The Capilano Suspension Park is a free short shuttle ride from downtown Vancouver, which runs every 15 minutes.  When the shuttle arrived to take the five of us, they only had seating for four.  The driver radioed for a special shuttle run which arrived only five minutes later. Pretty cool!
Once we arrived at the park, we paid our admission and walked around admiring all the Totem Poles that were on displayed and reading up on their history. In Canada, the term used for the pre-European inhabitants is First Nation. Â The park tells the role that the totem poles played with each one telling the story of each totem.
We continued following the path of the Totem Poles until we reached the sign for the Suspension Bridge.
CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE
We headed out onto the bridge.   It was a little crowded as people made their way to the other side slowing walking and holding onto the railing. At times, the feeling of the bridge rocking and swinging made me more than a little nervous.  As we got to the middle of the suspension bridge, I looked down. I’m not good with heights so while the view was breath-taking, in my case, it was really breath-taking.  But I squeezed my husband’s hand and he held me tight and told me to breath.  I finally made my way to the other side!
The bridge has been around since 1889 and is 450 feet long, 230 feet high. Actually, this is the sixth version of the bridge.  It’s wide enough for two people to walk one way on each side.
TREETOPS ADVENTURE
Climb up the stairs up into the trees for a birdside view overlooking the thriving coastal rainforest on this unique series of cable bridges suspended between tree friendly platforms that reach as high as 10 stories.
Build in 2004, Treetop Adventures was designed to accommodate the continuous growth of the trees.  The viewing platforms are attached to an innovative tree collar system that is adjustable and moveable and has no nails or blots penetrating into the Douglas-fir trees.  As the trees grow in circumference they loosen the collars and move them up which makes it an even more thrilling view.
RAPTORS RIDGE
The park also lets visitors get a close up view of some of the birds of prey.  The forest is home to the Barred Owl, named after the bars of brown and white on it’s chest.  It is sometimes called the laughing owl and its call sound, or hoot, mimics someone saying “Who cooks for you all?  It’s also one of the few owls with brown eyes, since most owls have yellow eyes.  The Barred Owl is known to be quite shy, and only comes out during the day if the park is quiet.
Harris Hawks are much like wolves, Â they hunt in groups earning them the nickname “Wolves of the Skys”. Â Also like wolves, the hawks live as families, each with a dominant female and a dominant male. Â As many as three to four birds will piggy-back on each other’s back to better see into the distance and source their next meal. Â This is called “Stacking”.
CLIFFWALK
Cliffwalk was the vision of a park manager by the name of Stibbard who back in 2010 repelled off the side of the mountain and came up with the idea of wanting visitors to the park to have a new and even more thrilling view – one they could only find by clinging to the side of a granite cliff. Â A triumph of engineering to build, and for many an act of courage to walk on. Â Cliffwalk was opened in 2011.
Cliffwalk takes you beyond the cliff face far above the Capilano River Canyon on a heart-stopping cliffside journey above the rainforest on a series of unobtrusive cantilevered and suspended walkways jutting out from the granite cliff face above Capilano River Canyon. Â Building a bridge that’s anchored to nothing but a granite cliff wall takes some crazy talented engineers. Â Workers had to repel down the cliff to build it.
Personally, I found cliffwalk a little more thrilling than the suspension bridge, maybe because it was so narrow. This is a great park for all ages that is only 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver.
ADMISSION RATES
Adult…………..$35.95
Young 13-16….$22.95
Child 6-12…….$12.00
Under 6………. FREE
Shere
August 15, 2014 at 7:50 pmGreat pictures! I have fear of height (I still don’t know how I was able to skydive) ,so I would also be scared of walking the cliff walk and the bridge.
Shere y Paul
Carmen
August 17, 2014 at 12:17 amThanks Shere, I don’t think I would have the courage to skydive. It’s scary when you’re walking across the bridge and it’s moving back and forth as you walk. I felt like a kid holding on to the railing, and walking fast to get to the other side.
