Grouse Mountain

We went to Grouse Mountain over labor day weekend – it was one of the most recommended places to us! We purchased the sky ride to the top of the mountain called the «alpine experience» for $ 43.95, and that includes the right to and from the top of the mountain. A little pricey IMO, but considering we would only be here once, we didn’t mind too much. The ride there was beautiful! The «gondola ride» up there is smooth and I never felt unsafe.
Activities: Definitely go to the free lumberjack show! It is family friendly, and the lumberjacks who put on the show do an awesome job. It’s funny and entertaining and the show is done as a «feud» between 1 lumberjack regions, so all-​in-​all a great experience. There’s also opportunities to go ziplining and other fun activities (which you purchase)
Views: Make sure you check the weather before you get here! We unfortunately went on a day that was pretty foggy and cold, so we couldn’t see much. There are great hikes around the area, and there are trails that show you where to go.

Long lines, no rental equipment, no place to sit, waited 40 minutes to order four slices of pizza. Lessons sold out. Too small, no parking, no contingency parking. Waited one hour for tram. Expensive.
Pros: snow at top, kids liked the snow.
The end.

A lovely setting atop Grouse Mountain. The gondola ride up makes for fantastic views of the Greater Vancouver area. A nice way to spend a few hours away from the hustle and bustle below.

Nice Christmas atmosphere. We were at the top of the mountain for a couple of hours. Skating was perfect and the wary get cooperated. The young gal on the gondola was very chatty and entertained the group for the short ride. The food is a bit pricy at the top. That’s the only real complaint is a hot chocolate is outrageously priced. If you have time the walk around the little lake is fun

I loved grouse mountain. The views are amazing, the staff go way beyond our expectations, and the food is pretty good too.
I can only speak for the food and skiing, which is the main attraction lol.
The ski runs are awesome. Some of them were pretty icy but the view makes it worth while. I couldn’t take any pictures since I forgot but I will remember next time. So stay tuned!
The food is expensive, no doubt. But for the portions it’s worth it. Don’t get a side of fries or poutine, get the pound. The extra few bucks is worth it: D
Gondolas are pretty reliable. Only 12 minutes or so to get to the top. And you don’t need winter tires because of the gondola: P
Well that’s all. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Grouse Mountain is a great place to take your kids to play in the snow! I went with my family while I was vacationing in Vancouver. It’s an easy drive to the bottom of the mountain and you take a gondola ride to the top to ski, snowboard, or skate. The view of Vancouver is spectacular! They have Santa Workshop there to take pictures with Santa, mini movie theatre, gift shop. I like the mountain a lot. Don’t expect Whistler, but it is close to downtown and easy. And easy is important when you have kids!

I love Grouse Mountain. It is a really great place to get some quick downhill time in the winter. It has great views of the city on a clear day.
Why only 3 stars?
The price of the lift is significantly more expensive than it should be. $ 90 something for 2 of us and there just isn’t that much up there unless you are going up for a workout or during ski season. I think Mt Bachelor Oregon only charges $ 20 something per person and it is significantly better. It is a huge disappointment that they haven’t developed this place for mountain biking.
By the way, the Grizzly enclosure is sad and pathetic. Is there really any reason to have a captive Grizzly there?

Enjoy the gorgeous scenery as you ride a gondola that sweeps you upward to the mountains. I wouldn’t know since being cramped and pushed to the middle blocked my 360 views because of how short I am.
It’s just cold and slightly miserable up here if all you’re doing is leisurely walking around or looking at bears or watching the lumberjack show. I don’t know why none of the outdoor grounds café and restaurants were open because having a warm drink would’ve meant we hung out a little longer. Not sure how to justify another visit unless you buy the higher package.
If you visit Capilano, the ticket gets you a small discount here.

I would recommend the hike up to just about everyone. It is difficult yes, but it’s such a beautiful hike up. I went on a day that it was pouring rain so I can’t even imagine how gorgeous it would be without the fog and rain!

