North Shore Mountains

The North Shore Mountains are a mountain range overlooking Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Their southernmost peaks are visible from most areas in Vancouver and form a distinctive backdrop for the city.

The steep southern slopes of the North Shore Mountains limit the extent to which the municipalities of Greater Vancouver's North Shore (West Vancouver, the District of North Vancouver, and the City of North Vancouver) can grow. In many places on the North Shore, residential neighbourhoods abruptly end and rugged forested slopes begin. These forested slopes are crisscrossed by a large network of trails including the Baden-Powell Trail, the Howe Sound Crest Trail, and a wide variety of mountain biking trails.

The North Shore Mountains are a small subrange of the Pacific Ranges, the southernmost grouping of the vast Coast Mountains. They are bounded on the south by Burrard Inlet, on the west and north-west by Howe Sound, and on the north and north-east by the Garibaldi Ranges. To the east the bounds are defined by Indian Arm (a branch of Burrard Inlet). The ridge running north from Mount Seymour has its own name, the Fannin Range, while the bulk of the range and most of the Howe Sound-flanking portion of it is officially known as the Britannia Range.

Although not particularly high, these mountains are rugged and should not be underestimated. Severe weather conditions in the North Shore Mountains often contrast dramatically with mild conditions in nearby Vancouver. This is especially true in winter, but even in summer large precipices are hidden very close to popular hiking trails and it is very easy to get lost, despite being in sight of the city. Those who venture into the North Shore Mountains for whatever reason should be well prepared at any time of year.

Three deep valleys divide the North Shore Mountains. These are, in order from west to east:

• Capilano River valley
• The Lynn Headwaters
  • Lynn Valley
• Seymour River valley

The Capilano and Seymour rivers emanate from the massive GVRD watershed area. The watershed extends deep into the North Shore Mountains region, but is strictly off-limits to all unauthorized human activities. The Lynn Headwaters, a deep cirque valley drained by Lynn Creek, is no longer part of the GVRD watershed and is now a very popular Regional Park.

There are two Provincial Parks in the area, Cypress Provincial Park and Mount Seymour Provincial Park. Both feature reliable road access, downhill ski areas, and extensive trail networks. Nearby Grouse Mountain features a downhill ski area and tourist attractions which are accessible by the Skyride, an aerial tramway. A very popular hiking trail, the Grouse Grind, climbs up the steep flanks of Grouse Mountain from the tramway parking lot. Before the Grouse Mountain Skyride was built, a chairlift operated from Skyline Drive at the head of North Vancouver's Lonsdale Avenue, and the ski area itself could be accessed via Mountain Highway, which now has a gate at its upper end in the Lynn Valley neighbourhood.

In the Seymour valley, a paved access road called the Seymour Trailway winds for many kilometres into the mountains. It is frequently used for recreation, and occasionally for TV and film productions such as Stargate SG-1.