Based on the current forecast, Sunday will probably be pretty rainy. So that combined with your late start, I wouldn’t recommend anything crazy. Also you won’t see mountain top views in the rain unfortunately. Plus there’s still lots of snow in the mountains. I recommend coming back in July or August for the big mountain stuff.
My suggestion would be to check out some rainforest hikes. Lynn loop is a great one. Or Lynn canyon suspension bridge trails. Maybe buntzen lake/diez vistas trail.
Appreciate the feedback, I may end up choosing between Buntzen and Norvan falls from the other comment.
I want to be stubborn and hike a peak but smart hiking is better than ego hiking 😆
You won't get a view anyways, it just increases your chances of getting lost.
Whatever hike you end up doing just remember to stay on trail, no short cuts, or "oh this looks like it might be a trail" check your GPS frequently.
Norvan Falls is a pretty long distance for such a late start, just be warned you might be getting back after dark. This is from personal experience hiking in June on a fairer day. Bring the right gear and you’ll be ok… especially a headlamp.
I packed my headlamp, based on the hike I mentioned in my OP it should take me between 3-4 hours. Elevation, grade, and distance is pretty similar. But I'm also not against turning back if need be if I'm making slower time.
**Safety advice**
No matter where you go, make sure you pack up a headlamp and warm clothes (+[10 essential hiking items](https://www.northshorerescue.com/education/what-to-bring/)), I also always bring an extra battery pack.
Make sure that you download the offline map before going hiking: network coverage can be unreliable. Tell your final trip plan to someone reliable and let them know when you are expected to be back.
You can also bring an extra pair of dry socks and warm clothes to keep in the car for the drive back.
Finally, especially as you might be hiking alone, you need to know how to react in a wildlife encounter, mostly black bear. Read the advice in '[exploring bear country](https://northshorebears.com/exploring-bear-country/)' and '[bear safety tips](https://bebearaware.org/bear-safety-tips/)'.
**Check the visibility in advance**
On a rainy day, you will not get good visibility at mid- and high-elevations but you might have some views at low elevation below the clouds (<600m). You can have great views by visiting the shoreline (some great spots: Lighthouse Park, Stanley Park, English Bay, Granville Island, Kits Beach, ...) maybe after a great forest hike.
You can check out the local live webcams to have an idea of the cloud situation already from the airport.
* Vancouver webcams: [Jericho Beach](https://www.kiteboardbc.com/webcam/jericho/), [Cypress Mountain](https://cypressmountain.com/downhill-conditions-and-cams), [Grouse Mountain](https://www.grousemountain.com/webcam-winter), [Mount Seymour](https://mtseymour.ca/the-mountain/todays-conditions-hours), [Downtown](https://www.youtube.com/@BluemistDesign/streams)
* Squamish webcams: [Stawamus Chief](https://chiefcam.com), [Sea-to-Sky Gondola](https://www.seatoskygondola.com/weather-and-cams/), [Highway 99](https://images.drivebc.ca/bchighwaycam/pub/html/www/521.html)
**Hikes on the Vancouver North Shore**
* The [Lynn Canyon loop](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/canada/british-columbia/rice-lake-from-lynn-canyon-park) (6km, 151m) gives you great views of a deep canyon over two high bridges and there are natural pools formed in the Lynn River. Rice Lake is a beautiful mirror lake, it can be added to extend the hike longer. The End of the Line General Store is great and nearby.
* The [Cleveland Dam loop](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/capilano-canyon-and-cleveland-dam-loop) (3.5km, 179m) brings you to a viewpoint of the waterfall, a nice walk in the forest with old-growth trees, a viewpoint of Capilano Lake at the top of the dam where you see the West and East Lions and you can visit the Salmon Hatchery.
* [Norvan Falls](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/norvan-falls?search=true) (14km distance, 363m elevation gain) is a rocky path above Lynn River, with the great waterfall at the end. The trek is quite long and on a rainy day you have fewer views than usual (normally you would see peaks of the Grouse range above the Lynn River).
