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Vancouver Parks and Recreation

Jan 13 , 2011

Need a break from your Vancouver hotel? Biking, hiking, or swimming in one of the many Vancouver parks and recreation areas is the perfect path to a more rustic vacation!


Vancouver parks and recreation are top tourist attractions for travelers that want to get the most out of the Canadian outdoors. Vancouver hotels offer excellent access to hiking, mountain bike trails, community centers, and over 7,000 acres of park lands for locals and travelers to enjoy. Tourists keep returning to this outdoor paradise because the number of outdoor activities is so high that they discover something new within the Vancouver Parks and Recreation areas every time they visit British Columbia.

Community Centers

If you are a traveler that enjoys being outside and this is your first trip to Vancouver, then the Vancouver Community Centers are a great place to start your vacation. Vancouver has many community centers such as the Marshall, Luepke, and Firstenburg Community Centers. The majority of Vancouver hotels have fitness facilities, however, these community centers offer great places to play tennis and racquetball, swim laps in Olympic sized pools, and surround yourself with acres of parks that are perfect for hiking, biking, canoeing and winter activities such cross country skiing and snow shoeing.

Walking and Hiking Trails

For travelers that seek out the best walking and hiking trails available in the Vancouver parks and recreation system, the Clark County Walkaround Guide contains 25 maps of the best areas to hike around Vancouver. It's a great way to go for short hikes or day long adventures with your family and friends, so when checking into your Vancouver hotel, check with guest services to see if they have any suggestions of which hike would best suit your skill level. If you happen to have a green thumb, then the Community Gardens will amaze you during your Vancouver visit.

Community Gardens

The Community Gardens is a fun place to take the family to see all the different vegetables and flowers that locals are planting and growing throughout the year. The Community Gardens are located throughout the city and each garden can offer travelers a different presentation of unique plants. Guests staying in the nearby Vancouver hotels constantly take younger children over to the gardens to learn planting basics while admiring the different growing seasons. Since Vancouver is a city that is surrounded by water, swimming in the local water spots are extremely tempting.

Lakes, Ponds, and Rivers

Vancouver Parks and Recreation areas have numerous swimming locations such as lakes, ponds, and rivers. Though these gorgeous water attractions are especially enticing during the hotter summer months, it is important that all visitors know that there are no lifeguards on duty in these outdoor swimming areas and many of the high rivers can overwhelm even the best swimmers. When heading out of your hotel, be sure to ask any of the locals or staff about which swimming area is the safest.

Outdoor Programs and Tours

If you want to experience the Vancouver Parks and Recreation areas but do not want the hassle of planning out a days of activities, then there is the Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Outdoor Program that lets people escape their daily lives and offers a variety of tours to almost all the destinations within the Parks and Recreation system. Many travelers come to Vancouver is that they can stay in one of the luxurious Vancouver hotels and enjoy all the full service amenities, and then take a break and enjoy the rustic Vancouver Park and Recreation activities all in one vacation.


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