Capilano Suspension Bridge with Kids: Everything Families Need to Know
Nestled among the trees and off a busy road, the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in Vancouver is a historic playground for young and old. The first bridge was built here in 1889 with cedar planks and hemp rope, drawing a crowd of local outdoor enthusiasts that only grew as the bridge switched owners and structural elements over the last century.
The park got its name from the Squamish Nation’s Kia’palano, which means “beautiful river.” Now home to a sturdier 450-foot suspension bridge, a treetops adventure, a glass bottomed walkway, three restaurants, and miles of trails, the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon in North Vancouver. It is also located just down the road from the gondola at Grouse Mountain.
My family of four (two adults, and two kids under five) visited the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park during a weekend trip to North Vancouver in the fall. Read on to find our full guide to making the most out of our trip to this awesome nature playground.
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Jump To...
- Why Visit Capilano Suspension Bridge Park with Kids
- Getting there
- Quick Tips (When to visit, before you go, what to pack)
- Base Cost
- Where to Stay in Vancouver with kids
- Stop at Kia’palano Education Center
- Walk the Suspension Bridge
- Try the Scavenger Hunt
- Climb the Treetops Adventure
- Keep an eye out for wildlife
- Catch a Bird Show
- Brave the cliff walk
- Where to eat
Why Visit Capilano Suspension Bridge park with Kids
Capilano Suspension Bridge is a wonderful family-friendly destination to:
Our Experience
- Destination: Vancouver, Canada
- age of our kids: 2 & 5 years
- Length of stay: 3 Days
- time of year: October
Quick Tips
When To Visit
July and August are the best months to visit Vancouver with kids. This is when the city is at its most reliably sunny and warm (averaging 22°C/72°F), all outdoor attractions are fully operational, the beaches are swimmable, the Richmond Night Market is running, and Stanley Park’s water park and miniature train are in full swing. The long daylight hours — often until 9pm — give families extra time to explore.
June and September are excellent runner-up months. Crowds and prices drop noticeably compared to peak summer, the weather is still generally pleasant, and most family attractions remain open. September in particular has a reputation among locals as the best month in Vancouver — warm, dry, and golden.
We travelled to Vancouver in October – a perfect fall period with cooler temperatures, fewer crowds, and beautiful fall leaves.
Before You go
- Tickets can be purchased online or at the front desk when you arrive. If you order online, you must pick your date and time of entry when you purchase. We ordered our tickets online and skipped the long queue of visitors waiting to purchase their tickets that day.
- Parking can be found in a paid lot across the street from the park and costs CAN $8.00 for three hours paid by credit card only. If you need to pay for parking with cash, you can purchase the parking pass directly from the ticket office at the main entrance. If the parking lot is full, you will be directed to an overflow lot a few minutes away with complimentary shuttle service to and from the main entrance. The park also offers a free shuttle service from multiple hotels.
- Plan to walk a lot. Bring a stroller or child carrier for little ones, and lots of snacks to keep your kids motivated along the journey.
- Arrive early to miss the crowds and take advantage of access to the bridge and activities without a line. We arrived close to when the park opened and noticed a drastic increase in visitors on the bridge and treetops adventure towards the middle of the day.
- The park takes 2-2.5 hours to explore at a minimum, not including stops for food or educational activities.
- Buy an e-sim to save on cellphone roaming costs
- Restrooms are located at the entrance to the park. Additional restrooms are available on the far (west) side of the suspension bridge, near the Treetops Adventure area.
What To Pack
- Standard diaper bag essentials
- Strollers are not allowed on the bridge, treetops adventure, or cliff walk.
- Ergobaby or soft baby carrier, if needed
- Bring clothes for the outdoors - dress for a day in the wilderness, with hats, layers, and comfortable shoes.
Costs
| Item | base cost |
|---|---|
| Entrance fees | Adults 18-75 years $47-55 | children ages 6-17 $20-36 | children 0-5 free |
| Parking | $9 for 3 hours |
| Add-Ons | |
| Meals | $15-20/ person |
Getting There
We flew into Vancouver (YVR) from Oakland, California. We have also flown into Bellingham, Washington, USA, located just a one-hour drive south of the city, and cross the border in a rental car. The border crossing was quick and easy.
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is a 15 minute drive from downtown Vancouver. Parking is $9 for three hours. No car? No problem. Hop the free shuttle.
travel
Stay in the Lonsdale District of North Vancouver
North Vancouver, located just across the strait from downtown Vancouver, was a calm respite from the business of the city.
Great for clean accommodations in a calm neighborhood | $$
- Kitchen
- Free street parking
- Near mountain activities
My family booked a vacation rental in North Vancouver, within walking distance of Lonsdale Ave, the main business district, and close to parks and playgrounds.
Staying in North Vancouver meant that we were closer to the outdoor activities that make Vancouver such a gorgeous city, like Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and Grouse Mountain.
History Corner
The North Shore and Capilano River valley have been shaped by the labor and presence of communities of color in ways that most visitors never learn. First Nations peoples have made their home along the Pacific Northwest coast for nearly 14,000 years, and the old-growth forest that surrounds the park today exists in part because the bridge drew visitors whose interest in the land helped protect it from clear-cutting that leveled much of the surrounding area.
Chinese and South Asian workers who built the Canadian Pacific Railway and worked in the North Shore’s sawmill and lumber industries in the 1880s and beyond were among the first non-Indigenous people to labor on this landscape — often under exploitative conditions and racist laws that denied them basic rights.
Japanese Canadian families built deep roots across North Vancouver before the injustice of World War II internment stripped them of their homes, businesses, and communities.
