My 9 Favourite Stroller Adventures from Vancouver to Whistler

We got a fancy trail running stroller (the Thule Glide 2) even before we ever bought diapers, and it’s probably one of my lifetime best purchases. Not all babies love being strapped into a stroller, but it works for most parents I know. The stroller frees you up to train while you’re on baby duty, and it also provides a better workout than a normal road jog, as you’re pushing anywhere between 30-50 pounds, depending on the weight of your babe or toddler! Even better, for most of the parents I know, their baby falls asleep in motion in the stroller, so it’s also a great way to help them nap. Finally, the strollers tend to have very good storage, so you can also incorporate a satisfying bakery pickup, or grab a few items from a shop along your run. Then you’re killing 3 birds with one stone: a run for you, a nap for the baby, and some errands.

Where to run?

You may be asking, where is the best place to run with a stroller? In my experience, it’s most relaxing to run on dedicated mixed-use bike paths. These are generally paved and smooth, without lots of sidewalks and bumps to navigate, and the separation from traffic is great peace of mind. While I usually run on paved bike paths, I’ve also found that the Thule Glide 2 stroller is very good at handling well-crushed gravel.

When to run?

Every baby is so unique. I’ve been very lucky that my baby will enjoy a stroller run pretty much anytime, and he’s happy to do it as a nap or while he’s awake. You’ll have to take a trial and error approach to see what works best for you and your baby! I just make sure I bring along extra food, and that way we can stop along the way if needed.

9 Favourite Stroller Adventures

After my first year as a parent, here is a roundup of some of my favourite stroller adventures around Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler, and Vancouver Island.

1: Vancouver Island’s Galloping Goose Trail

I got to explore the Jordan River and Sooke region of Vancouver Island for the first time last June, and honestly, I was amazed I’d never been! It’s a natural paradise full of rugged coastline + surf, incredible beaches, beautiful trails (home to the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail), amazing food, and great access for all kinds of adventures.

I was pleased to discover the Galloping Goose Trail, which is an awesome multi-use path that has a mix of paved and gravel, forest sections. We ran a section near Sooke, which was a beautiful section in the forest, with a very well-maintained crushed gravel surface.

2: Lost Lake trail system in Whistler

Whistler’s Lost Lake trail system is so under-rated. Accessible within minutes from the bustling (and sometimes overwhelming) Whistler Village, Lost Lake is a wonderful spot that’s got a wide variety of trails to suit the whole family. It’s easy to follow the nice double-track gravel path with a stroller, which will take you through the forest, past the picturesque Lost Lake, offering incredible mountain views, undulating hills, and the chance to go for a post or mid-run swim!

3: Whistler Valley Trail

As a world-renowned tourist destination, Whistler is home to an incredibly well-designed and extensive paved path network, called the Valley Trail. I’ve known about the Valley Trail for my whole life, but it took on a new usefulness to me with a baby, as it’s perfect for stroller running! It’s awesome because it connects all of Whistler’s main villages, from Creekside to the beautiful Green Lake on the north end of town. It’s fully separated from traffic, offers beautiful views, and connects to most of the main sights in Whistler, like all the lakes, and the Lost Lake trail system.

4: Vancouver Seawall

Vancouver’s Seawall stretches from UBC, through Spanish Banks (pictured below) and Kitsilano, and all the way around False Creek and Stanley Park, offering the world’s longest uninterrupted waterfront path! With amazing views, plenty of washrooms/baby change facilities, and a path that’s separated from cars for 30km, it’s one of the best spots to go for a run with a stroller.

5: Ambleside Seawalk

Just across the water, Ambleside’s Centennial Seawalk is a gorgeous paved path, and it’s a beautiful stroller run right along the ocean. I suggest starting at the Dundarave Pier, and heading towards Park Royal. If you’re craving a long run, you can connect to the Vancouver Seawall by running over the Lion’s Gate Bridge.

6: Squamish Sea to Sky Trail

This is my go-to, as it’s in my backyard. The Sea to Sky Trail goes all the way from Squamish to north of Pemberton, and the section through Squamish is perfect for strollers! This section is paved, taking you from downtown Squamish into Brackendale and beyond. Ambitious stroller folks can run all the way from downtown Squamish to the end of Paradise Valley Road and back, which would definitely be an ultra, but I prefer sticking to the section that has the separated-from-traffic path, from my house near Brackendale to downtown Squamish and back, for about 14k. My favourite section is between downtown Squamish and the Adventure Center, where the path winds in and out of the forest, and you’ll see views of the Stawamus Chief like the one below.

7: Squamish Riverside Dike

Another favourite spot for stroller adventures is along the Squamish River, which features an under-used, and incredibly beautiful system of dikes. I love incorporating the riverside dikes into my stroller adventures for the insane views of the Tantalus Mountains (pictured below), frequent sightings of eagles and other birds, and sometimes even black bears. For a really nice 10-12km run, park at the Dog Pound, and cross to the south side of the river, which will lead you out onto the Squamish Spit Road.

8: Family track workouts

At some point, we realized that we could do a pretty good workout as a family with the stroller. We started doing these family track workouts, where we’d do a warmup run to the local track together, then we’d swap-off, doing a set of intervals where we’d each take the stroller for our active recovery between intervals. The best part, was that having the stroller for our recovery made the intervals feel easier, as we were suddenly un-weighted! It worked really well to do 5 x 800m with 400m jogging rest, or 4 x 1200m with 600m jogging rest. The photo below was from a family trip to Palo Alto, our track at home does not look this nice!

9: Ice skating on wild ice in Squamish, BC

It doesn’t happen often, but once in a while, it’s cold enough on the coast that little lakes and sloughs freeze over enough to skate! This was one of those years, and we had a glorious 3 days of being able to skate outside in Squamish. Turns out that it’s a perfect stroller activity, too, so why not bring the baby along?!

4 tips to make life easier

To make life easy, I’d recommend the following:

1. Prep a stash: keep a stash of diapers, wet wipes, and food packets in the stroller, so that it’s quick to head out anytime.

2. Baby puffy: for those who live in colder climates (like me in Canada!), invest in a good puffy or fleece baby onesie, that way you can just throw it on over the little babe and get out there a bit more quickly. I got most of mine second-hand off of Facebook Marketplace, and I plan to re-sell them later, so it won’t need to cost much.

3. Snacks for you: keep some of your favourite snacks for you in the stroller: sometimes it’s hard to align your “ideal run window” with your baby’s, and it means you may be really hungry, or really full, like me yesterday, heading out immediately after downing a whole head of broccoli. 😉 You can prepare for the former issue by adding a few of your favourite non-perishable snacks into the stroller. This has saved me so many times when I’ve had to head out and hadn’t fuelled enough beforehand!

4. Headphones are key: as normally someone who normally prefers to run on trails and in the mountains, it was a bit of an adjustment to get used to the monotony of running on roads again. That’s where having a good playlist, podcast, and headphones really paid off. As soon as I had a good playlist, I found the road running a lot more enjoyable! I kept it at a volume where I could still hear everything that Luc had to say, and it worked really well. (I use wireless AirPods, but mostly because I damaged my phone’s headphone jack by accidentally surfing a wave on a paddle board in Hawaii, and due to water damage, it can no longer accept traditional wired headphones!) 😉