Hikers flock to Vancouver’s Grouse Grind trail over opening weekend

One of Vancouver’s most popular hiking spots opened Saturday, and hikers new and old are getting outside to tackle the trail.

The Grouse Grind, located at Grouse Mountain Regional Park in North Vancouver, is a roughly 2.5-kilometre hike that sees people gain 800 metres of elevation as they make their way to the top.

Paul Brar, the west area division manager of regional parks for Metro Vancouver, says on sunny days more than 4,000 people often show up.

One of Vancouver’s most popular hiking spots opened Saturday, and hikers new and old are getting outside to tackle the trail. (Angela Bower, CityNews Image)

Mother Nature’s StairMaster, as the trial is also known, isn’t an easy hike and outdoor enthusiasts can only walk up the trail.

It “is a strenuous trail because of how steep it is,” Brar said. “It’s one way, so we advise hikers to plan their trip accordingly. They can purchase their ticket with the Grouse Mountain Skyride.”

But one group of students from Ireland say they’ve been preparing for the Grind.

“We have been hitting the gym and the StairMaster so we will be alright,” one person told CityNews.

One of Vancouver’s most popular hiking spots opened Saturday, and hikers new and old are getting outside to tackle the trail. (Angela Bower, CityNews Image)

Apart from being a top-notch workout, the Grind is also one of B.C.’s top trails that saw the most search and rescue calls in 2022.

“We patrol the Grouse Grind every night because people wander off the trail and need rescuing because they don’t bring water or food and things like that,” Jim Loree, the search manager with the North Shore Rescue Society said.

“Sometimes it is first timers, people who have never done it — a tourist from out of town who just decides they are going to do it, and varying levels of footwear [like] people wearing flip flops.”

Related articles: 

• 2 North Vancouver hiking trails rank among top 10 to get search and rescue calls: BCSARA

• Grouse Grind opens for the year, rescue teams offer advice

• Grouse Mountain grizzly bears wake up from hibernation

For those looking to hit the trail, the BC Search and Rescue Association says its important to be prepared. It encourages hikers to bring essentials like water and food, and to make sure you have a map or navigation tool.

The trail is scheduled to be open seasonally until October.

With files from James Paracy and Shawn Ayers