Lost Lagoon

Park rangers: stop smashing the eggs of the two swans. We want more swans!!! So many raccoons and ducks already.

Lost Lagoon is an artificial, captive 16.6-hectare (41 acre) body of water, west of Georgia Street, near the entrance to Stanley Park in Vancouver, Canada. Surrounding the lake is a 1.75 km (1.09 mi) trail, and it features a lit fountain that was erected by Robert Harold Williams to commemorate the city’s golden jubilee. It is a nesting ground to many species of birds, including non-​native Mute Swan (whose wing tendons have been clipped to prevent escaping), Canada geese, numerous species of ducks such as mallard ducks and Great Blue Herons.
Native food gatherers used the low tide mudflats as a source for clams, and a midden on the north side indicates that a large dwelling once stood there. In the Swxwú7mesh language, the name is Ch’ekxwa’7lech, meaning «gets dry at times». Settlers also built cabins around the lake, which were all removed between 1913 and 1916 during construction of the causeway. The lake was created in 1916 by the construction of the Stanley Park causeway; until then, Lost Lagoon was a shallow part of Coal Harbour, which itself is an extension of Burrard Inlet.
The name for Lost Lagoon comes from a poem written by Pauline Johnson, who later explained her inspiration:
«I have always resented that jarring unattractive name [Coal Harbour] for years. When I first plied paddle across the gunwale of a light canoe and idled about the margin, I named the sheltered little cove Lost Lagoon. This was just to please my own fancy for, as that perfect summer month drifted on, the ever restless tides left the harbor devoid of any water at my favorite conoeing hour and my pet idling place was lost for many days; hence my fancy to call it Lost Lagoon.
The lake was officially named Lost Lagoon in 1922 by the park board, long after Johnson’s death and, ironically, after the lagoon had been permanently lost after becoming landlocked.
When the causeway was first proposed in 1909, an intense public debate took place over the fate of the basin. As with most of the early controversies concerning the use of Stanley Park, organized labour was pitted against the more upper and middle class proponents of the City Beautiful movement. Trade union representatives argued that the majority working class population was in need of recreational facilities, while their opponents maintained that more aesthetic or ethereal considerations should take precedence in park development. The Vancouver Trades and Labour Council was adamantly opposed to the idea of an artificial lake, and argued for it to instead be filled in for use as a sports field. The park board retained the services of T. Mawson and Associates, an architectural landscaping firm that had designed the park’s zoo and many other facilities in Stanley Park. The proposal the board settled on featured an artificial lake with a sports stadium on the northwest side and a large museum on the southwest shore. The $ 800,000 price tag, however, proved too steep for the board’s budget, and the non-​lake parts of the proposal were quashed.
The next phase in the lake’s development came in 1929, when the saltwater pipes entering from Coal Harbour were shut off, turning it into a freshwater lake. The BC Fish and Game Protection Association was given permission to stock the lake with trout. The Stanley Park Flyfishing Association was formed, and charged members to fish in the lake, while the park board profited from the canoe and boat rentals. This came to an end in 1938 when the walkway around the lake was constructed and the area declared a bird sanctuary. Civic budgets were significantly reduced during the depression, but the park board benefited from the free labour of relief recipients, who were used to landscape Lost Lagoon.
The next controversy surrounding the lake followed the proposal for a fountain to be erected in the lake to coincide with the city’s Golden Jubilee anniversary celebrations in 1936. For the mayor, it would be «a miracle of engineering,» with the spray of water lit by virtually «limitless combinations» of colour. The public, in contrast, were not impressed by the proposal. Its $ 33,019.96 price tag was considered extremely frivolous in the midst of an economic crisis.

Great place to take a break from «The City». Trails have been cleaned up over the last few years. Great place to see wild mushrooms and birds throughout the year. Check it out.

