I think this is one of the secret trails of Vancouver. The hike winds through lush forests, requiring some scrambling under trees and over rocks and roots. The reward is a gorgeous crevice cut into a canyon where a waterfall dances into pools below, a perfect spot for lunch. Use caution after the rain as this trail can become quite muddy and slippery.
BIG CEDAR & KENNEDY FALLS HIKE DETAILS
When: year-round
Where: Lynn Headwaters Regional Park, North Vancouver
Difficulty: intermediate
Length: 5 hours for 10km roundtrip
Directions: At the parking lot at the end of Mountain Highway, walk past a big metal gate. Less than 10 metres up the road, take the first right turn into what looks like a dirt ditch but actually leads on to Big Cedar Trail. When you come across a sign post at a trail fork don't go up the mountain; instead, go right. Follow this path to reach Big Cedar, a 600-year-old cedar tree that was the only tree to survive the clear-cutting approximately 100 years ago.
The trail continues north behind the tree up the mountain towards Kennedy Falls. You won't hear the falls until you get pretty close so don't get discouraged! There are lots of bright pink and orange ties to keep you on track on this part. Avoid the blue ties - they seem to lead to nowhere. You'll come across a rock slide about half an hour after the tree and the falls another half an hour after that.
Bathrooms: yes, at the parking lot
Public Transit: yes, check out my full list of transit-accessible hikes in BC here
