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Crown Mtn - Lynn Headwaters Regional Park

Crown Mtn - Lynn Headwaters Regional Park near Vancouver, BC

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This trail was given a rating of 5 out of 5 stars

9 kms
5hours
difficult
Hiking
Summer
Vancouver, BC

trailpeak

LARGER MAP

NTS Map: 92G6. If you thought the views from the Grouse Mountain Skyride were good you haven't experienced the summit of Crown Mountain (1501 metres). An added bonus will be your escape of the tourist hoards, few will be venturing beyond the restaurant and concert bowl area.

If you really want a work out you can definitely increase your status as an urban hiker by saying, - Yes, I did the Grouse Grind and Crown Mountain in a day. Where as the Grind is an uphill staircase in the trees the continuation on to Crown will provide an openness with a wilderness feel, fresh breezes and great local vistas. If you can identify the local mountains? on a clear day you will likely see Mt. Rainier south of Seattle, Mt. Garibaldi to the north, Arrowsmith near Port Alberni and Mt. Cheam in Chilliwack. The workout will have your thighs torqued especially if you do the Grind. Most people will opt for the Skyride approach.

Head out of the Skyride east toward the Grouse Peak chairlift and stay left on the old service road. Follow the marked trail descending to a small pass and then heading up to skirt Dam Mountain and over to Little Goat. From here the trail gets a bit rougher and rooty as you descend down to Crown Pass. Hikers that want to continue down into the Lynn Creek Headwaters via Hanes Creek as a loop can continue down and east. For Crown it's uphill, 421 metres to be exact. The trail is rooty and can be damp and buggy on a real warm day but persevere soon you will be in the heather of the alpine. Watch your footing, some experience as a hiker may be required here, the trail may be a bit slippery from remnant snow melt in the trees above. The trail ends at a rocky ridge where an easy scramble leads on to the summit. Have lunch here you earned it and be smug because you attained a neat and moderately challenging summit away from the urban masses.

ApproachCross the Lions Gate Bridge or approach from the Upper Levels Highway and head north on Capilano Road to the Grouse Mountain Skyride. The Grouse Grind starts to the east of the Skyride. Crown Mtn. starts east at the top of the Skyride.

Elevation Gain 700 Metres

High Point 1501 Metres

Option:A hiking loop is possible via Crown Pass down bouldery Hanes Creek and into the Lynn Headwaters area. Arrange for a shuttle. The total distance is approximately 20 kilometres.

Click on "view/Download GPS" to see the way-points for this trail. After getting off the sky-ride at Grouse Mountain, follow the trail that takes you left of the upper ski lift, and over to Dam Mountain, Little Goat Mountain, and then down a valley and up to Crown Mountain.

By Posted By: granolapher - Mon Aug 30 00:00:09 EDT 2010 Upside Close to home, with little technical difficulty, this is a relatively accessible intro to easy scrambling. Downside There are huge crowds to fight with, both on the way up the Grouse Grind, and Crown Mountain. Comment Save this one for a weekday.

By Posted By: shuikouhw - Fri Aug 20 23:22:35 EDT 2010 Upside Tough and challenging, great for a weekend workout Downside no water available in the middle of the way. Need to bring enough water and food. Not too much space at the peak. Comment wonderful hike. Got lost at a steep section at around 3/5 height of Crown peak, but finally made it back on trail. Excellent view at the peak in 3 directions, with the other being blocked by rocks.

By Posted By: TheB1gEd - Wed Jul 21 20:02:19 EDT 2010 Upside GREAT VIEWS!! not many people (we still met a few though). Good workout if you do the Grind before it. Well marked trail (in most parts). Great adrenaline rush on the last few meters to the peak hehe Downside The peak itself is really really dangerous. I mean its basically 5 inches wide with both sides dropping down a few hundred feet. We were only sitting on it, couldn't stand up. Comment We did this hike yesterday. Started with the Grind, had breakfast on Grouse and chilled out for a bit before started walking at 12:30pm. It's an easy trail till you get to the Goat Mountain turnoff. From there on its downhill into the valley, with really steep sections (some have chains on them to hold on to) and afterwards uphill to Crown Mountain. Again, really steep and parts of it you have to use both hands and scramble. There are nice spots along the way, but you get the really great views just below the peak on the ridge or on the peak itself ;) Be careful up there, it is dangerous, big drops in every directions! Coming back down is even trickier than going up hehe

We got to the peak at 6pm, which was really late and back to Grouse at 9:30pm. There was still loads of snow everywhere except in the valley. So if you are not comfortable walking on snow dont go yet. One or two snowy parts look dangerous, but all the other snow is easy to walk on.

They gonna tell you at the Grouse information desk that it is only a 6 hours return hike. This was our third hike this year so we are not really fit yet, but it took us way more than 6 hours. Almost 6 hours up and 3.5 down. A really fit person would need less, but with current conditions I don't think it is doable in 6 hours.

