The Ultimate Guide To Extreme Sports Near Vancouver

Vancouver is a magnet for adventure, seeing as its surrounded by water, mountains and national parks. Combined with its neighbours, Squamish and Whistler, this area in British Columbia is an extreme sports paradise. Follow this guide to the best extreme sports happening year-round near Vancouver.

Mountain Biking

Vancouver has a very active mountain bike community. North Vancouver is the place to go though. There’s even a non-profit organization that protects, maintains and develops the area’s trails. The best terrain is found around Mount Seymour, Cypress Mountain and Mount Fromme. Once the snow melts on Whistler Mountain, it becomes the Whistler Mountain Bike Park. It’s the ultimate downhill biking experience that suits all levels and attracts adrenaline junkies from around the world.

Views from Whistler’s Mountain Bike Park

Paragliding

Skiing & Snowboarding

The Greater Vancouver area is home to three skiing mountains: Cypress Mountain, Grouse Mountain and Mount Seymour. Each of these mountains offer skiing and snowboarding terrain a quick drive from downtown Vancouver. Cypress is the best for powder and hosted some events during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Less than two hours away is also the infamous Whistler Blackcomb. If you want to take these winter sports to the next level though, check out Whistler Heli-Skiing. This company has been in operation for 36 years and has the rights to 432,000 acres of mountain terrain (or 50 times the size of Whistler Blackcomb). The terrain includes an extreme 173 glaciers and 475 runs.

Bungee Jumping

British Columbia only has two bungee jumping locations and they are both close to Vancouver. Whistler Bungee offers a rush of adrenaline year-round. The company jumps from a bridge over the glacial-fed Cheakamus River. There’s also WildPlay Element Park in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, a short ferry ride from the mainland. Here you can jump over the Nanaimo River.

Kiteboarding

Squamish is the home of kiteboarding in BC. Unique weather conditions provide a consistent wind flow in Squamish, which is located in a bay on the Howe Sound. It’s a world-class kiteboarding destination and the two main beaches are the Spit and Nexen. The bay is at the mouth of the glacial-fed Squamish River, so full wetsuits are necessary. The best time to kiteboard in Squamish is from May to September.

Skydiving

Perhaps the most well-known extreme sport, skydive near Vancouver in either Abbotsford or Pemberton. Abbotsford is located in the Fraser Valley southeast of Vancouver. Some of the scenery you’ll see on your flight and consequent descent include snow-capped mountains, downtown Vancouver, the Gulf Islands and the region’s many rivers and lakes. In Pemberton, your scenic descent will give you views of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains.

Bobsledding

Get your adrenaline pumping in a four-person bobsled on the world’s fastest ice track at Whistler Sliding Centre. Now an Olympic legacy, this track includes 10 twists (including the final and famous Thunderbird Corner) and sleds can gain speeds of up to 125 kilometres (78 miles) per hour. There’s also the chance to go skeleton and launch head-first down the same track, if you dare. The centre is open from December to April, no matter the weather.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.