Nature corner
The other half of this paper: places in the region that are still wild.
West Vancouver · Point Atkinson
Lighthouse Park: the forest that exists because a lighthouse needed darkness
Lighthouse Park is 75 hectares of mostly virgin coastal rainforest at Point Atkinson, where Burrard Inlet meets Howe Sound — old-growth Douglas fir, granite shoreline, and about six kilometres of easy trails. It is one of the last pieces of untouched forest in the Lower Mainland, and it is here for an oddly practical reason.
The point was named Point Atkinson by Captain George Vancouver in 1792; its original name is Sk’iwitsut, meaning “turn your canoe” — a warning about the hazardous waters offshore. The first lighthouse, wooden, was built in 1874 by Arthur Finney of Nanaimo. In 1881 the Dominion of Canada set aside the forest behind it for two working purposes: a dark backdrop so the light would stand out, and fuel for the steam-powered foghorn. That reserve became the park. The current hexagonal concrete tower dates to 1912. During the Second World War the station watched Burrard Inlet for submarines and ships, with searchlights and gun emplacements; in 1994 the light station grounds were declared a National Historic Site.
Practically: the park is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., dogs are welcome on the trails, and bus 250 runs from Park Royal. The main trail from the parking lot to the lighthouse viewpoint is under a mile, nearly flat — the full loop is longer, but the payoff comes early. Note that the lighthouse itself is fenced and closed; the viewpoint, the rocks and the forest are the visit.
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