Canyon Lights Returns to Capilano Suspension Bridge

What is lit this year

The bridge itself is the headliner, a glowing line strung across the canyon high above the Capilano River. The Treetops Adventure walkways and the Cliffwalk along the granite face are lit too. Deeper in the rainforest, Wildlight is a 3D projection where a black bear, a coyote and a Great Horned Owl appear among the trees.

Back near the entrance there is hot chocolate with live festive music, a North Pole photo spot at The Trading Post, and holiday drinks and seasonal dishes at The Cliff House Restaurant and Bar. Part of every admission goes to the BC Professional Fire Fighters' Burn Fund, which the park says has received more than $610,000 from Canyon Lights so far.

Tickets, hours and getting there

The park lists adult admission at $79.95 at the window, plus GST, and says adults and seniors pay less by booking online. Children five and under are free. Entry is timed: one-hour arrival windows on weekdays and 30-minute windows on weekends and holidays, and once you are in you can stay as long as you like. The park is open 11am to 10pm with last entry at 9pm, every day except December 25.

B.C. residents should look at the local annual pass before paying for a single visit. It costs the same as one regular admission, covers Canyon Lights, and also covers the park's other seasonal events, such as Love Lights. Passholders still have to reserve a time online. Parking is limited, and on peak nights the park runs a free shuttle from downtown Vancouver.

How we would plan it

Go on a weeknight in late November, when the windows are an hour long and the crowds are thinner. Book an arrival around 5pm, cross the bridge first while it is still novel, and save the hot chocolate for the end. Dinner is a short drive away: Nicli Edgemont does wood-fired Neapolitan pizza in Edgemont Village, which is the right kind of warm after an hour on a cold bridge. If one of you claims to have no fear of heights, the Cliffwalk is where that gets checked.