StanleyParkVan.com - Everything you need to know about visiting Stanley Park, Vancouver, Canada!
Prospect Point is the highest point in Stanley Park and offers great views of the ocean, West Vancouver, and the Lions Gate Bridge from it's lookout.
There is a restaurant bar and grill with a fabulous patio, cafe, ice cream stand, giftshop, and monuments to the SS Beaver and 2006 Windstorm.
Below we also have photos, history, and FAQs about Prospect Point.
The primary reason people go to Prospect Point in Stanley Park is for the views! It has great views of West Vancouver and beyond, the Lions Gate Bridge, and boats coming and going from Burrard Inlet.
2022-04-25: This restaurant closed for the Covid pandemic and remains closed indefinitely!
There is a full bar and grill restaurant at Prospect Point that has a westcoast inspired menu. It has a large outdoor patio where you are sitting on the edge of the forest.
There is a small cafe at Prospect Point. It has the normal cafe items such as coffee, pastries, and an ice cream stand!
September 15, 2022 UPDATE: The Trading Post has closed for the season.
There is a large gift shop at Prospect Point. It has lots of Canadian souvenirs.
There is a large cairn at Prospect Point in memory of the lives lost when the SS Beaver steamship crashed just below Prospect Point on July 26th, 1888.
There is a large monument at Prospect Point about the Windstorm that devastated Stanley Park, especially Prospect Point, in December 2006.
Prospect Point has a long history. In 1889, a summer house was built here as an observation point. A signal station for ships was built in 1923. In the 1950s a Tea Room operated here.
Prospect Point is located on the north side of Stanley Park. It is located at the highest point in Stanley Park so is primarily accessible by car. You can bicycle or walk to it, but you need to go up steep hills.
To get to Prospect Point in Stanley Park by driving you must enter Stanley Park from the Georgia Street entrance headed west. You will come to a traffic circle. You can two ways: quick way or longer more scenic way.
The long way is to take the first right in the traffic circle onto Stanley Park Drive. Continue for about 15-20 minutes all the way around Brockton Point and along the north side of Stanley Park until you reach Prospect Point
The quick way is to take the 2nd exit in the traffic circle onto Pipeline Road. Continue as far as you can go on Pipeline Road until you reach Stanley Park Drive. Turn left onto Stanley Park Drive and continue on it until you reach Prospect Point. This short way will save you 10-15 minutes. Prospect Point is just after you cross a bridge over the Stanley Park Causeway after going up a long steep hill.
Note that travel times by car are way up in 2022 due to the temporary bicycle lane which limits Stanley Park Drive to 1 lane so plan accordingly.
All parking in Stanley Park is paid parking! There is a small parking lot right at Prospect Point. There is street parking immediately after Prospect Point. If these are both full, there is a large parking lot about 100 metre further down Stanley Park Drive at the Prospect Point Picnic Area. For more information about parking and prices, read this: Parking in Stanley Park
Due to the temporary bicycle lane it does not appear that there are any bus parking spots anymore. This will surely become a big issue.
There is a 'not-so' temporary bicycle lane that runs on Stanley Park Drive. It takes about 30-45 minutes from the Georgia Street entrance of Stanley Park to make it to Prospect Point. Note that there is a very steep hill to get up to Prospect Point that a lot of people have to walk their bicycles up.
Bridle Trail goes from Second Beach to Prospect Point and is a bicycle allowed trail. Note that this trail is uphill to Prospect Point so it is not an easy ride up. It is a great, easy ride down!
Prospect Point is difficult to walk to because it is at the far north end of Stanley Park.
One way is to walk up Bridle Trail. This trail runs from Second Beach all the way to Prospect Point. It is uphill and takes about 45-60 minutes to walk.
Another way to walk to Prospect Point is to take a steep trail off of the north side of the Stanley Park Seawall just before you go under the Lions Gate Bridge. It is about a 10 minute walk up from the seawall.
Another way is to walk up the Stanley Park Causeway. Depending on the side that you are on, there is a short trail just before you get onto the Lions Gate bridge that goes to Prospect Point.