Lighthouse Park
Encyclopedia
Lighthouse Park is a popular park in West Vancouver, Canada
. Its area is about 75 hectares (185 acres) and it is almost completely covered with rugged, virgin rainforest
. At the southermost tip of the peninsula is Point Atkinson with an impressive landmark lighthouse built in 1914 on granite boulders jutting out into Burrard Inlet
. Point Atkinson was first charted and named by Captain George Vancouver
in 1792 and is a National Historic Site of Canada. The Point Atkinson Lighthouse is the location of Starboat Cove, which may be reached by hiking the Valley Trail in this park.
The park contains the city's last remaining stand of first-growth Douglas fir, as well as some magnificent Western hemlock
and Western Redcedar. Whereas most of the region has been logged, the trees in what is now the park were spared as they provided a necessary dark background for the lighthouse
. The area was thus set aside in 1881 as the lighthouse reserve. Some ancient trees reach heights of up to 200 feet (61 m) and are around 500 years old.
There is a network of hiking trails in the park, some of which are fairly rough and can be slippery when wet. The park receives more than 50 inches (1,270 mm) of rain annually and has an abundance of various ferns, berries and mushrooms.
Visitors should wear good walking shoes as the trails are often slippery due to the damp microclimate. Another word of caution: do not leave any valuables in the car as the parking lot at the entrance to the park is a scene of regular break-ins.
Access to the park is through Beacon Lane off Marine Drive.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Its area is about 75 hectares (185 acres) and it is almost completely covered with rugged, virgin rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
. At the southermost tip of the peninsula is Point Atkinson with an impressive landmark lighthouse built in 1914 on granite boulders jutting out into Burrard Inlet
Burrard Inlet
Burrard Inlet is a relatively shallow-sided coastal fjord in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Formed during the last Ice Age, it separates the City of Vancouver and the rest of the low-lying Burrard Peninsula from the slopes of the North Shore Mountains, home to the communities of West...
. Point Atkinson was first charted and named by Captain George Vancouver
George Vancouver
Captain George Vancouver RN was an English officer of the British Royal Navy, best known for his 1791-95 expedition, which explored and charted North America's northwestern Pacific Coast regions, including the coasts of contemporary Alaska, British Columbia, Washington and Oregon...
in 1792 and is a National Historic Site of Canada. The Point Atkinson Lighthouse is the location of Starboat Cove, which may be reached by hiking the Valley Trail in this park.
The park contains the city's last remaining stand of first-growth Douglas fir, as well as some magnificent Western hemlock
Western Hemlock
Tsuga heterophylla. the Western Hemlock, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Sonoma County, California.-Habitat:...
and Western Redcedar. Whereas most of the region has been logged, the trees in what is now the park were spared as they provided a necessary dark background for the lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
. The area was thus set aside in 1881 as the lighthouse reserve. Some ancient trees reach heights of up to 200 feet (61 m) and are around 500 years old.
There is a network of hiking trails in the park, some of which are fairly rough and can be slippery when wet. The park receives more than 50 inches (1,270 mm) of rain annually and has an abundance of various ferns, berries and mushrooms.
Visitors should wear good walking shoes as the trails are often slippery due to the damp microclimate. Another word of caution: do not leave any valuables in the car as the parking lot at the entrance to the park is a scene of regular break-ins.
Access to the park is through Beacon Lane off Marine Drive.
