Stanley Park - Evergreen Oasis

Drive beyond the northwest outskirts of the City of Vancouver, and you find yourself in the beautiful near-wilderness area of Stanley Park amid a forest of towering cedar, hemlock and firtrees. The city of Vancouver set aside this 1000-acre wilderness site for recreational purposes in 1886. It officially became a park in 1888 and was named for Lord Stanley, Governor of Canada.

These 1000 acres were once the home of the Squamish and Musqueam Native Americans, and several totem poles stand in their honor.
Spend a day (or longer) in the Park and enjoy watching and photographing over one hundred species of wildlife including friendly raccoons and squirrels. Birds abound, including Canada geese, ducks, grouse and swans.
If flowers are more to your liking, several gardens await to delight your eyes and your nose. In the spring, Ted and Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden is a bed of colors. Later in the year, a formal rose garden in full bloom is a gift to the senses.

As you stroll through the park, take a break at the Vancouver Aquarium. Watch the dolphins and sea lions at play and visit the whales. Thousands of species of sea life populate the aquarium. A five-and-a-half mile long sea wall follows the coast and makes for an invigorating walk.
Stanley Park is a popular spot for tourists and Vancouver natives alike. Over eight million visitors enter the park every year. It’s truly a place to relax, have fun and admire the scenery.