Capilano Suspension Bridge

Capilano Suspension Bridge

When I was young, I remember my parents taking me to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. I can't say i enjoyed it back then on my first trip there because I was 6 years old, and i was severely afraid of heights. Nearly 10 years later (still afraid of heights), I decided to pay another visit to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. This time was a much more enjoyable experience. The bridge isn't the only attraction, there are many award winning gardens, North America's largest collection of First Nations' Totem Poles, and exhibits highlighting the park's history and the surrounding temperate rain forest.

The Capilano Suspension Bridge is 136 metres in length, and is suspended 70 metres above the ground.

The bridge itself has been around since 1888. Being around for so long, the city of Vancouver has made extensive repairs on the bridge to ensure the safety of all visitors.

Despite all the safety precautions, there have been a few accidents. In 1999, a woman dropped her 18-month-old, disabled child off the bridge. She claimed she stumbled accidentally and the child slipped from her grasp. The child was not seriously injured. The woman lost legal custody of her child as a result of the incident. The woman took legal action against the owner of the bridge, alleging negligence by the owner. The case was settled out of court. I've been to the bridge many times myself. The fence is not short enough for a baby to just "slip" out of someones hands and off the bridge. The only way anything can fall off the bridge is if it is thrown off. Luckily the baby was alright and I am glad the woman lost legal custody.

In 2006, a 300 year old, 46 ton Douglas fir tree toppled during a heavy snow storm. The tree fell across the western end of the bridge. Park officials closed the bridge temporarily while repairs were performed. This accident occurred after hours so nobody was hurt.


On June 6, 2010, a teenage tourist on a class trip from California fell more than 30 meters from a fenced off viewing platform near the bridge. By the time rescue workers came to his aid, the victim was dead. This was the first death ever to happen at the site. It is still up for debate whether or not this was indeed an accident, for it did happen in a fenced off area. I don't think these incidents should be any reason why anyone shouldn't visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge, but I do believe this is information you should hear before you come to visit.

Fun Fact: The bridge has been featured as a setting in episodes of several television series, including MacGyver, Sliders, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, and Psych. Haven't seen any of these shows myself...