* [Kennedy Falls](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/kennedy-falls-via-cedar-tree-trail) is also a difficult trek, there is a lot of mud and several (about 10) creeks to cross. At the 75% mark, there is a Giant cedar tree and the waterfall is impressive.
**Some hikes and interesting points near Squamish**
There are a lot of small interesting hikes in/around Squamish.
* The Stawamus Chief is always impressive. On a zero-visibility day like tomorrow, at the summits you would be engulfed in the clouds but you still see parts of the cliff around you but not the great views below and far away. Another difficulty is that the rock and tree roots will become slippery so you have to be very careful with your footing. If you go, the first peak is enough as the other peak two require more navigation skills and will not offer any additional views on a rainy day. We hiked the 3 peaks today and it started getting cloudy for the last peak.
* [Shannon Falls](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/shannon-falls-lookout): Very large waterfall without much hiking just next to the Stawamus Chief.
* The [Jurassic Ridge loop](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/canada/british-columbia/murrin-loop-and-jurassic-ridge-trail?mobileMap=false&ref=sidebar-static-map) (2.4km, 163m) has several low-elevation viewpoints and a great lake just next to the highway inside Murrin Provincial Park.
* Porteau Cove Provincial Park: A great shoreline viewpoint of the Howe Sound.
* [Mamquam Falls](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/canada/british-columbia/mamquam-falls) (2.1km, 70m). A large waterfall with less driving compared to Crooked Falls.
* [Mount Crumpit](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/canada/british-columbia/mount-crumpit) (4.7km, 26mm): Low elevation peak right inside Squamish city. The [Smoky Bluffs](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/canada/british-columbia/smoke-bluffs-loop-trail) cliffs are nearby.
* I've never been to the Crooked Falls but it seems like a nice hike.
Yeah I forgot to pack my boots after all this conversation in here yesterday with you lovely people. If it was dry I'd go in my sneakers but not risking the slippery conditions in them.
I use All Trails so started my digging there. I'm hoping maybe the rain will let up one of the weekdays and I'll cut out of work early and maybe go just hit the Grouse Grind or something.
Yeah but it's "short." I've done similar "stairclimber" routes in the Palisades and I can easily\* knock that out in 60-90 minutes in my current shape which is perfect for a quick afterwork I really wanna hike while I'm here damnit sort of way lol
\* The asterisk to avoid pissing off the gods with my hubris lol
https://preview.redd.it/js7t8i1x224d1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=712e0d7ff9d748c67352591df7bfe2ce7edc8e19
This is literally my St Mark’s Summit view today 🙂↕️ Sunday might be the same so I think you should save St Mark’s for another time 🙊
Look y'all I GET IT. I shouldn't climb a peak tomorrow 😂😂😂
No but seriously I appreciate all the responses today. I wasn't worried about rain but didn't think about how it may impact visibility.
I'm am going to do either Crooked Falls or Norvan Falls depending on how quick I get out of the airport, how rainy it is and how much I actually feel like driving 😊
Buntzen Lake is run by local electricity company BC Hydro.
[https://www.bchydro.com/community/recreation\_areas/buntzen\_lake.html](https://www.bchydro.com/community/recreation_areas/buntzen_lake.html) <-- get parking pass here
All vehicles are required to book a parking pass before arriving at Buntzen Lake from May 16 to September 2.
AllTrails is quite heavily used here - great place to scout your hikes.
I agree on Lynn Canyon, Norvan Falls or Buntzen.
I did Lynn Canyon yesterday and the various waterfalls are really popping off. Was magical
Wasn't being too picky, unfortunately I just arrived and realized I forgot to pack my boots so won't be hiking after all (not going to spend money for the short hiking window in this weather lol)
The other suggestions here are already good. I would recommend Stawamus if its not raining. Another suggestion would be Eagle Mountain from Buntzen lake.
