Skyline and Simic Trail

Skyline and Simic Trail in North Vancouver is a short, savage grind that shoots straight up the mountain with almost no warmup. At just 2.9 km with around 736 m of gain, it’s steeper than Grouse Grind territory and rated extreme for a reason. Expect a hard, fast suffer-fest rather than a casual forest walk.

When it’s in decent shape, Skyline and Simic climbs from the lower slopes toward the Grouse Mountain area, linking steep forest sections with rough, rooty pitches and a few scrambly bits. Views open up as you gain elevation, giving you peeks back over North Vancouver and Burrard Inlet, but the main “view” is really the brutal incline right in front of you. This is a point-to-point route, so most people use it as a direct ascent and connect to other Grouse area trails or the gondola at the top.

Right now, recent reports say a big section of the Skyline Trail has been hammered by clearcutting for sewer work, turning parts of the climb into a raw, exposed construction scar. That means less shade, loose footing, and a more tedious trudge straight uphill through the cut. If you still go, treat it like a training route, bring good footwear and plenty of water, and expect rough, ugly conditions rather than a scenic forest hike. Best season is still late spring to fall when snow is gone, but until the work is finished and any replanting happens, Skyline and Simic Trail is more about fitness than views.