I can only speak to mid-​summer activities, but this was a fun place. My family and I had an excellent time watching the two bears in their area, the raptor show, and the fun and lively lumberjack show. The small bee exhibit was a little underwhelming for what I expected (and compared to everything else). There are several hiking/​walking trails, as well as ziplines and paragliding, among other activities. I didn’t get to ride the chair lift, but I liked that it was running. There’s also a restaurant and numerous overlooks, and a few giant wood sculptures are found along the main paved path. The staff I interacted with was warm, friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful all around.
(Weatherwise, it would be significantly more fun with clear skies — and not the forest-​fire-​smoke-​filled skies we had — but the Grouse Mountain folk can’t control that part and have to deal with it themselves.)
We also did the «BREAKFAST WITH THE BEARS» here, which was a fun time! With a warm, friendly, knowledgeable guide, we were able to wander the Grouse Mountain grounds early, having an opportunity to watch the bears before large crowds arrive. Plus, we got to feed them a little! (A very little. Their diet and _​how_​they eat — required foraging, instead of receiving most of their food from people — is watched carefully.) Fair warning: the bears don’t always come out when you hope the will, but it sounds like they do pretty often. After an initial period watching the bears, we had a hefty all-​you-​can-​eat buffet in a yurt on a deck overlooking part of the bears’ area. It was thoroughly enjoyable and something I would recommend.

A must see for anyone in Vancouver! A steep 1-​hour hike up the mountain or a 4-​minute ride up the gondola– your choice! So be prepared or pay a big price.
At the top: spectacular views, food, bears, hang gliding, and more. It feels like you are in a small little town when you get to the top. I definitely want to come back on a nice sunny day.

Holy hiking and leg burns! This is not a easy hike! You will have thunder thighs by the end of the day. It is a physically intense uphill climb. It took about an 1 hour and 45 minutes to get to the top even with 5 minute rests here and there and we were going at a steady pace.
Beware! Of mosquitoes, I got bitten a couple times. There’s no scenery to see during the hike cause every view in all directions are treessss. You are pretty much looking down at your footing the whole time to get over those monstrous steps.
We got to the top theres souvenir shops, sandwich, coffee, drinks. The scenery over Vancouver wasn’t as good I thought it would be or maybe we didn’t explore the mountain enough. We were short in time with about a 30 minute rest before heading back down in the gondola. The ride is not free! Expect to pay! If I can remember it is around 15 CAD per person.

Well worth the trip from the base of the mountain via the gondola ride. If this is your first time — you might want to go all the way to the Eye of the Wind. I enjoyed Grouse Mountain although it was hot and we did not want to spend a lot of time since there is not many trees. They have a simple bear exhibit and a bee garden to view along with a loggers show. We also watched the movie in the air conditioned theater and had lunch.
The views are amazing — but due to the fires at the time — a little hazy.

We took the gondola up to the mountain and then the smaller gondola all the way up. The view is simply breathtaking. We watched the sunset over the city.
The nature is simply beautiful.

I went to Grouse Mountain this afternoon. I caught the free shuttle bus from Canada Place (it is a 25 minute drive).
They have a few packages, depending on what you want to do. I bought the Ultimate Experience which got me to the very top and gave me access to the Eye of the Wind, a wind turbine. Things like parasailing, ziplining, helicopter rides, etc. are extra.
To get to the first level, you can either do the Grouse Grind (a 2.9 km/1.8 miles climb of 1,127 metres/3,700ft and a total of 2,830 stairs) or take the six minute tram … I took the tram.
There are a couple restaurants and stores once you get to the top.
There is a map with all the activities so you know where to go. Included in the cost on the first level are lumberjack shows, birds in motion, beehives, a couple grizzle bears (when I went to see them, they were lazing behind some trees), etc.
I wanted to get to the very top so I headed to the gondolas that would take me there. I will admit that I was SCARED and had my eyes closed for a lot of the time … I was happy to get to the top!
The scenery along the path to get to the Eye of the Wind was fabulous!
The Eye of the Wind, which rises 65 metres from its base to the top of the tower, is the world’s first and only wind turbine that allows you to stand in a clear glass viewPOD at the top of the tower, three metres from its massive, rotating blades. You take an elevator to the top and the pod rotates. You can see down down down through part of the floor. The views were fabulous!
It was a lot of fun. Definitely a «must do» if you are in Vancouver.