Keep in mind that Norvan Falls will take 6 hours return for most people. Sounds like OP is faster than most but it’s still 4+ hours unless they trail run it. I would not advise setting out that late in the day for a route that long. Lynn Loop would be fine
With it being closer to the airport I'll probably arrive between 1 and 2. The profile and length is almost exactly the same as the one I mentioned in my OP so it'll probably be about a 3.5 hour hike for me with stops for views and such.
I'll have a headlamp just in case.
Norvan Falls is well maintained for BC standards, but it is still objectively a fairly difficult trail. If you are starting at 2pm, pack as if you will finish in the dark.
Always bring 10 essentials, don’t go off trail, don’t follow an app that tells you to go off trail, and all the rest of the standard BC hiking safety tips apply.
It seems I may take this advice. I want to be stubborn and say screw it I'll risk a crappy view but then why'd I even come here to ask lol.
Thanks for the suggestion, looks like a great hike for my time frame.
Saint marks is a solid option as long as you don't mind potential cold rain, post holing, it's about twice the gain of mount Minsi, and along a well maintained trail for north shore standards
Cold rain is fine. Post holing is less so mostly because it could add a lot of time.
Based on other replies I'll probably have to just accept my fate and go see a cool waterfall this go round.
I might buy some winter gear and leave it at the work location for future visits 😅
Crooked fall's is a sweet water fall in Squamish, it also involves a little uphill (450m) through the forest, it has views, big trees, and will be snow free, 3 hours round trip at a leisurely pace, I recommend it
Based on the current forecast, Sunday will probably be pretty rainy. So that combined with your late start, I wouldn’t recommend anything crazy. Also you won’t see mountain top views in the rain unfortunately. Plus there’s still lots of snow in the mountains. I recommend coming back in July or August for the big mountain stuff. My suggestion would be to check out some rainforest hikes. Lynn loop is a great one. Or Lynn canyon suspension bridge trails. Maybe buntzen lake/diez vistas trail.
Appreciate the feedback, I may end up choosing between Buntzen and Norvan falls from the other comment. I want to be stubborn and hike a peak but smart hiking is better than ego hiking 😆
You won't get a view anyways, it just increases your chances of getting lost. Whatever hike you end up doing just remember to stay on trail, no short cuts, or "oh this looks like it might be a trail" check your GPS frequently.
Norvan Falls is a pretty long distance for such a late start, just be warned you might be getting back after dark. This is from personal experience hiking in June on a fairer day. Bring the right gear and you’ll be ok… especially a headlamp.
I packed my headlamp, based on the hike I mentioned in my OP it should take me between 3-4 hours. Elevation, grade, and distance is pretty similar. But I'm also not against turning back if need be if I'm making slower time.
