Take the 25 UBC bus to the Park Centre on West 16th Avenue, then follow a simple Cleveland–Heron–Sasamat forest loop.

The simplest car-free plan from downtown is the Canada Line to King Edward Station, followed by the 25 UBC bus to the Park Centre on West 16th Avenue. The centre is about 400 metres west of Blanca Street, and Pacific Spirit has 55.5 km of walking trails, so this entrance provides facilities and a compact route without committing to a long hike (Metro Vancouver).

Take the 25 from King Edward Station

1. Take the Canada Line southbound from Waterfront, Vancouver City Centre or Yaletown–Roundhouse station.
2. Get off at King Edward Station.
3. From Bay 1, board the 25 UBC bus. The route continues west via King Edward Avenue, Dunbar Street and West 16th Avenue before reaching UBC Exchange (TransLink route 25 timetable).
4. Get off at Westbound W 16th Avenue at Pacific Spirit Park, stop 51598. Do not remain aboard until UBC Exchange; the TransLink stop page is useful for checking live departures.
5. The bus stops beside the Park Centre driveway. The washrooms and other facilities are on the south side of West 16th Avenue; Cleveland Trail begins across the road on the north side.

Destination Vancouver also identifies the 25 and 33 as the buses serving this entrance. If TransLink’s trip planner offers the 33 from your starting point, it reaches the same Park Centre area on West 16th Avenue (Destination Vancouver).

For the return downtown, use Eastbound W 16th Avenue at Pacific Spirit Park, stop 51485 and take the 25 toward Brentwood Station. Leave it at King Edward Station and transfer to a northbound Canada Line train. Check the TransLink trip planner on the day for live times, stop changes and accessibility information.

How the fare works

The Canada Line and bus can be covered by one fare if the trip fits inside the transfer period. TransLink allows transfers among bus, SkyTrain and SeaBus for up to 90 minutes, beginning with the first tap; use the same Compass Card, Compass Ticket or contactless card throughout (TransLink transfer rules).

Cash paid on a bus transfers only to another bus, not to SkyTrain or SeaBus. A Compass product or contactless bank card is therefore the simpler choice for this bus-and-train journey. All buses charge a one-zone fare, while SkyTrain zone rules depend on the journey, day and time (TransLink fare rules).

Walk a Cleveland–Heron–Sasamat loop

Allow roughly 60–90 minutes as a planning estimate, depending on pace, junction checks and stops. Download or photograph the official Pacific Spirit map before setting out: this is a network of named trails rather than one continuous signed sightseeing circuit.

1. From the Park Centre, walk to West 16th Avenue and cross carefully.
2. Follow the short path to Cleveland Trail, then take Cleveland north into the forest.
3. At Heron Trail, turn left and walk west.
4. At Sasamat Trail, turn left again and follow it south to West 16th Avenue.
5. Turn left on the path beside West 16th Avenue to return to the Park Centre.

This route begins and ends at the same transit stop and remains in the upland forest. It does not descend to the shore: Metro Vancouver describes most beach-access trails as steep and challenging, so Wreck Beach is better treated as a separate outing.

For a shorter walk, take Cleveland north to Heron and retrace your route. For a longer outing, extend the loop only with the official map available; missing one junction can add considerably more trail than expected.

Facilities, terrain and park hours

The Park Centre has drinking water, washrooms and picnic tables. Metro Vancouver identifies its parking and washrooms as wheelchair-accessible. On the north side of West 16th Avenue, Cleveland Trail has a semi-firm gravel surface, a minimum width of one metre and minimal slopes; Heron is also semi-firm gravel with minimal slopes. This does not make the full suggested loop step-free, and Cleveland south of 16th reaches grades of up to 25% (Metro Vancouver accessibility details).

Expect natural park conditions, including gravel, roots, puddles and mud after rain. More than 34 km of the park’s trails are shared by walkers, dog walkers, cyclists and equestrians. Walkers yield to horses, cyclists yield to walkers and horses, and visitors should stay on mapped trails; signs identify leash-required, leash-optional and no-dog areas (Pacific Spirit park brochure).

Pacific Spirit is not an around-the-clock park. Hours vary seasonally and are posted at entrances; check the official park page and current park advisories shortly before leaving.

To pair the forest with a museum rather than more trail distance, continue by bus to UBC after the walk. The Museum of Anthropology transit guide covers the campus approach and visitor details.