Today, North Vancouver is home to a richly diverse population — Filipino, South Asian, Chinese, Korean, and Indigenous communities among them — whose presence continues to shape the culture and character of the North Shore. Walking through the Capilano rainforest is an opportunity to reflect on the many hands that have cared for, worked, and built on this remarkable land.
Our Experience
We found local BIPOC families and tourists all enjoying the sunshine on the beautiful fall day. I appreciated the efforts to share First Nations history with visitors to the park.
This is a woman-owned business and provides a fun and family-centered experience.
Learn More
- Read about the Tslei-Waututh Nation
- Learn about Squamish community
- Donate to the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society
- Donate to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society
Antiracist Travel Considerations
9 Tips for Visiting the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park with your Family
Stop at the Kia’palano education center
Great to learn about local Indigenous history
- Free
- 30 min
The Kia’palano Education Center offers information and a tribute to the Indigenous peoples on whose land the park is located.
The education center features story poles (commonly called totem poles) carved by local Indigenous carvers.
If you have time, try to attend one of the free and family-friendly 30 minute guided history tours of the park to learn more.
Cross the suspension bridge early to access more activities
Great for breathtaking views of the river and valley
- Free
- 15 minutes
Most people come to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park to cross the 450 feet long suspension bridge. This is the only way across the river to reach the treetops adventure.
There is only one bridge for crossing the river and returning to the entrance. Don’t worry, it is wide enough for folks to pass on your left during their return route.
As you make your way across the wobbly bridge, try not to get caught up in the rush of people just trying to get across, or stopping to get the perfect selfie. Take a moment to look at the river below you and notice the beauty with your kids.
If you’re carrying any little ones, try not to hold them above your waist. The bridge railing is only about shoulder height, which means a kiddo on your shoulders could fall over!
I must admit I was a little panicky about this when I had to carry my toddler back across the bridge on our way out of the park.
Do the Scavenger Hunt
Interactive game just for kids
- Free
- 1+ Hours
Once you cross the bridge, stop at the kiosk to grab clipboards, pencils, and listen to the instructions for the kid-friendly scavenger hunt.
The hunt takes you throughout the trails on that side of the bridge, providing a fun game to play to motivate little feet to keep moving along the trails until you finish the loop back to the bridge to claim your prize.
Our preschooler loved this activity! She ran from station to station, looking for clues, doing the scavenger hunt activity or solving the puzzles on the form provided. She had so much fun, she was disappointed when she was done and asked for more!
Take the stairs to the Treetops Adventure
Great views
- Free
- 20 minutes
The kid-friendly Treetops Adventure walks you along a series of seven bridges that connect a path through the trees at 110 feet above the forest floor.
My kids hugged each tree trunk as we walked along, pretending they were fairies flying high in the air.
We were lucky to be one of the few visitors enjoying the Treetops Adventure at that time and had the bridges to ourselves.
See the Bird Show
Great for enjoying nature with your kids
- Free
- 20 minutes
The “Birds of Raptors Ridge” show takes place every weekend in April and May, and every day from June to September. Visitors can get up close and personal with a Great Horned Owl or a Bald Eagle, shared by their super smart handlers, on the west side of the bridge, along the trail loop for the scavenger hunt.
We stayed for a few minutes to see the owl but left mid-presentation because our preschooler was much more interested in the scavenger hunt.
Brave the Cliffwalk
Safe walkway with glass sides and epic views
- Free
- 15 minutes
Head back to the east side of the park, across the suspension bridge to take a stroll across the Cliffwalk.
The glass bottomed walkway is about 700 feet long, hovering 30 stories high above the Capilano River Canyon. The route takes you around a big tree into the middle of the canyon, and makes you feel like you are floating. The view is beautiful!
No one in my family was scared on this walk, but my kids were a little tired at this point of our trip, after hours of walking and running through bridges and trees. I ended up carrying our toddler most of the way.
Where to Eat in
Capilano with Kids
Cliff House Restaurant
The Cliff House Restaurant passed out a kid’s menu that was also a coloring page, crayons, and plastic kid’s cups with lids. We ordered butter chicken and salmon, both delicious options that we knew our kids would love.
One of the waiters was so friendly with our family and offered to take our children indoors for “a surprise” after they finished eating. While my partner and I finished our meals kid-free, the waitress walked them inside the restaurant to claim their ”prize,” which was letting them play with a vintage cash register. The kids were fascinated.
Beary Yogurt
I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have frozen yogurt on a beautiful day!
Beary Yogurt is a frozen yogurt shop, offering frozen yogurt cups with a variety of fruity and candy toppings, or fresh smoothies.
Grab one on your way out of the park as a reward for the long day of walking.
Read on
Check out our children’s book recommendations that feature BIPOC voices to deepen our understanding of the experiences we share together at Bookshop.org.
Final Thoughts
The Capilano Suspension Bridge Park was the highlight of our North Vancouver trip because it combined all of my family’s favorite things: hiking, nature, trees, climbing, games, good food, and frozen sweets. We saw many other families of color along the trails, and all of the staff were friendly and kind to my boisterous kids. I also really appreciated the diverse staff and Indigenous representation of history, stories, and design.
Just make sure you do not run on the bridge, or you might get yelled at over a loudspeaker, in front of all the other visitors, and need to calm down your worried “rule follower” preschooler who doesn’t like to get in trouble.
Sorry kiddo, mothers make mistakes, too…
Have you ever gotten in trouble in front of your kids? What did you do? And how did you explain it to them? Share in the comments below.
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