lake. (See the canoeing directions below.)

As the main trail curves east and starts to go uphill, you will reach the only building that is still standing. The graffiti-covered cabin is in pretty bad shape, so it’s best not to go inside. 

Just past the cabin, you’ll come across the final historic relic/garbage on the trail: an abandoned car. This car is actually much newer than the rest of the garbage near here and was probably abandoned in the area after logging roads reached here in the 80s: it’s a late 70s Chevrolet Chevette. (We did some internet sleuthing based on the body shape and engine type to figure that out!)

A few minutes past the car, reach the junction at the end of the Parkhurst Townsite loop. Turn left to head back uphill the way you came. To continue on the loop back to the trailhead, turn left again on the Parkhurst North Trail.

Although you are just over 2km from the car, this trail has some rough, rocky, and steep sections so it is not quick walking. Follow the trail through the forest and up and over a few rocky bluffs. There are a few spots where you can look down at Green Lake. Look for beautiful purple Davidsons penstemon wildflowers in the rocky sections. 

The trail descends steeply from the final rock bluff, heading towards the Green River and the railway tracks. About 1.2km after the junction, the trail meets an old road. Turn right to follow the road through the forest beside the railway tracks. Look for pink coralroot growing amongst the trees.

After a few hundred meters, the road meets the railway tracks. You will need to walk along the tracks for a short section. Use caution and watch for trains. Walk alongside the main tracks. Don’t follow the spur lines that branch away to the south – see the map above. (They actually form a triangle called a wye – basically a place for trains to turn around.)

After about 400m of walking along the train tracks (and after you cross both sets of tracks that go south into the wye) rejoin the road on the right side of the tracks.  Follow the road for a few more minutes to a deteriorating bridge over Wedge Creek. Be careful when crossing. 

On the other side of the bridge, the road continues for another few minutes before veering right, passing some concrete barriers, and arriving at the trailhead and your parking spot.

Alternate Route: Hiking to Parkhurst from Whistler Village

It is also possible to hike to Parkhurst from Whistler Village. (Full disclosure, I haven’t done this version of the hike.) This hike is 10km return with 100m of elevation gain. These are mountain bike trails, so be prepared to share the path.

This hike starts at the intersection of Mons Road and Mons Court near the Riverside Camping and RV Resort in Whistler’s Spruce Grove neighbourhood. There is limited parking on the shoulder but watch for parking restrictions signs. If you don’t have a car, you can get there on the bus or walk via the Valley Trail. 

Continue straight on Mons Road as it turns to dirt. Cross over the paved dyke trail and continue on the dirt road under power lines. Turn right and cross a bridge over Fitzsimmons Creek on the Lost Lake Connector Trail.

Follow the trail up the hill to a newer road under some powerline towers. Continue on the road for a minute, then go right and head uphill on the Hydro Hill Trail when it forks.  A couple minutes later, go left onto the Green Lake Loop. 

Follow the Green Lake Loop trail for a few minutes, then turn left onto the Sea to Sky Trail. Stay on the Sea to Sky Trail for 1.3km. Reach a junction with the Green Lake Loop Trail and turn left. Walk for nearly a kilometre, then turn left onto the Parkhurst Trail. The loop trail around the Parkhurst site is a few minutes away.

Canoeing to Parkhurst 

You can also paddle to Parkhurst. Launch your canoe or SUP at Green Lake Boat Launch in the Emerald Estates neighbourhood. Or launch at Alta Lake, then paddle the River of Golden Dreams to Green Lake.

From the boat launch, head straight across the lake, keeping to the left of the peninsulas where the lake narrows. There is a small wooden dock a little ways down the shoreline to the north. Tie your canoe up here, then scramble up the rough stairs to the railway tracks.

Cross the tracks and pick up a faint trail on the other side, which climbs up a steep slope on a traversing line. Before long, the trail hooks in with the network of trails in the heart of the abandoned town. Follow the description above to make a loop around the town.

If you want to see the giant abandoned caterpillar, paddle south to the other side of the peninsula.

So that’s everything you need to know to plan a hike (or paddle) to the Parkhurst Ghost Town in Whistler. Have questions about the trail? Let me know in the comments. I’m always happy to help.

MORE Whistler and Sea to Sky Posts:

• The Best Hikes in Whistler: A Guide to All the Trails
• Visiting Whistler, BC in Summer (By a Local)
• 80+ Things to Do in Whistler (By a Local)
• Camping in Whistler, BC: The Best Campgrounds
• 40+ Cheap and Free Things To Do in Whistler
• Sea to Sky Highway Road Trip Guide: Driving from Vancouver to Whistler

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