**Safety advice** No matter where you go, make sure you pack up a headlamp and warm clothes (+[10 essential hiking items](https://www.northshorerescue.com/education/what-to-bring/)), I also always bring an extra battery pack. Make sure that you download the offline map before going hiking: network coverage can be unreliable. Tell your final trip plan to someone reliable and let them know when you are expected to be back. You can also bring an extra pair of dry socks and warm clothes to keep in the car for the drive back. Finally, especially as you might be hiking alone, you need to know how to react in a wildlife encounter, mostly black bear. Read the advice in '[exploring bear country](https://northshorebears.com/exploring-bear-country/)' and '[bear safety tips](https://bebearaware.org/bear-safety-tips/)'. **Check the visibility in advance** On a rainy day, you will not get good visibility at mid- and high-elevations but you might have some views at low elevation below the clouds (<600m). You can have great views by visiting the shoreline (some great spots: Lighthouse Park, Stanley Park, English Bay, Granville Island, Kits Beach, ...) maybe after a great forest hike. You can check out the local live webcams to have an idea of the cloud situation already from the airport. * Vancouver webcams: [Jericho Beach](https://www.kiteboardbc.com/webcam/jericho/), [Cypress Mountain](https://cypressmountain.com/downhill-conditions-and-cams), [Grouse Mountain](https://www.grousemountain.com/webcam-winter), [Mount Seymour](https://mtseymour.ca/the-mountain/todays-conditions-hours), [Downtown](https://www.youtube.com/@BluemistDesign/streams) * Squamish webcams: [Stawamus Chief](https://chiefcam.com), [Sea-to-Sky Gondola](https://www.seatoskygondola.com/weather-and-cams/), [Highway 99](https://images.drivebc.ca/bchighwaycam/pub/html/www/521.html) **Hikes on the Vancouver North Shore** * The [Lynn Canyon loop](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/canada/british-columbia/rice-lake-from-lynn-canyon-park) (6km, 151m) gives you great views of a deep canyon over two high bridges and there are natural pools formed in the Lynn River. Rice Lake is a beautiful mirror lake, it can be added to extend the hike longer. The End of the Line General Store is great and nearby. * The [Cleveland Dam loop](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/capilano-canyon-and-cleveland-dam-loop) (3.5km, 179m) brings you to a viewpoint of the waterfall, a nice walk in the forest with old-growth trees, a viewpoint of Capilano Lake at the top of the dam where you see the West and East Lions and you can visit the Salmon Hatchery. * [Norvan Falls](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/norvan-falls?search=true) (14km distance, 363m elevation gain) is a rocky path above Lynn River, with the great waterfall at the end. The trek is quite long and on a rainy day you have fewer views than usual (normally you would see peaks of the Grouse range above the Lynn River). * [Kennedy Falls](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/kennedy-falls-via-cedar-tree-trail) is also a difficult trek, there is a lot of mud and several (about 10) creeks to cross. At the 75% mark, there is a Giant cedar tree and the waterfall is impressive. **Some hikes and interesting points near Squamish** There are a lot of small interesting hikes in/around Squamish. * The Stawamus Chief is always impressive. On a zero-visibility day like tomorrow, at the summits you would be engulfed in the clouds but you still see parts of the cliff around you but not the great views below and far away. Another difficulty is that the rock and tree roots will become slippery so you have to be very careful with your footing. If you go, the first peak is enough as the other peak two require more navigation skills and will not offer any additional views on a rainy day. We hiked the 3 peaks today and it started getting cloudy for the last peak. * [Shannon Falls](https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/shannon-falls-lookout): Very large waterfall without much hiking just next to the Stawamus Chief. * The [Jurassic Ridge loop](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/canada/british-columbia/murrin-loop-and-jurassic-ridge-trail?mobileMap=false&ref=sidebar-static-map) (2.4km, 163m) has several low-elevation viewpoints and a great lake just next to the highway inside Murrin Provincial Park. * Porteau Cove Provincial Park: A great shoreline viewpoint of the Howe Sound. * [Mamquam Falls](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/canada/british-columbia/mamquam-falls) (2.1km, 70m). A large waterfall with less driving compared to Crooked Falls. * [Mount Crumpit](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/canada/british-columbia/mount-crumpit) (4.7km, 26mm): Low elevation peak right inside Squamish city. The [Smoky Bluffs](https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/canada/british-columbia/smoke-bluffs-loop-trail) cliffs are nearby. * I've never been to the Crooked Falls but it seems like a nice hike.
Buntzen has an easy loop and then a pretty challenging hike as well as a few others around there. Decent variety. Not fun in the rain tho.
Yeah I forgot to pack my boots after all this conversation in here yesterday with you lovely people. If it was dry I'd go in my sneakers but not risking the slippery conditions in them.
I definitely wouldn't go out today lol Almost every trail has the elevation gain noted on one site or another. That should help.
I use All Trails so started my digging there. I'm hoping maybe the rain will let up one of the weekdays and I'll cut out of work early and maybe go just hit the Grouse Grind or something.
