- Difficulty Easy
- Time 1 hours
- Round-Trip 3km
- Elevation Gain minimal
- Season year-round
- Camping No
- From Vancouver 40 minutes
- Public Transit Yes
- Dog Friendly No
View Trail MapRice Lake is a calm, quiet lake located on the edge of the Lynn Headwaters Regional Park in North Vancouver. Just a short walk takes you around this lake that is full of life and natural beauty.
From the gravel parking lot north of Capilano College, walk past the park ranger buildings towards the grassy picnic area. Just on the other side of the grassy clearing is a gravel trail that enters into the forest. Follow this wide dirt road a short distance until you reach a wooden fence marking the entrance to the Rice Lake area.
Continue along the path towards Rice Lake admiring the trees and moss-covered forest floor that surrounds you. Just a few more steps and the forest opens to a view of Rice Lake. Turn right and walk along the trail that weaves alongside the lake.
There are several viewpoints around the lake with benches to relax and take in the natural beauty of the area. Long-legged herons and a wide variety of colourful ducks are active around the lake. Occasionally, an eagle can be spotted circling high above. The Rice Lake area is a great area for bird watchers and those who just enjoy the relaxing sounds.
Only a short distance later brings you back to the wooden information board where you started walking around the lake. Go right back towards the wooden gate and turn left onto the gravel road to make your way back towards the ranger station and parking lot where you began.
How to get to Rice Lake
Estimated Driving Time from Vancouver
40 minutes
To reach the trailhead for Rice Lake in North Vancouver, take Highway #1 westbound and take the third exit (Exit #22A) after the Second Narrows Bridge. Immediately, merge with one of the lanes to your left and continue straight through the traffic lights and up the hill towards Capilano University.
Get into the left lane as you're heading up the hill along Lillioet Road and continue straight through the next traffic light. The road will veer to the right and then left again as it passes a cemetery. A short distance later, the paved road passes through a yellow gate and continues on a road with several speed bumps. Continue until you reach the end where there is a paved parking lot on the right, just before the ranger station. There is additional overflow parking in a gravel lot beyond the paved section.
Once you have parked in the lot, walk towards the park ranger buildings and look for signage to Rice Lake.
View a map of Driving directions to Rice Lake.
Transit Access to Rice Lake
From downtown Vancouver, take the Seabus across to North Vancouver and at the Lonsdale Quay bus loop, take bus #228 to Lynn Valley. You will want to get off of the bus near the end of the route at Dempsey and Lynn Valley Road. Let the bus driver know where you are going and they can stop at the location.
After getting off the bus, walk down a short road and cross a wooden bridge. Walk up the gravel trail until you reach a clearing with a ranger checkpoint and paved road. Stay to the left to walk towards Rice Lake.
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