Book ahead: Free day pass system returns to North Vancouver park this winter

A gentle reminder for people who want to park and visit Mount Seymour Park this winter: you will want to be prepared and book ahead of time.

That’s because vehicle day-use passes are back this year, and you must have one starting December 14.

The passes will be available online for free two days before your planned visit.

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The park, located in North Vancouver, offers a winter wonderland experience and had over one million visitors last year alone.

Those going to Mt Seymour Ski Resort don’t need to get a day-use pass for their vehicles, but it’s still a good idea to plan ahead.

“All products are pre-purchased, so you can’t come up to the resort and buy a lift ticket, everything has to be booked in advance. We offer four-hour time slots on the weekend, and the reason we do this is there’s no road congestion, there’s guaranteed parking, there are really short lift lines…we spread out all the volume throughout the day,” Simon Whitehead with the resort said Tuesday.

Visitors to nearby Cypress Mountain are encouraged to carpool or use the Cypress Mountain shuttle to help reduce traffic congestion.

The limited number of free day-use passes aims to reduce crowding and congestion in the park, and visitors are encouraged to cancel their passes if they don’t intend to use them.

“The free vehicle passes are part of a comprehensive strategy to protect nature and improve access to popular provincial parks and trails,” the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy said. “People can provide feedback about their experience with day-use passes online. The feedback will continue to inform future decisions about day-use passes and visitor management in BC Parks.”

“[Visitors] will need to reserve a free vehicle day-use pass to visit Mount Seymour Park from December 14 until January 8, 2024, and on weekends and holidays until March 31, 2024,” the ministry added.

Available time slots:

AM pass, valid for arrival and departure between 7 am and 1 pm
PM pass, valid for arrival and departure between 1 pm and 4 pm
Passes are not required after 4 pm

Will you be visiting the park this winter? Let us know in the comments.

This piece was originally published in 2022 and has since been updated.