Busiest park? Metro Vancouver's 25 regional parks ranked by visitation

Pacific Spirit Regional Park (UBC)

Naturalized public parks are some of the Metro Vancouver region’s most valued recreational assets.

And in 2022, according to recently released statistics by Metro Vancouver Regional District, a total of 14.3 million visits were recorded at regional parks and greenways, with records set at three locations.

This represents a drop to more normal visitation levels, following the 33% spike to over 16 million annual visitors in 2020 and 2021 compared to 2019, driven by the pandemic lockdown. There has been a 4% average annual growth rate in visitation over the past two decades.

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The substantial increase in visitation also prompted the regional district to introduce pay parking measures at select parking facilities at some regional parks.

These parks and greenways are owned and managed by the regional district, and should not be confused with municipal parks under the jurisdiction of municipal governments, such as Stanley Park in Vancouver, Central Park in Burnaby, and Holland Park in Surrey. This also does not include provincial parks in the region, like Cypress Provincial Park.

metro vancouver regional park visitation

Annual visitation for Metro Vancouver regional parks. (Metro Vancouver Regional District)

According to the regional district, the regional park system in 2022 protected 138 sq km of ecosystems in Metro Vancouver — an area equivalent to the cities of Vancouver and New Westminster put together.

Regional park visitation levels depend on a wide range of factors, including accessibility, the size of the park, proximity to major populations, and the presence of unique features, such as dedicated recreational trails and spaces, interesting natural characteristics, and views.

Pacific Spirit Regional Park, which physically separates the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University Endowment Lands from the City of Vancouver, saw the most visitation by a wide margin in 2022, with over 3.6 million visitors — down by 6% compared to 2021.

With an area of 2,160 acres, over twice the size of Stanley Park, it is one of the largest regional parks. Its significant visitation comes from not just size, but also its adjacency to UBC and Vancouver, over 55 km of walking trails through the forest, and the popular Wreck Beach area. On average each year, Pacific Regional Park sees 360,000 dog visits, too.

Lynn Headwaters Regional Park in the North Shore mountains is the largest regional park with over 9,000 acres of area, but 14th in terms of visitation, with about 360,000 visitors in 2022.

Map of Metro Vancouver regional parks and greenways. Click on the image for an expanded version. (Metro Vancouver Regional District)

Boundary Bay Regional Park is a relatively small park, but it is the second busiest regional park with 1.06 million visitors in 2022, with the large beach area and expansive panoramic views of the region making it a popular destination. However, visitation at this regional park fell by 26% year-over-year, which is the largest percentage decrease of any regional park in 2022.

Belcarra Regional Park near Port Moody and the mouth of Indian Arm is the third busiest regional park and the only other regional park with over one million visitors in 2022. Its visitation is followed closely by the volumes for Capilano River Regional Park.

Grouse Mountain Regional Park, the location of the extremely popular Grouse Grind trail, saw 440,000 visitors in 2022, representing a 9% decrease compared to the previous year. In recent years, the Grouse Grind has seen over 150,000 people climb the trail on an annual basis during its limited operating season. The first components of a major upgrade project of the trail were recently completed.

wreck beach ubc university of british columbia

Wreck Beach at Pacific Spirit Regional Park, overlooked by the University of British Columbia. (Shutterstock)

boundary bay regional park burnaby metrotown skyline

The panoramic views of Boundary Bay Regional Park, including the Burnaby Metrotown skyline in the distance. (Shutterstock)

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Grouse Grind trail at Grouse Mountain Regional Park. (Metro Vancouver Regional District)

Burnaby Lake Regional Park (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

Visitation to Minnekhada Regional Park in Coquitlam saw a 25% year-over-year drop in 2022, marking one of the largest year-over-year drops in visitation in the regional park system. This is likely at least partially attributed to the closure of a significant area of the park following the October 2022 wildfire. It did not fully reopen until March 2023 due to the necessary repairs.

The regional district is currently in the process of planning a new regional park on Bowen Island, in addition to its existing Crippen Regional Park. The cost of acquiring the 240-acre naturalized waterfront site at the southwest corner of the island is about $40 million.

Based on regional district statistics, here are the busiest regional parks and greenways for visitation in 2022, with year-over-year visitation changes also noted:

Pacific Spirit Regional Park: 3,627,600 (-6% from 2021)
Boundary Bay Regional Park: 1,061,900 (-26% from 2021)
Belcarra Regional Park : 1,025,200 (-8% from 2021)
Capilano River Regional Park: 992,200 (+12% from 2021)
Campbell Valley Regional Park: 917,100 (-20% from 2021)
Derby Reach Regional Park: 908,500 (-31% from 2021)
Tynehead Regional Park: 636,500 (-13% from 2021)
Kanaka Creek Regional Park: 610,500 (-9% from 2021)
Aldergrove Regional Park: 523,900 (-12% from 2021)
Grouse Mountain Regional Park: 440,100 (-9% from 2021)
Burnaby Lake Regional Park: 428,100 (-16% from 2021)
Colony Farm Regional Park: 390,000 (-20% from 2021)
Deas Island Regional Park: 378,800 (-15% from 2021)
Lynn Headwaters Regional Park: 359,700 (-12% from 2021)
Crippen Regional Park: 355,600 (+17% from 2021)
Brae Island Regional Park: 315,000 (-8% from 2021)
Iona Beach Regional Park: 287,800 (-30% from 2021)
Brunette-Fraser Regional Greenway: 267,900 (-25% from 2021)
Pitt River Regional Greenway: 248,400 (-12% from 2021)
Minnekhada Regional Park: 153,400 (-23% from 2021)
Surrey Bend Regional Park: 148,800 (-12% from 2021)
Delta South-Surrey Regional Greenway: 96,000 (+40% from 2021)
Glen Valley Regional Park: 52,600 (-23% from 2021)
Seymour River Regional Greenway: 43,600 (+12% from 2021)
Barnston Island Regional Park: 11,100 (0% from 2021)

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