Grouse Mountain was great preparation for the gondola ride at Peak 2 Peak mountain in Whistler. I’ve been on some amazing gondollas like the one in Alyeska Alaska, and Grouse Mountain’s ranks up there on that level, being on in the clouds heights surrounded by breathtaking beauty too much for any camera to capture. Located just a small distance away from Capilano Suspension Bridge and on the same bus route, it was our next activity for the day after a few hours at the suspension bridge.
The restaurant at the top of Grouse Mountain is amazing; we were fortunate to come by around happy hour. We had some delicious drinks, awesome sweet potato fries and a delicious chicken burger (one of the best chicken burgers I’ve had).
We watched part of the entertaining lumberjack show and headed over to the ski lift up top, which was pretty amazing. At the very top are some huge hungry mosquitos. Even with bug spray they still come out to get you. That was our cue to head back down.
Enjoyable day indeed and must do for any tourist when in Vancouver!

I really enjoyed my time here. The ride up to the mountain was beautiful. I saw the greenery, ocean, the entire Vancouver. It was pretty breath-​taking.
We caught the lumberjack show, watched the Grizzly bears, and the bird show. The lumberjacks were entertaining. Very funny show. The bird show was a bit scary for me since the birds were flying around us and very low around us. Of course, we got front seating so it was a bit intimidating while the trainer walked along with the big birds. Oh, the Grizzly were adorable. Glad we had caught before the his away. They were big and furry.
There were some things I wish they didn’t do. They cram everyone into the cable ride up and down. Then I saw that the next rides had only a handful. It would be nice to enjoy the scenery without feeling like we were in the way of others. And maybe more snack areas for visitors to buy food. Other than those two items, it was a great place to check out.

Grouse Mountain is one those attractions that will have different opinions based on how you approach it. I hiked Grouse Mountain on June 30, 2015.
The hike: Since I moved here (just less than a year ago), I’ve been told that Grouse Mountain is a hike that one just *has* to do. Since I’m a huge fan of hiking, I was excited for the challenge. A challenge is exactly what Grouse is! The first half of the hike, I hated myself. I kept asking myself why I wanted to put myself through something like this. By the second half though, I was ecstatic. I felt great. The hike was still tough, but I was enjoying it. I found it helpful that there were clear markers at every quarter point, so you knew how much of the hike you’ve done. I would say I’m in moderate shape (I hike regularly but don’t work out often) and I did the hike in an hour and 10 minutes, with some breaks in between. By the end of the hike, I felt fantastic.
The view: Honestly, I’ve seen better. If you’re looking for a great view, I’d recommend Quarry Rock. It’s an easier hike, dog friendly, and the view is fantastic. There’s no gondola or restaurants at the top, but the view is amazing.
Dining: My friends and I grabbed a drink and some food at Sky Deck after the hike. The prices were typical tourist prices (read: not cheap) and the service was poor. We waited a half hour, after asking, for our bill. The views while eating were really nice though.
Attractions: It was fun to see bears and I wouldn’t mind coming back to do zip-​lining.
Gondola: I was really disappointed by the gondola. I didn’t enjoy having to pay $ 10 to be squished into a gondola and not get to see anything. There were so many in the gondola that all I could see were, well, other people. I had asked before getting on if I could wait for the next one, so that I could stand by the window on the way down, and I was told no.
Despite not enjoying the $ 10 gondola ride, I would hike Grouse again. I enjoyed the challenge of the hike and the expensive beer felt that much more rewarding.

BEAUTIFUL VIEWS overlooking VANCOUVER, but you will PAY $$$$
There are two ways to get up to the top of this mountain: 2+hr hike up Grouse Grind (4000ft+ elevation change) …or 8min gondola ride. We were on a time crunch and had kids and seniors with us so we chose to ride the gondola. Maybe next time I’ll do the hike. Or not.
PARKING: must pay for parking
ADMISSION: $$$$ must pay for admission to ride the gondola up. We had coupons for a few dollars off admission from our Capilano Suspension Bridge receipt, which didn’t do much damage to our whopping bill. Winter and summer prices are different. We went in June when there isn’t much to do up there and it was still expensive. Check out
for prices, but just to give you an idea: adult gondola ride $ 43.95. For a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids under 19), $ 113.95. Kids under 4 are free. In addition to the gondola, which takes you up to the level of the lumberjack show, the grizzly experience and a few snack shops, we also went up the chair lift, which was an additional cost. (family of 4 total cost to use the gondola and chair lift=$ 121.95)
VIEWS: they are absolutely fantastic if you go on a clear day. The gondola can pack in 100 people but only has seats for about 10. The views at that first level are great but the views at the top of the chair lift are even better!
ACTIVITIES (summer)
Once off the gondola, they have a zipline experience — a dual line 5-​line course that takes about 2 hours to complete (for an additional charge, of course). They run every 30 minutes. The grizzly experience is two grizzly bears in an enclosure. The lumberjack show runs twice a day. We were at the top of the chair lift during the show but we could hear the laughing from the top of the mountain. My mom saw it and said it was a comedy show. The chair lift is a nice and quiet 4-​person/​chair ride. Since I’ve never taken the kids skiing, this was their first experience on a real chair lift and they stayed really really still the whole ride. I’ve never seen my kids sit still for that long. The «Eye of the Wind» is a trip up to the center of a non working windmill, and I’m glad we skipped that part because it didn’t look all that great.
FOOD/​SHOP
They had a cafeteria style eatery which served decent ski lodge type food, and there were two shops to spend more money on Grouse mountain souvenirs. Be careful, they will rip you off at every chance they have.
I think this place is definitely worth coming to… however, if you are on a tight budget, skip this place because we had 10+ people in our group, dropped a ton of cash to spend less than 4 hrs at this place.