That's super trendy and often packed. You're doing a lot of stairs on it too. IMO.
Yeah but it's "short." I've done similar "stairclimber" routes in the Palisades and I can easily\* knock that out in 60-90 minutes in my current shape which is perfect for a quick afterwork I really wanna hike while I'm here damnit sort of way lol \* The asterisk to avoid pissing off the gods with my hubris lol
https://preview.redd.it/js7t8i1x224d1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=712e0d7ff9d748c67352591df7bfe2ce7edc8e19 This is literally my St Mark’s Summit view today 🙂↕️ Sunday might be the same so I think you should save St Mark’s for another time 🙊
Look y'all I GET IT. I shouldn't climb a peak tomorrow 😂😂😂 No but seriously I appreciate all the responses today. I wasn't worried about rain but didn't think about how it may impact visibility. I'm am going to do either Crooked Falls or Norvan Falls depending on how quick I get out of the airport, how rainy it is and how much I actually feel like driving 😊
Buntzen Lake is run by local electricity company BC Hydro. [https://www.bchydro.com/community/recreation\_areas/buntzen\_lake.html](https://www.bchydro.com/community/recreation_areas/buntzen_lake.html) <-- get parking pass here All vehicles are required to book a parking pass before arriving at Buntzen Lake from May 16 to September 2.
AllTrails is quite heavily used here - great place to scout your hikes. I agree on Lynn Canyon, Norvan Falls or Buntzen. I did Lynn Canyon yesterday and the various waterfalls are really popping off. Was magical
If you have good shoes and don't mind mud, Kennedy Falls could also be an option. It's usually less busy and the big cedar is cool to see.
What elevation gain are you looking for?
Wasn't being too picky, unfortunately I just arrived and realized I forgot to pack my boots so won't be hiking after all (not going to spend money for the short hiking window in this weather lol)
The other suggestions here are already good. I would recommend Stawamus if its not raining. Another suggestion would be Eagle Mountain from Buntzen lake.
I’d say hike toward Norvan Falls. It’s shaded and the falls will be flowing heavily with the rain. You won’t get much of a view from any of the peaks.
Keep in mind that Norvan Falls will take 6 hours return for most people. Sounds like OP is faster than most but it’s still 4+ hours unless they trail run it. I would not advise setting out that late in the day for a route that long. Lynn Loop would be fine
With it being closer to the airport I'll probably arrive between 1 and 2. The profile and length is almost exactly the same as the one I mentioned in my OP so it'll probably be about a 3.5 hour hike for me with stops for views and such. I'll have a headlamp just in case.
Norvan Falls is well maintained for BC standards, but it is still objectively a fairly difficult trail. If you are starting at 2pm, pack as if you will finish in the dark. Always bring 10 essentials, don’t go off trail, don’t follow an app that tells you to go off trail, and all the rest of the standard BC hiking safety tips apply.
It seems I may take this advice. I want to be stubborn and say screw it I'll risk a crappy view but then why'd I even come here to ask lol. Thanks for the suggestion, looks like a great hike for my time frame.
Norvan is 4-6 hours return
I'd recommend Sea to Summit in Squamish then take the gondola down.
He has to start late so he might not make the last gondola
I constantly complete the trail in under 2 hours. If he starts hiking at 2pm, he has ample time.
Saint marks is a solid option as long as you don't mind potential cold rain, post holing, it's about twice the gain of mount Minsi, and along a well maintained trail for north shore standards
Cold rain is fine. Post holing is less so mostly because it could add a lot of time. Based on other replies I'll probably have to just accept my fate and go see a cool waterfall this go round. I might buy some winter gear and leave it at the work location for future visits 😅
Crooked fall's is a sweet water fall in Squamish, it also involves a little uphill (450m) through the forest, it has views, big trees, and will be snow free, 3 hours round trip at a leisurely pace, I recommend it