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Lions
Bay
Lions Bay is located 10 km (6 miles) north of Horseshoe
Bay in West Vancouver and 33
km (21 miles) south of Squamish on 'The
Sea to Sky' Hwy 99.
Howe
Sound
Situated along beautiful Howe Sound, Lions Bay enjoys long-lasting
sunsets with a westerly view of Gambier, Bowyer and Bowen Islands,
with Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast in
the far horizon.
Three
Distinct Areas
The community is one of the smallest municipalities in British Columbia
with around 1,500 people living here in just over 500 homes. The
Lions Bay community is divided into three distinct areas called
Brunswick Beach, Kelvin Grove and Lions Bay situated on both sides
of 'The Sea to Sky' Hwy 99.
Lions
Bay General Store & Café
There are just a few services in Lions Bay that include the small
general store called the Lions Bay General Store & Café
which contains the postal outlet. Besides The Lions Bay General
Store & Café there is an art studio plus the Lions Bay
Marina. A word of note is that there are no gas stations in Lions
Bay.
Exploring
Howe Sound
The community enjoys ample opportunities to explore Howe Sound by
boat with the Lions Bay Marina located here which offers dry stack
boat storage. There are also two other marinas in the immediate
vicinity with Sunset Marina just south on Hwy 99 and Sewell's Marina
in Horseshoe Bay.
Beach
Parks
Local parks that offer some access to the waterfront include the
very private Kelvin Grove Beach Park and Lions Bay Beach Park next
to the Lions Bay Marina. There is also a community trail called
the Pride Path that links the two beach parks together.
Gambier
Island
Gambier Island, the largest island
in Howe Sound, is just west of Lions Bay and has three large bays
situated on the south side. The three bays called Port Graves Bay,
Centre Bay and West Bay all make for great exploring in your boat.
Halkett
Bay Marine Park
One area on Gambier Island that is close by boat from Lions Bay
is Halkett Bay Marine Park situated directly west from Lions Bay.
You can easily reach it by powerboat, sailing or by sea kayak. Halkett
Bay features wilderness camping, hiking trails up to the top of
614 metre (2,014 feet) high Mount Artaban for unforgettable views
and opportunities for swimming and beachcombing.
Brunswick
Beach
There is a small beach located 1.5 km (1 mile) north of Lions Bay
at Brunswick Point called Brunswick Beach. Brunswick Beach is very
secluded and has a great area for swimming with a clothing optional
area.
Lack
of Parking
The only problem is the lack of parking near Brunswick Beach with
most of the available area privately owned and closed to visitors.
There is some parking on 'The Sea to Sky' Hwy 99 and you have to
walk in, but be very careful of the highway traffic.
'The
Lions'
If you do happen to like hiking, make sure to hike one of Vancouver's
premier landmark mountains made up of twin peaks called 'The Lions.'
Reaching straight up from Lions Bay, the Lions Trail takes you up
to some incredible views of Howe Sound taking around seven hours
to complete.
Directions
to Sunset Drive Parking Lot
You can find the trailhead and small parking lot on Sunset Drive.
Take the Oceanview access into Lions Bay off Hwy 99 'The Sea to
Sky,' travel towards the store, then turn right on Centre Road,
then take a left on Bayview Road, another left on Mountain Drive
to a final left on Sunset Drive.
Overflow
Parking
Make sure you arrive early especially on weekends and during the
busy summer time season if you want to find a parking spot for your
vehicle. There is an overflow lot at the elementary school as well
as some parking on Sunset Drive south of Mountain Drive.
Bear
Safety
Please remember if you are hiking or walking around that there are
bears in the woods and nearby surroundings. Please practise proper
bear safety habits especially if you are taking your dogs or are
in a small group. Another reminder is to let someone know of hiking
plans, especially in bad weather.
Accommodation
Accommodation in Lions Bay is very limited with no campgrounds,
motel or hotel in the community. There is the Treehouse Bed and
Breakfast but, unfortunately, it is only open during the summer
season. The nearest campground is located north of Lions Bay at
Porteau
Cove Marine Provincial Park, which offers only a few drive-in
sites.
The
Seagull
The community newspaper of Lions Bay, The Seagull is published
monthly and is distributed free to all residents.
Road
Construction
Please remember to be very aware of possible dangers due to possible
road construction when you are on 'The Sea to Sky' Hwy 99. Look
for signs of possible road alterations and flag people all the way
to Squamish and Whistler with possible
washouts due to heavy storm conditions.
Information
on Lions Bay
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