Vicky Alonso [MissArretrancos]
August 16, 2014 at 12:02 pmOMG! I couldn’t walk in that bridge. It’s so scary.
http://www.missarretrancos.blogspot.com
Carmen
August 17, 2014 at 12:19 amThank Vicky, It was a little scary for me walking on the bridge so high up and looking down.
noel
August 17, 2014 at 5:30 pmWhat a fun walk, I can’t believe that many people can be suspended on that narrow bridge,love the cliff walk to. Sign me up!
Carmen
August 17, 2014 at 5:46 pmNoel, I was surprised that they allowed so many people to be on the suspension bridge at one time. That was my main concern when we were crossing it. My fear was that the bridge wasn’t going to hold everyone’s weight, apart from it being a little crowded.
Lauren
August 17, 2014 at 11:07 pmWhat an exciting place! The suspension bridge is huge! I love treetop trekking – I went to one a bunch of years ago and it was awesome being up in the trees! This place looks awesome.
Carmen
August 19, 2014 at 2:21 amLauren, The suspension bridge was extremely long. One in particular in the island of St. Lucia was the scariest for me because only two people at a time were allowed to cross the suspension bridge. We had to wait till one person got to the middle of the bridge before another could start to cross over.
Tara Lepore and Jessi Honard
August 18, 2014 at 10:31 pmLooks like a great place to help conquer my fear of heights, and to let Jessi revel in her love of them! Great pictures!
Carmen
August 19, 2014 at 2:24 amThanks Tara and Jessi, My husband couldn’t feel his hand for a few minutes from me holding on so tight to it. I kept telling myself not to look down.
Paul
August 19, 2014 at 4:14 pmThis looks cool! My inner nerd can’t help but coming out here though as the suspension bridges and tree bridges remind me of the Ewoks in Star Wars hahaha. Really interesting facts about the owls and hawks – Love learning about things like this.
Carmen
August 19, 2014 at 11:16 pmPaul, We are huge Star Wars fans. I can see how the bridge would remind you of the film. Check out my post on Villa Balbianello which is where they filmed the wedding scene for Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones. We visited last year in Lake Como.
Hannah
August 19, 2014 at 9:41 pmI’ve only ever been on one suspension bridge, the one behind Neschwanstein Castle in Germany. It was amazing ( if a little scary) but I definitely loved the experience. Great shots of the totem poles here!
Carmen
August 19, 2014 at 11:31 pmHannah, I think the suspension bridge behind Neschwanstein Castle is even higher. I hate when the bridge starts to wobble, especially when people think it’s funny to jump up and down on it to make it move even more. It doesn’t help those of us with fears of heights.
Eimear {www.CuteTravels.com}
August 19, 2014 at 9:59 pmThere is a similar bridge in Ireland but much shorter, I was terrified on it! I don’t think I could manage this one! I do love the birds of prey though, thanks for sharing.
Carmen
August 22, 2014 at 12:46 amEimear, The best thing to do is not to look down, but that doesn’t work all the time. I would of enjoyed it more if it wasn’t so crowded.
Matilda
August 21, 2014 at 9:07 pmThis looks like something I would like to do but hopefully on a day when it is less crowded!
Carmen
August 22, 2014 at 12:49 amMatilda, The day we went it was very crowded. A summer camp full of kids showed up right before us. I felt they had way too many people on the suspension bridge at one time, which made me nervous.
Anda
September 15, 2014 at 5:49 amIs this your family, Carmen? If so, you are a lucky woman. As for the trip, I think it was very brave to cross that bridge, it looked really scary. But I bet the children had fun (they don’t know what fear is!) I loved the Totem poles.
Carmen
September 15, 2014 at 1:04 pmHi Anda, Yes, Those are our kids in some of the pictures. 🙂 The kids are fearless, nothing scares them. I in the other hand have fear of heights so it was difficult for me to cross the bridge.