Cypress Mountain

A Profile in Biodiversity of the Surrounding Area

Cypress MountainCypress Mountain was named for its cypress trees, commonly known as yellow cedar. They dominate the landscape. A few of the trees have been found to be almost 1,000 years old. To the south are Hollyburn, Black, and Strachan Mountains, and to the north is Brunswick Mountain. Together these four mountains form what is commonly known to the local population as Cypress Mountain. Cypress Mountain is on the shared traditional territory of the Tsleil-Waututh and Squamish First Nations, two of the

Four Host First Nations. Within this 3,000 hectare wilderness area is Cypress Provincial Park. The park is home to Cypress Bowl, the ski area. That hosts snowboard and free-style skiing events.

The area has an extensive trail network. The mountains to the south connect to Brunswick Mountain through the Howe Sound Crest Trail. The Howe Sound Crest Trail connects to the Trans Canada Trail. As a legacy of the Games, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC), provided funding to help improve the Baden Powell Recreational Trail. This trail is a popular easy-to-moderate hiking trail well-used by nature lovers. In preparation for the 2010 Winter Games, planning and development of certain areas of the mountain were undertaken after consultation and collaboration with a wide variety of community-based interests. Many efforts were made to help reduce the impacts of development on the mountain’s biological diversity. This included holding the snowboard and free-style skiing events only on Black Mountain, and the relocation of a dozen species of locally significant plants during venue construction.

Thick coniferous forests of yellow cedar and western red cedar, mountain hemlock and coastal Douglas fir blanket Cypress Mountain along with deciduous trees like mountain alder and Douglas maple. Thick undergrowth made of vine maple, ferns, and huckleberry sometimes competes with invasive plants like blackberry.

Golden-crowned KingletCypress Mountain’s forested areas open up to subalpine meadows of red and white heather and false azalea, providing ideal habitat and plentiful food for birds. The Common Raven, Gray Jay, Steller’s Jay, Three-toed Woodpecker, Black-capped Chickadee, and the Golden Crowned Kinglet live here year-round. The tiny Golden Crowned Kinglet has a habit of gorging right before a rainstorm. Grab your umbrella or hat if you see a Golden Crowned Kinglet in a feeding frenzy! The predictability of such behaviour has sealed its reputation as a natural weather forecaster.

Steller's JayOn the mountain, you can hear the haunting quark of the raven, the rasp-like screech of the Steller’s Jay, and the tap-tap-tap of the woodpecker. Listen closely and their sounds will help you locate them. In the spring and fall, you can see and hear migratory birds including warblers, vireos, finches, the Rufous Hummingbird, Tree Swallow, and Chipping Sparrow. They are all common visitors to Cypress Mountain.  They love the seasonal bounty of fruits, nuts, seeds, nectar, insects, including spiders and beetles, as well as larva and worms. Several types of raptors including the Red-tailed Hawk, Bald Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk, and the Northern Harrier live and hunt here too, as does the Western Screech Owl, Northern Hawk Owl, and Great Horned Owl. 

Great Horned OwlOfficial bird counts are done throughout the year by bird watchers and birding organizations, with support from Bird Studies Canada. Counts are reported through e-Bird Canada and the BC Breeding Bird Atlas. An important local bird sanctuary, Maplewood Flats in nearby in North Vancouver is an area regularly inventoried for birds. The inventory is done by the Wild Bird Trust. Official bird counts have identified 113 species of birds using Maplewood Flats. The sanctuary and the small lakes and rivers of North Vancouver and West Vancouver support birds and wildlife as well as fish, amphibians and reptiles.

Several Pacific salmon enhancement projects are underway in the watersheds of North Vancouver and West Vancouver. Reptiles found in West Vancouver and North Vancouver include the northern alligator lizard, and western painted turtle, the only freshwater turtle in B.C. Amphibians such as the rough-skinned newt, and the northwestern red-backed salamander can also be found. There are also many species of frogs, including the Pacific tree frog, western toad, red-legged frog, and the tailed frog. The tailed frog is a North American species, however within Canada it is found only in this province. The bullfrog, a destructive invasive species, can also be found here.


Black-Tailed DeerOn Cypress Mountain, the chipmunk andeastern grey squirrel(sometimes black in colour), are often seen scurrying around the forest, gathering nuts, seeds, and acorns. Opossums, pine martens and weasels are all local residents. So are the hare, raccoon, and striped skunk. They thrive on the abundant food sources provided by the forests and meadows. Black-tailed deer can often be seen grazing. The wilderness area is also home and hunting grounds for predators like the bobcat, cougar, coyote, and black bear.

Black Cinnamon BearBlack bears on the west coast are often cinnamon in colour. In the Great Bear Rainforest, along the mid-to-northern coast of British Columbia, some of the bears are white. These white bears are known as “Spirit Bear” to the aboriginal peoples of the mid-to-northern coast. Another name for them is Kermode bear. The white bear is very uncommon and is a subspecies of the black bear family. Spirit Bear was the inspiration for “Miga”, one of the mascots of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Pararlympic Winter Games.

Given that it is nestled right up to Canada’s third largest city, Vancouver, Cypress Mountain is one of the most heavily impacted wilderness areas in the Metro Vancouver area. Threats to the biological diversity of Cypress Mountain include commercial and residential development, and recreational overuse. The area is very popular for hiking, downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowtubing, snowshoeing, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The volume of recreational users however can generate considerable waste, destroy habitat, and disturb wildlife. Proximity to urban areas also creates airborne particulate matter that influences snow-melt patterns and impacts water quality. Climate change is also impacting subalpine environments. This is because the tree line moves higher with warming temperatures. 

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