It was on Wednesday, the 18th of June in 2008 when Nena and I joined a tour which took us to the Capilano Suspension Bridge which is about 10 minutes from our hotel in downtown Vancouver. It is a simple suspension bridge stretching across the Capilano River Canyon in the District of North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Originally built in 1889, today's bridge is the fourth bridge at this location.

The bridge is open every day except Christmas and it is Vancouver's oldest and most famous attraction. The current bridge is 450 feet (137 meters) long and 230 ft (70 meters) above the river. It is part of a private facility, with a charge for admission, and draws over 800,000 visitors a year. The Capilano Suspension Bridge and Park is a popular area for tourists and can be really busy during the summer time.

I learned that there were two known incidents at the suspension bridge. The first incident happened in 1999 when a woman dropped her 18-month-old, disabled child off the bridge. She claimed she stumbled accidentally and the child slipped from her grasp. Luckily, the child was not seriously injured but the woman lost legal custody of her child as a result of the incident. The second incident occured in 2006 when a 300 year old Douglas fir tree toppled during a heavy snow storm. The tree fell across the western end of the bridge that park officials closed the bridge temporarily while repairs were performed.

As a new and added attraction at the Capilano Suspension Bridge they have what is called the Tree Tops adventure. Visitors get to access this after crossing the suspension bridge. The first of its kind in North America, this adventure offers an elevated view of the surrounding thriving coastal forest. This unique walk in the trees takes visitors high above the forest floor on seven short suspension bridges which connects old Douglas fir trees, some reaching 100 feet above the forest floor.

At the park you will find a trading post (gift shop), a food vendor selling pizza and sandwiches, and some 25 authentic and colorful Totem Poles which have been collected since the 1930's. There are also life-size red cedar statues which were carved during the days of the Depression.

The accompanying photographs should give you a clear idea about the Capilano Suspension Bridge, the Tree Tops Adventure, as well as the other attractions found within the park. To view the photographs, just click on the link shown below:

Enjoy your cyberspace visit to this popular park in North Vancouver.