At one point, I was a part of their tourism pass holder in 2007 and I have to say. I been up there many times. Plus because I am a tourism passholder admission was free. But because back then I was part of them they would still treat you with respect.
I purchased a Y2Play pass last year and a friend warned me about not getting it. I though to myself what could go wrong. My friend was a pass member in 2012 and after her horrible customer service experience she did not purchase it.
I bought mine for 2014 end of Feb. Did have some fun time. The Y2Play pass ran from End of Feb 2014 to April 30, 2015. Only valid in Winter season.
So in 2015, there was no snow and they tried to honor the Y2Play ski and snowboarding pass by letting people go ziplining and eye of the wind tour for free. As well they extended the pass to May 15, 2015. The only issue was that the ziplining and eye of the wind was always booked full. And for the one day that i am able to book it, maintenance was schedule to happen on that day. I am not sure if they purposely arranged it or if it was just bad luck.
Back in 2010, when they had no snow, they extended the pass to next year end of season but now they are not willing to. But again in 2010, there was also the 2010 Vancouver Olympic happening and probably didn’t want too much angry customers.
I have called the customer service rep about this issue and they said there is nothing they can do. Because there is no guarantee there is snow for next year. Its a gamble that is why they sell it cheap. He also told me there are people who paid full price at the beginning of the snow season year $ 800 snowpass and didn’t snowboard or ski once and again they are not refunding anyone’s pass regardless if they used once or not. Grouse (Customer service Dave) also mentioned that its set in their terms and condition, its non-​refundable and for them to give complimentary eye of the wind tour and ziplining is very kind of them. They are not obligated to honor those activities as well. They also said they have the rights to limited on who gets the privilege to go on.
I feel like i was told a lie when I purchased the pass. First of all, I have asked about what happens if there are no snow. they said they usually extend it like 2010. or give refund. As well, if I wanted to gamble I would have went to the casino instead.
Please do not buy any ski or snowboarding pass from Grouse!

Grouse Mountain …
ist m. E erst richtig bei uns durch die Olympischen Winterspiele und die damit verbundene Berichterstattung in den Medien 2010 bekannt geworden. Die Kanadier allerdings schätzen das Gebiet natürlich schon länger, es ist schneesicher und die Pisten sind sehr gut angelegt.
Der Gegensatz … ein Besuch im Sommer … :) Denn dann dreht sich alles um die «Eroberung der Lüfte» und der «Abgründe».
Paraglider — mit oder ohne Motor — und Fallschirmspringer bestimmen das Bild am Berg.
Auf den «Grouse Mountain» führt der doch recht anspruchsvolle «Grouse Grind» ein ca. 3 km langer Weg, der eine Höhendifferenz von ca. 860 m überwindet. Jedes Jahr gehen viele, viele Leute diesen Weg hinauf, denn die Fahrt mit der Seilbahn auf den Berg hat gepfefferte Preise. Von vielen Stellen aus hat man einen sagenhaften Blick auf Vancuver und den Hafen. So haben wir uns — wie immer — sehr früh auf den Weg gemacht und konnten das Erwachen der Stadt beobachten und wunderschöné Eindrücke geniessen. Mit ausreichend Pausen und Verpflegung waren wir gut versorgt.
Oben angekommen … nach gut 3 Stunden … :) schlugen uns krass die Gegensätze entgegen. Trubel, Menschen, Sportler mit ihren Luftgeräten beherrschten nun das Bild. Von unterwegs konnten wir schon einige schöné Szenen der Flieger beobachten.
Einige grosse und kleine Hütten mit Sitzmöglichkeiten im Freien bieten den Besuchern ein gutes Angebot an Verpflegung und Getränken.
Am frühen Nachmittag machten wir uns auf den Rückweg, dieses Mal allerdings mit der Seilbahn, denn der Preis für die Abfahrt kostet im Gegensatz zur Auffahrt nur einen Bruchteil.
Fazit: Der Ausflug ist sehr empfehlenswert und interessant. Allerdings sollte der Zeitpunkt am besten in den frühen Morgenstunden liegen um die schönen Momente zu geniessen.
Das ist nun mein 600. derster Beitrag … :)
Hier noch zwei gute Webcams, die weitere Eindrücke vermitteln …