Just beautiful! Minutes away from downtown at the edge of Stanley Park, is this magical lagoon with giant fountain in the centre. There is a Nature House that is run by the Ecological Society of Stanley Park, at the base of the lagoon, which is so cool: They have a ton of information about wildlife that live in Stanley Park, history, etc. You can see real stuffed beavers, owls and birds. The large beaver inside is one of the largest beavers to ever be recorded!
Around the rest of the lagoon are hundreds of Canadian Geese (watch where you step!), some pigeons and a few really beautiful swans! This is such a beautiful spot to walk around. The people who maintain the lower gardens and natural flora and fauna do a tremendous job. Kudos to them!

This lagoon is pretty. There are lots of birds around, and park benches to sit on. Lots of people were at the lagoon when I was there. We were fortunate to see a family of baby ducks! They were so cute!

I like lost lagoon for the bathroom but I don’t like it when I’m roller blading because of all the bird poop. There are a few benches beside the water to sit at and feed the ducks and swans.

I love this place, love love love it!
That is all :)

The lagoon is ok, it’s pretty with the water and everything and there’s a lot of geese, ducks and some swans. But there’s also lots of bird crap from all the geese and ducks as well, you can’t even really walk around without stepping on that crap.

Amazing body of water wrapped by trails that run to (and through) Stanley Park, Lost Lagoon is more than just a tourist attraction. A nature sanctuary, a blue heron spotting place, home to the Lost Lagoon Nature House (which holds a wealth of information about Vancouver, Stanley Park, and naturally, the Lost Lagoon and all of the inhabitants that dwell within).
A perfect place to enjoy a morning cup of coffee, or start that early am jog, Lost Lagoon is truly one of the most beautiful and relaxing spots in Vancouver. Just watch out for those ducks and swans — they may look pretty, but they bite and leave little bits of themselves everywhere.

An amazing area of water, and this isn’t cottage country, but it’s right next to Downtown Vancouver. This is one of the best lagoons in an urban city in Canada. It’s truly full of life.
There are swans and ducks galore. It reminds me of Kensington Gardens in London. During a sunny warm day, you will see huge fish called carp jump in the air feeding on flies. If you’re lucky, you might even spot turtles and frogs. Air quality is great in this urban lagoon. There’s usually a breeze from English Bay and Burrard Inlet which cleans the Downtown air.

Lost Lagoon is beautiful. It is encased by trails which take you to other areas of Stanley Park, and is also surrounded by park benches where you can sit and enjoy the view. As others have mentioned, the lagoon is full of many different types of birds and you will often see a raccoon or two. Due to the numerous birds and other wildlife, you may have to dodge quite a few «remnants» left behind by the ducks, geese, and pigeons if you wander too close to the water. You might also notice a lingering odour (especially on a hot summer day). But it is a quiet place to read or reflect and park benches are often free here, which makes it a great reading spot.

Lost Lagoon is my urban oasis, and I love to share this secret paradise with fellow city-​dwellers seeking a quiet place to reflect.
Come here for: a solitary run or walk on a gorgeous trail, a safe place for your young kids to discover nature, a happy place to walk your dog or just for the wilderness sightings — raccoons, beavers, turtles, and all kinds of birds reside here.

Lost Lagoon is the nature walk in the city you always wanted for your kids. During a summer stroll you can see a nesting swan, raccoons, blue herons, many types of ducks, canada geese, turtles, seagulls (OK they are not so sighting worthy) and maybe a skunk, a veritable nature stroll try it without the kids some evening.

Lost Lagoon is absolutely stunning! A quieter area of Stanley Park with a track running around the lagoon that measures about a mile or so.
There is a lot of wildlife around, so I wouldn’t recommend going for a run after dark. I ran the track around 6pm and there were more raccoons visible that I could even keep track of! But if you don’t mind nature and don’t have severe allergies, Lost Lagoon is gorgeous. It almost looks like a picturesque postcard. There are even little picnic areas toward the lagoon from the track with benches!