Ten Metro Vancouver locations for viewing colourful fall foliage

Astronomical fall begins on Tuesday, Sept. 22, while Environment Canada and other weather services mark meteorological fall from Sept. 1. Although the Lower Mainland’s autumn often signals the start of the rainy season, its early weeks can be pleasant, and some years are warmer and drier overall.

At the University of British Columbia, mature northern red oaks along Main Mall shift from deep green in summer to bright red by late fall, while nearby Pacific Spirit Regional Park offers walking routes year-round. Cambridge Street in Vancouver’s Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood draws visitors for its maple-leaf-covered street and red-and-orange canopy, though the strongest colours last only a few weeks. Queen Elizabeth Park, 125 metres above sea level and covering 52 hectares, combines city and North Shore Mountain views with gardens of native and exotic trees that turn red, orange, yellow and gold. Its Bloedel Conservatory provides a warm indoor stop with tropical birds and hundreds of exotic plants. West 10th Avenue between MacKenzie and Alma streets, near Kitsilano, is another tree-canopied route for autumn walks.

Trout Lake offers lakeside views, picnic space, playfields, public washrooms, off-leash dog areas and permitted barbecues. Stanley Park’s 400 hectares and more than 500,000 trees take on red, orange and yellow tones in autumn; suggested viewing areas include the seawall from the Vancouver Rowing Club, Lost Lagoon, the Prospect Point lookout and Brockton Point’s totem poles. VanDusen Botanical Garden highlights sugar maples, ginkgo trees, bald cypress and its Autumn Stroll. Its 2026 Harvest Days programming runs on weekends from Sept. 26 to Oct. 18 and on Thanksgiving Day, Oct. 12.

Other options include Vancouver’s ivy-covered Sylvia Building, whose façade shifts from green to orange and yellow; Lafarge Lake in Coquitlam’s Town Centre Park, at 1299 Pinetree Way near Lafarge Lake-Douglas SkyTrain station; and Bear Creek Park in Surrey. Lafarge Lake has a paved walking path suitable for all ages, strollers and wheelchairs. Bear Creek Park has a year-round, lit four-lane rubberized community walking track and smaller paths through trees, play areas and water features. Its Japanese maples turn vivid red and orange in fall, with other trees becoming bright yellow and orange. The track entrance is at 13750 88 Ave., about a 15-minute walk from Surrey Central SkyTrain Station.