Ist wohl im Winter toll als Skigebiet. Bei meinem Besuch war allerdings kaum etwas geöffnet (keine Holzfällershow, keine Flugschau, keine Seilbahnen) und (da kann die Einrichtung nix für) es war bewölkt und ich konnte die Aussicht nicht genießen, da man nur grau gesehen hat.
Sehr teuer. 50 $ nur um einmal rauf und runter zu fahren und 2 Grizzlybären zu sehen. Das war etwas übertrieben.
Im großen und ganzen wird einem während der Hauptsaison in Sommer wohl einiges geboten (gegen reichlich Geld), und im Winter als Skigebiet sicherlich klasse.
So gibt’s allerdings nur 3 Sterne, da der Preis echt heftig war und kaum etwas geboten wurde.
Ich habe im Lupin-​Restauraunt Mac&Cheese gegessen. Das kann bestenfalls als gruselig bezeichnet werden. Sehr schlechte Qualität. Wie es mit den anderen Restaurants oder Speisen aussieht kann ich nicht sagen. Auswahl gibt es genug, vom Snack bis zum vollwertigen Menu ist alles vorhanden.

Als wir das zweite mal in Vancouver waren, mußte ich einfach mal das ZipLining am Grouse Mountain ausprobieren! ES WAR DER HAMMER!
Wenn man die Tour direkt unten in der Gondelstation bucht, dann ist die Fahrt nach oben im Preis mit drin. Ansonsten sind die 120 $ schon eine menge Geld, die sich aber echt lohnen!
Mann kann den ganzen Tag auf dem Berg verbringen. Essen und Trinken ist natürlich etwas teurer, aber das ist in den Alpen ja nicht anders…

Mit der Seilbahn gehts hoch auf den Hausberg Vancouvers. Absolut geniale Aussicht auf die umliegenden Berge und die Stadt ansich. Auf dem Berg können Grizzlebären bestaunt werden, Ski fahren ist möglich und, was ich nur weiterempfehlen kann, Zip riding (Kostet 120 Dollar, dafür bekommt man allerdings die 40 Dollar von dem Seilbahnticket zurückerstattet). Ein Spaß für gute 2 ½ Stunden. Ein Punkt Abzug für den Preis von 40 Dollar Seilbahn allerdings doch.

Was der Vorschreiber anscheinend nicht wusste, ist das der Grousse-​Mountain einen anstrengend Aufstieg (eher eine «Naturtreppe») bietet: Geübte «Sportler» schaffen ihn in unter einer Stunde, gemütliche Spaziergänger brauchen eher zwei Stunden. Fertig ist oben jeder, aber zum Ausruhen gibts ja ein nettes Restaurant, mit schöner Terasse und großartigem Blick über Vancouver und das Meer.
Die Abfahrt mit der Gondel kostet im Übrigen nur 5 $, das soll die Großstädter wohl dazu anhalten ein bisschen Sport für den guten Ausblick oben zu investieren :)

Mit der Seilbahn geht es für knapp 40 Dollar p. Person auf den Grouse Mountain. Dort bietet sich die Möglichkeit einen Heli-​Rundflug zu machen und sich mit Seilwinden über große Abhänge zu rutschen.
Weiterhin kann man sich eine Holzfäller Show angucken, einen Film zum Bau des Grouse Mountain, oder man fährt mit dem kleinen Lift noch weiter rauf zur Spitze des Berges um das tolle Panorama festzuhalten. Das ist auch der einzige Grund für die 4 Sterne, der Rest… naja sagen wir mal 40 Dollar ist schon ein bisschen viel…