If you are on Grouse and want to get away from people, do this hike! We got sick with all those people on the Grouse grind. This was so much nicer!

By Posted By: shuikouhw - Mon Jul 19 03:03:32 EDT 2010 Not Rated Question Anyone been on Crown trail recently?There are no new reviews for this trail for almost two years. Wonder if anybody did this trail recently and what the conditions(especialy snow condition) are? Cheers

By Posted By: Rambo - Thu Sep 04 23:47:49 EDT 2008 Upside When the Grouse Grind feels redundant, and you want to have great views to motivate you, on a sunny day, this is the place. There is at least 10 nice view points and some of them are just worth the trip. Downside Mud. insects and some parts of the trails are just FUCKING dangerous. Don't go there if it's raining. The trail is over-marked some places, and some other places are mark with a 1 inch and a half yellow arrow on the bottom of a tree, not very good. If you are a water drinker, you will have to go down between Goat and Crown to find water in August/September. Comment Don't go there if you are not feeling in great shape. Don't bring your fat girlfriend. Don't expect an easy trip. And most of all... don't look down !

I definitely will do this mountain again.

By Posted By: ount'n'about - Fri Jun 06 14:33:13 EDT 2008 Not Rated Question Hanes Vally loop conditions??I'm wondering how much snow is still up on the Crown pass and the boulder pass up from Hanes Vally. If anyone has recently been on this loop I'm also curious about the runoff volume at the lynn creek crossing. Chears!

By Posted By: Mehul - Tue Aug 30 19:48:17 EDT 2005 Upside It was a great hike. With great view's all along the trip. There is a uphill first then there is a 300m downhill and then a 400m uphill to the top. The best view is from the very top. A total 360 degree view. Really worth it to make it to the top. Downside There was a lot of sun and the hike was really tiring and exaushting. No water. It was late august so no water. We ran out of water half way through so it was a long time to walk back. If you do the Grouse Grind to start it's really tiring to complete the trail. Comment We went in late august so i suspected little snow. You first have to go up the grouse mountain. We had to hike up, then we riik a rest stop at the coffee shop and after a kilometer walk you reach the crown mountain start trail. Took us 5 - 5 1/2 hours to complete the trail.

By Posted By: cdickin - Fri Aug 26 22:06:56 EDT 2005 Upside What a view...and a wonderfull workout. Could have stayed on the ridge for another couple of hours in the sun! Downside Beware of the friendly bears...had one so close I could hear it breath (and I was using my bear bell all the way). Comment only for the hearty hiker is correct. The last portion has nice falls to either side. If you are scared of hights its not for you - remember coming down a slippery slope is tougher than going up.

By Posted By: tetrahedron - Mon Jul 18 18:42:54 EDT 2005 Upside Fantastic views in ALL directions. Downside I stayed away from the "Downside" on this one, it's a long way. Watch your step and take it slow. Comment I was a little suprised at the amount of scrambling required here. I figured I would get some at the top but Crown Pass is very steep on both sides so it's quite a workout on a hot summer day.

There is very little room to maneuver in some locations and there are points where you feel like you are hanging above a 500m+ drop (probably because you ARE).

Coming up Crown you will cross a stream about 3/4 of the way up. This is one of the only accesible streams that I could find in the whole pass (aside from a few trickles here and there). Check your water and fill up here. It was so hot when I was up there I had to refill on the way down again and still started to run out before getting out of the pass.

By Posted By: Data_b - Mon Jun 27 14:22:04 EDT 2005 Upside What a work out. For a first timer, It was hard. Downside The cloud cover limited the view, but was still worth it. Comment I will be happy to do that again.

By Posted By: jonful - Thu Jun 24 01:22:13 EDT 2004 Upside amazing views of the lower mainland to the south, and garibaldi park to the north. the trail itself was great, though mostly snow-covered in mid june. Downside definitely not for novices. portions require ascending and descending using all fours. a long up hill section on the return is sure to leave you winded, espicially in the snow. Comment a pick would have been useful, as a trekking pole was barely sufficient on the snowy ascents. otherwise, a great hike with incredible views at the top.

By Posted By: Loki - Mon Jul 15 13:51:11 EDT 2002 Upside Excellent views of the entire Coastal Range. Elevation changes that "take your breath away" Very fun bootskiing can be had even in July Downside Elevation changes that "take your breath away" the uphill slog out of Crown Pass will really challenge you if you have done the Grind to begin your day. Comment Not for people who are afraid of heights, you really are on a knife edge of a rock ridge. The Camel looks very cool from the peak of Crown!

By Posted By: Kodiak - Sat Jun 29 23:46:37 EDT 2002 Upside Great views, and great grunt to boot ! Downside bugs as usual. Comment For only the hearty hiker !