Hiking Tunnel Bluffs in Vancouver (aka Tunnel Point Trail) was the second hike I’d ever done in my life. The first hike was just days before, which was hiking up Grouse Mountain.
Read (or scroll) to the bottom for fun facts and need to knows about this hike
Laura, a friend I’d worked with had moved out from Toronto to Vancouver where she worked as a tour operator. When she told me she’d take me out to hike to one of the most beautiful spots Vancouver had to offer, I was like “Um, hells ya, let’s go!”
In this post
Hiking Tunnel Bluffs in Vancouver
Getting there
We took the Sea to Sky highway from downtown Vancouver over towards Lions Bay.
This highway connects Vancouver to Whistler, and people- let me tell you how this drive is so beautiful. It’s called the SEA to SKY highway for a reason.
With the sea on one side of you, and the mountains on the other, it really is a spectacular drive to take. It is highly recommended to take the drive just to experience the highway alone.
It had unfortunately started raining on our drive over and with the rain comes grey skies. Laura had mentioned that in order to have a spectacular view from the top, the skies needed to be clear.
I was a little sad thinking we’d do this hike and wouldn’t be rewarded with the view at the end.
Still we continued on as it’s said the weather can change abruptly in Vancouver.
And change did the weather do!
As we neared the start of the trail the rain subsided and the skies cleared up.
Thank you baby Jesus!
We parked the car, grabbed our gear which for me was really just my backpack with my water bottle and lunch. Laura had provided me with a water resistant jacket as well.
The hike
We had a slightly difficult time finding the start of the trail but within a minute or two we were on our way!
The hike was a mix of paths and rocks both big and even bigger, and I honestly loved every minute of it. Even the parts where I had to use my hands to help me step up some of those bigger rocks. #shortgirlproblems.
As we were walking through the forest, I felt like I was walking through a movie set. It felt so enchanting and kind of magical, as cheesy as that sounds.
After voicing this, Laura told me that they had actually filmed a part of Twilight in these same woods. Cool right!
And yes, it’s that Twilight. The vampire love story movie we love to hate but secretly love. The books were way better though, so don’t judge the story based on the movies alone haha.
We pretty much had the whole trail to ourselves which was awesome, I think we maybe passed 2 couples total. The fact that we were pretty much alone was just a little scary on our way back down though. I’ll explain why later in the post.
Related: Visiting Grouse Mountain
It took us around 2 hours to hike to the lookout point, which I was told was pretty good timing.
Views to die for (not literally of course)
Rounding the trees, and seeing the blue skies and the mountains afar as we reached the top was amazing. I got so excited. There were definitely a bunch of loud OMG’s being thrown around.
I mean this view was CRAZY!
And how amazing that the sun was shining and the skies were littered with the most beautiful clouds giving us the most spectacular view over Howe sound.
Remember, just hours before the skies were completely overcast due to the rain!
After taking a bunch of photos and videos, we settled down for a quick lunch and chat and just enjoyed the views…probably for a little too long.
Laura and I hadn’t realized just how much time we’d spent at the lookout, which to be honest really wasn’t THAT long but definitely longer than intended.
We needed to hike back down before the sun set, because hiking in the dark is no fun.
The race back down to base
We quickly packed up our things and set off making our way back to the base of the mountain a lot faster than our ascent.
Related: Exploring Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
Essentially, we were racing the sun and as the darkness was setting in, thankfully Laura had thought ahead and had brought her headlight as a precaution. It helped a little just to see where we were stepping.
This is where having the trail all to ourselves was a little scary, there was literally no one else around us as we made our way back through the darkening woods.
Every few steps, Laura would clap her hands loudly to wear off any animals that might be around.
You know, lions and tigers, and bears, oh my.
Talk about scary business.
I am a bit of a scardy cat, so I literally kept looking over my shoulder every few steps just to make sure no one, or nothing else was there.
Luckily for us we reached the base just as the last spec of lights faded away.
We had taken a slightly different route on our way back and we saw the information board that we’d totally missed on our way up. Turns out we’d started at the wrong point, just a few steps down the road really.
And guess what we read on it!
Some other hiker and spotted a bear with 2 cubs only the week before.
I was like whaaaat? Omg you mean there were actually bears in these woods we were just trekking in?
As much as I enjoyed the hike, I was definitely happy to be back on solid ground, getting into the car and heading back towards civilization haha!
This was totally an awesome hike though. Vancouver introduced me to my love for hiking.
There is something so grounding and special being surrounded by nature and everyone should experience the peace it brings.
If you haven’t been hiking yet, what are you waiting for?
Get on it, you can thank me later…by sending me a bottle of wine. Haha, just kidding..or not.
*lifts almost empty wine glass to my lips*
***
Now some fun facts about hiking Tunnel Bluffs
How to get there
It will take you about 40 minutes to drive from Vancouver
Access to the trail is just off the Sea to Sky highway, shortly after you pass Lions Bay.
Right across the street from a small parking lot, you’ll find the start of the hike.
Don’t forget to look both ways before crossing the street!
Difficulty level
This hike is rated at an intermediate level, so if you’re a newbie like I was, it will be a little challenging. I’m not going to lie though, I killed it haha. Was super proud of myself.
The majority of this hike is at a steep incline so your calves will feel it and love it, hopefully.
Make sure to wear proper attire!
The hike is 8 km round trip, which should take you about 4.5-5 hours to complete.
When to go
The trail is open from May to November.
I went early September, so it was pretty perfect hiking weather. Not too hot, not too cold.
Definitely check the weather before you go. You want to do this hike on a clear day so you can experience the amazing views when you get to the top.
As this trail is not as popular as some other ones (like Grouse) you don’t have to worry about running into traffic jams on the way. And you may be able to enjoy the view from the top without interruption.
Extras
Don’t forget your water bottle! You’ll definitely be working up a bit of a sweat and you want to stay hydrated as much as possible.
Along the trail you will come across a freshwater stream. On our way back down, we stopped at it to refill our bottles. How awesome is that.
Pack your sunscreen, some snacks or a lunch, and most importantly, don’t forget your camera!
I hope you enjoyed this post and get out and experience nature!
Hiking Tunnel Bluffs is definitely something you want to add to your list.
If you want to take this awesome hike on, Outdoor Vancouver has a great and detailed guide you can follow. Click here to read!
Until next time, stay blessed ♡
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The best view comes after the hardest climb.
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Make sure to check out my other posts on Vancouver B.C!
Exploring Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
And check out the Vancouver photo gallery here