hi fellow explorers today we're in north vancouver and we're at the capilano
the capilano suspension bridge is one of vancouver's most popular tourist destinations
receiving over a million visitors each year
the bridge is also vancouver's oldest paid tourist attraction in 1903 the price to
visit was just 10 cents but the story of the capilano suspension bridge starts much earlier
the bridge is situated upon the unseated traditional territory of the squamish nation
and the name capilano comes from an indigenous word kaipilano meaning beautiful river
kaipelano was the name of a great squamish chief who
lived in the area in the early part of the 1800s
over time kai palano became anglicized to capilano
and is now used as the name of the bridge the park the river and the surrounding area
while visiting the bridge guests can experience the kai palano exhibit
and view totem poles to admire the craftsmanship of these indigenous artworks
in 1888 george mckay a scottish civil engineer and land developer purchased 6 000 acres of forest on
either side of the capilano river and built a cabin on the very edge of the canyon wall
the following year he suspended a footbridge made of hemp rope and cedar planks across the canyon
anchored by huge buried cedar logs the bridge in mckay's cabin became a popular destination
for his adventurous friends known as the capilano tramps who had to make a long journey to the site
first by steamship and then by tramping up a rough trail to mckay's property
following mckay's death in 1903 the land was purchased by edward mayan
and the hemp rope bridge was replaced by a wire cable bridge man also built the tea house in 1911
and continued to improve the property reinforcing the bridge with additional cables in 1914
by the 1920s the bridge was heavily promoted as the eighth wonder of the world
in 1953 ray mitchell purchased the bridge and aggressively promoted it as a worldwide attraction
he completely rebuilt the bridge over the course of five days in 1956
encasing the cables in 13 tons of concrete at either end
rey's daughter nancy purchased the bridge in 1983 and had the goal of elevating the
park from a mere stop off to a destination in traction which she did by introducing
attractions like the treetops adventure the cliff walk and adding world-class dining
heading back over the bridge of course the main attraction is the bridge itself at 450 feet long
hanging 230 feet above the capilano river
the bridge is constructed of cable and concrete and according to the park's website can hold up to
96 fully grown elephants in 2006 the strength of the bridge was put to the test when a 300 year old
46 ton douglas fir tree fell across the bridge during a heavy snowstorm
however the bridge remained intact since the cables can withstand 123 tons of pressure
and also possess an elastic quality allowing them to stretch and spring back upon impact
unfortunately the park had to be closed for three months while the tree trunk was safely removed
next up let's check out the treetops adventure the treetops adventure is another
popular experience at the capilano suspension bridge park allowing guests to walk amongst
the treetops in a series of seven suspension bridges attached to eight 250 year old douglas
and reaching as high as 110 feet above the forest floor
this attraction was built in 2004 and was designed to accommodate the continuous growth of the fur
trees the viewing platforms are attached to an innovative collar system that's adjustable
and movable and doesn't require any nails or bolts to penetrate the fir tree itself
and with your feet back firmly on the ground you can take some
time to wander the nature trails through capilano's living forest
which gives visitors an introduction to the ecology of the west coast rainforest
and learn about the flora and fauna found in this ecosystem while strolling past tranquil
trout ponds and majestic evergreens such as the 300 year old big dug
another seasonal attraction at capilano suspension bridge is the birds of raptor's ridge
where you get the chance to get up close and personal
with birds of prey such as hawks falcons and owls
while we're here we'll try a capilano suspension bridge original
these are maple syrup and icing sugar beaver balls
next up let's head to cliff walk which is capilano suspension bridge's newest attraction and features
a cantilevered bridge which stretches out over the canyon's edge the spiral staircase the cliff wall
the cliff walk is capilano bridge's newest and most exciting adventure
it consists of a series of unobtrusive cantilevered and suspended walkways jutting out
from the granite cliff face above the capilano river the cliff walk path is high and narrow
and in some sections open graded walkways are all that separate you from the canyon floor far below
and before we go let's take a peek inside the trading post
which has a collection of wares ranging from canadian collectibles and souvenirs
first nations artwork jewelry specialty foods decorations and outdoor wear
here's a cool travel book 25 places in canada that every family should visit and just by coincidence
the bridge
cool little suspension bridge ornaments
there it is all lit up for canyon lights
a view of the park and a view of vancouver british columbia
they've got all your standard canadian souvenirs like maple syrup and smoked salmon
i like this here's a travel themed card game see canada get gas
thanks for touring the bridge with me today remember to keep