Queen Elizabeth Park sits on the extinct volcanic plug of Little Mountain — at 152 metres, it's the highest point within the City of Vancouver. The site was an abandoned basalt quarry until the 1930s, when the City turned it into a public garden using the old quarry walls as the backdrop for dramatic sunken gardens. Today it's one of the most-photographed public spaces in the city and a hugely popular wedding-photo location.
The summit has three main attractions. The quarry gardens themselves are ornamental planted beds filling the old rock pit, with paved paths winding through hydrangeas, roses, and mature maples. The Bloedel Conservatory is a domed glass greenhouse at the summit, home to over 200 tropical plants and around 100 free-flying exotic birds — a classic rainy-day move with kids, and one of the few paid attractions inside the park. And the summit itself offers a genuine 360-degree view of downtown, the North Shore, and (on clear days) Mount Baker across the border in Washington.
The park also holds public tennis courts, a pitch-and-putt golf course, a disc golf course, and Seasons in the Park restaurant. It's the best afternoon park in the city that isn't Stanley Park, and it's much less crowded because it's not near the waterfront.
How to get there
The 15 Cambie bus runs directly to the park entrance at 33rd and Cambie. By SkyTrain, King Edward station on the Canada Line is a 15-minute walk. By car, free parking is available at the top of the hill (but limited on weekends).
Local tips
- The Bloedel Conservatory is the best rainy-day stop in the park
- Sunset from the summit gives the best skyline view
- Pitch-and-putt golf is cheap and beginner-friendly
- The quarry gardens are peak beauty in May and June