Capilano Suspension Bridge

Capilano Suspension Bridge, originally uploaded by Tim McDonald.

Decided to bite the bullet and check out the Capilano Suspension Bridge (no relation to the honey company).

Entry was a little steep ($30) but I had come all this way so in for a penny... I assumed it was just a bridge, and given that it looked far shorter than its 136m length I would have been sorely disappointed after paying so much to get in.

The bridge is far wobblier than I thought it would be (well it IS a suspension bridge) and the midday tourist traffic crossing in both directions didn't aid stability. Still, it is sturdily constructed so you feel safe and you get a nice view of the creek some 70m below (would be an impressive sight during the spring thaw I suspect) and surrounding trees. After taking some photos I was soon enough on the other side of the bridge and assumed there was nothing left to do but to turn around for the return journey. I couldn't have been more wrong.

On the other side I thought I had somehow been transported to the Forest Moon of Endor from The Return of the Jedi. Not only did the trees look the same but there was a series of elevated walkways and staircases weaving their way through the treetops above. All up, there is probably a couple of hundred metres of elevated walkways and it is a good deal of fun walking around on those even if the view is rather unsubstantial (mainly just other trees). In addition to the elevated walkway, there is a walkway on the ground that takes about 20 minutes to complete from end to end and has some nice views of the gorge and illustrates how high up the bridge actually is.

There are also a number of ponds with fish and a raptor enclosure with a handful of (sleeping at the time I saw them) birds including a falcon and a kestrel.

There is also a gift shop and some food stands and the obligatory First Nations totem poles.

All in an enjoyable, if a little expensive, way to spend an hour or so on a warm summer's day. Park upkeep doesn't come cheap I guess.