Lynn Canyon Park is a popular area in North Vancouver for tourists and locals alike. I had visited briefly a few years ago but hadn’t got onto the trails to walk around since 2013 when I photographed Twin Falls. I intend to go back soon, and visit trails I’ve never seen before, a few other bridges, and likely Rice Lake. Hopefully this will be part I of a pair of posts soon.
Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge
Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge and Lynn Canyon Falls (Purchase)
The Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge is the main attraction in Lynn Canyon Park which opened to the public in 1912. The bridge is in a very scenic canyon, next to a waterfall, nearby parking, and is free (compared to the nearby Capilano Suspension Bridge). The suspension bridge hangs about 50 meters (160 feet) over Lynn Creek, and offers a nice view of Lynn Canyon Falls. The bridge was recently closed for a period of time so the “deck” could be replaced, and you can tell the difference between 1) an older photograph I made in 2013 and 2) the current surface of the bridge. The new surface is very “grippy” on ones feet and doesn’t feel like you are in danger of sliding on it which is comforting in this location. The bridge doesn’t bounce very much either, though those uneasy with looking down that great of a distance to a rocky canyon below may not wish to linger and complete the crossing quickly.
As you can see from the first photograph here showing the bridge and Lynn Canyon Falls (photo), this isn’t an easy spot to photograph a waterfall! Even though the park wasn’t busy, the bridge vibrates a bit after someone walks on it, so finding a steady perch for a longer exposure wasn’t going to happen. I combined two exposures to get this wide of a view, and you can see some effects of that in the poor overlap in the walking surface tiles. Someday I may be able to do a long exposure of the waterfall on this bridge, but that wasn’t possible on my last visit.
Twin Falls
After photographing the suspension bridge I hiked down a number of stairs on the trail to Twin Falls. Like the bridge above, I’d photographed Twin Falls before. I had somewhat forgotten the rather precarious position one has to get in to shoot over the fence there. I remembered the fence, I didn’t remember the yoga position required! Most of the foliage here is provided by evergreens, but I appreciate that one small Vine Maple that is hanging onto the rock on the left and has turned a nice yellow. You can barely make it out in this photo, but there is a bridge just above the falls that crosses Lynn Creek. I saw a few photographs and videos online that showed this location less than 24 hours after this photograph was taken, and after an atmospheric river had passed through. Southwestern BC had a drought this summer and fall, and apparently the new rain couldn’t soak into the ground as easily as it might usually. As a consequence, the water coming over Twin Falls the next day looked more like a canyon wide fire hose! This version is certainly more photogenic.
Twin Falls in Lynn Canyon Park (Purchase)
Baden Powell Trail
The Baden Powell Trail was opened in 1971 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of British Columbia’s entry into Canada. The Baden Powell Trail is a 48km (30 mile) trail that runs from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to Deep Cove in North Vancouver. Along the way, it cuts through Lynn Canyon Park, and I made a few photographs along the trail within the park.
Stairs and boardwalk along the Baden Powell Trail in Fall (Purchase)
While the trail itself is many kilometers long, this small section between the suspension bridge and “30 foot pool” is familiar to many who venture here with less ambitious hiking goals. The first of these photographs above comes from a spot on the trail just north of the suspension bridge. The drought and other challenges have made fall foliage a bit scarce this year, but I did find some nice displays from the Vine Maple (Acer circinatum) trees along the way. These were creating a nice canopy while overhanging the boardwalk and stairs along the trail.
Moss Covered Trees on Baden Powell Trail (Purchase)
These conifer trees are heavily covered in moss which is relatively common here in the temperate rainforest of North Vancouver. Some nearby Bigleaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) trees have shed their leaves and created this orange and brown carpet amoung the rocks along the trail. The ferns on much of the forest floor are mostly Sword Ferns (Polystichum munitum) in this location.
Vine Maple Fall Leaves at Lynn Creek (Purchase)
On the way out to 30 foot pool I noticed this Vine Maple with some of the more unusual fall foliage colors in this part of the world – deeper reds. On my way back I photographed it with Lynn Creek providing a nice foreground.
For more photographs of North Vancouver visit my North Vancouver Gallery.