Grouse Mountain


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What:  1231m.  A popular peak with excellent partial views of Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

Where:  Grouse Mountain is located above North Vancouver, BC.

Difficulty: 1/5  Well-marked trail
Runnability: 5/5 Popular access trails offer many opportunities to open it up
Peak view: 4/5
Partially-obscured views of surrounding peaks and valleys. 
Scenery: 4/5 Mostly second growth forests.
Children: 5/5 Child friendly
Dogs: 5/5 Great for dogs

Route overview:  Grouse Mountain can be approached from 2 directions.  Both approaches offer a great deal of variety for the novice bagger.

Trip distance:  From the Grouse base parking lot, roughly 2.5 km. From end of paved Mountain Highway, roughly 12 km.

Trip time:  From Grouse parking lot, plan for 1.5 - 2.5 hours.  From end of paved Mountain Highway, plan for 3- 4 hours.  This assumes a moderate running pace and some contingency for getting lost.

Safety: 

  • Cellular coverage is inconsistent, but usually available.
  • GPS spotty under tree cover
  • Peak lodge at Grouse.
  • Recommend you bring your Baggers Companion

Name Origin:  This mountain received its name in 1894 when it was climbed by a party including E.A. Cleveland, who many years later became chief commissioner of the Greater Vancouver Water District. They named it "Grouse Mountain" because of the blue grouse they shot on it.

Headwaters for:  Mosquito Creek.  Mackay Creek.

Getting there:  Drive to Grouse Mountain base or, alternatively, to the end of Mountain Highway.  Note:  Parking near the top of Mountain Highway is hard to find.  Do not park in the resident parking.  You will be ticketed!

Route Details:  Grouse Mountain is a popular ski area.  There are 2 primary routes.

From base of Grouse

  • from ski area parking lot, take the Grouse Grind to the alpine chalet.  Good to get water here.
  • run uphill past the lumberjack show.  At the base of the peak, take the road to the right up to the windmill
  • the "peak" is between the windmill and the chairlift

From top of Mountain Highway

  • from the gate at the end of the pavement, take the dirt and gravel Old Mountain Highway roughly 12 km uphill to the windmill
  • either return the same way and bag Fromme on the way, or continue into the back country to bag Dam

Neighboring peaks:

  • Bagger Challenge peaks Fromme Mountain and Dam Mountain are relatively close.  Several other Grouse area peaks are baggable within same day by a strong runner

Submitted by:  Ean Jackson and David Crerar

More information: 

  • description from Club Tread


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