Yew Lake Trail - Bowen Lookout Trail - Howe Sound Crest Trail

Yew Lake Trail - Bowen Lookout Trail - Howe Sound Crest Trail in West Vancouver is a serious North Shore classic, but it’s not messing around. This long out-and-back pushes up from Cypress toward St. Mark’s Summit, Mount Unnecessary, and the Lions ridge, stacking up big elevation and technical sections. If you’ve got the legs and experience, the payoff is huge: long ridgelines, big views over Howe Sound, and that close-up look at the West Lion that everyone talks about.

The day starts gently around Yew Lake, then ramps up fast past Bowen Lookout and into the Howe Sound Crest Trail proper. After St. Mark’s Summit the crowds thin, the trail gets steeper, and you lose and regain a lot of elevation on the way to Unnecessary and the Lions, with some minor scrambling and a couple of rope sections that feel exposed if you’re not used to it. On a clear day the scenery from these high points is wild in every direction, and on a foggy or rainy day it can feel remote, slick, and cold, especially near the top.

Recent hikers are all saying the same thing: ignore the lowball distance estimates and plan for this to feel longer and tougher than the stats suggest, especially if you try for the West Lion. Expect mud, slippery roots, lingering snow patches early season, and chilly, exposed summits. There’s no reliable water along most of the route, so carry at least 4 litres, bring proper layers, and know that knees take a beating on the way back. Most people treat the Yew Lake to Howe Sound Crest combo as a long summer day hike or a solid 2‑day backpack, and only advanced, well-prepared hikers should push all the way toward the Lions from Cypress.