A Park With Two Faces
New Brighton Park sits in the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood of East Vancouver, wedged between the Port of Vancouver’s grain terminals and the open water of Burrard Inlet. It’s an unusual pairing: on one side, working port infrastructure and the towers of the Cascadia grain elevators, and on the other, sweeping views across to the North Shore mountains. That contrast is part of what makes the park distinctive among Vancouver’s waterfront spaces. It covers roughly 10 hectares and includes a beach, an outdoor pool, sports fields, playgrounds, and a large fenced dog park, all connected by a gravel trail that runs along the shoreline.
Because it sits east of downtown and away from the more heavily trafficked beaches on the west side, New Brighton tends to draw a mix of nearby residents, dog owners, and pool-goers rather than tourist crowds, which gives it a quieter, more local feel.
Where Vancouver Began
Long before Vancouver existed, the shoreline here was known to the Squamish people as Khanahmoot, a spot valued for its abundant shellfish. In the 1860s, the provincial government targeted this stretch of waterfront as the future site of a harbour city, and a resort called New Brighton opened at the foot of what’s now Windermere Street in 1865. The surrounding settlement became known as Hastings Townsite, and for a period it held the city’s first post office, roads, and Canadian Pacific Railway office, years before Gastown grew into the city core we know today.
In 1968, the City of Vancouver placed a plaque at the park declaring “Here Vancouver Began,” marking the area’s role as the first non-Indigenous settlement point in the region. Traces of that industrial and maritime history are still visible today in the port facilities and rail lines bordering the park.
Beach, Dock, and Waterfront Trail
New Brighton’s beach is a mix of sand and gravel rather than the fine sand found at Vancouver’s more famous west-side beaches, and it fronts directly onto Burrard Inlet. A small dock extends out from the shoreline, a popular spot for watching freighters and tugboats move through the harbour. A gravel trail runs along the waterfront connecting the beach, the pool area, and the picnic grounds, making it easy to walk the length of the park without backtracking.
The beach itself sits within view of the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge (the Second Narrows Bridge), and on clear days the North Shore mountains rise directly across the water.
Pool, Playgrounds, and Sports Fields
New Brighton Pool is one of the larger outdoor pools operated by the Vancouver Park Board, with dedicated lap lanes alongside a more casual leisure area, and it draws comparisons to Kitsilano Pool on the city’s west side. Around the pool, the park has two playgrounds, a soccer pitch, and tennis courts, along with picnic tables and barbecue areas scattered across the grass. A concession stand near the pool serves casual snacks and food during the operating season.
Because pool hours, admission, and seasonal openings change from year to year, it’s worth checking the Vancouver Park Board site linked above before planning a visit around a swim.
One of the City’s Larger Off-Leash Areas
New Brighton’s off-leash dog park is fully fenced with a double-gated entrance, and it includes both open grassy space and dedicated water access, letting dogs swim in a designated area separate from the main swimming beach. It’s regularly cited as one of the more spacious off-leash parks in Vancouver, with room for dogs to run rather than just mill around a small enclosure. Leashes are required everywhere else in the park, including on the main beach.
A Growing Connection to Hastings Park
The City of Vancouver has been working, in stages, to link New Brighton Park to Hastings Park through Creekway Park, a smaller green space just to the southeast that already carries a running stream and a pedestrian and cycling path connecting to the Trans Canada Trail. The long-term goal is a continuous walking and cycling route between the two parks, though the connection is not yet fully complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
The park includes an outdoor pool, two playgrounds, a soccer field, tennis courts, picnic and barbecue areas, a sandy and gravel beach, a small dock, a fenced off-leash dog park, and a concession stand near the pool.
Yes. There’s a fenced off-leash dog park with water access. Outside of that designated area, including on the main beach, dogs must be kept on leash. Off-leash hours vary seasonally, so check the Vancouver Park Board site for current times.
Yes, New Brighton Pool is an outdoor pool with both lap lanes and a leisure swimming area. It’s seasonal, so hours and opening dates should be confirmed with the Vancouver Park Board before visiting.
The park sits on the site of Hastings Townsite, one of the earliest non-Indigenous settlements in the Vancouver area, dating to the 1860s. A 1968 plaque at the park marks it as the location where the city’s first post office, roads, and other civic infrastructure began. The shoreline itself, known to the Squamish people as Khanahmoot, was long used for shellfish harvesting before European settlement.
The park is accessed via Commissioner Street or Wall Street off McGill Street, close to the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge. There are several free parking lots on site, along with some street parking, though spaces can fill up on busy summer days.
Exploring more of East Vancouver’s waterfront and parks?