This is one of those sites that you have to see, but the price tag is somewhat daunting as the admission fee has soared over the last few years. Adult admission was $26.95 plus $3.00 for parking; fortunately, we attended on a day on which it was pouring down rain so they provide a 20% discount and a plastic rain poncho. If you can find discounts or other deals, go for it, the tourist information office on Burrard may have a discounted price as may Gray Lines.
There has been a bridge on the site since 1889. Not the same bridge, of course. The current bridge is suspended by steel cables with some elasticity and the bridge’s anchors are designed to shift if they receive a heavy impact as they did during a powerful windstorm in November, 2006. At that time, a 46-ton Douglas fir fell across the bridge and failed to damage it. So when you’re crossing its 450 foot span across a deep gorge and the bridge is bouncing and swaying, worry not; it’s quite safe.
The site is more than just the bridge; there are interpreters, exhibits, and trails to follow. Before the bridge, we saw native artists, a turn of the century band, people in costume, a large gift shop, a restaurant and an outdoor grill. There are interesting historical accounts of how the bridge came to be there and the effort involved in getting the initial version across. Apparently, people from Vancouver were visiting around 1900, making the ferry ride to North Vancouver and then coming up to Capilano by horse-drawn wagon. Referred to as the "Capilano Tramps" for the 6-hour "tramp" to the site, they drew my admiration.
After crossing the bridge, you will find the Treetops adventure, a series of suspension bridges high in the trees. I wasn’t really aware of how high we had come—they go out over sloping land—until I looked down, but I felt totally secure. And if I can feel secure with a height it’s OK for elderly ladies and small children. There is also the Cliff Hanger Walk, a boardwalk that takes you around the edge of the gorge and under the suspension bridge.
Even with my initial caveat, it was really good fun, even with the rain. It would be absolutely glorious on a sunny day with time to sit under the trees and enjoy the site.