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Wreck Beach


Wreck Beach (Squamish: Ts’ats’lhm) is a popular clothing-optional beach located in Pacific Spirit Regional Park, which is in turn part of the University Endowment Lands just west of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The clothing-optional section is clearly marked with signs and stretches approximately 6.7 kilometres or 4.2 miles from Acadia Beach, in the north, to the Booming Grounds Creek on the north arm of the Fraser River. The park is administered by the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD), though aboriginal claims are repeatedly asserted, especially by the Musqueam.

The shoreline throughout these beaches is mainly rocky with some sandy stretches with fewer beach-goers. An area is provided for owners to have their dogs off leash. During the smelt season, naturists share this area with declothed fishers and their families. Smelt fishing is typically prohibited from the middle of June to the middle of August.

Acadia Beach is short walk down a gentle slope from the parking lot on Marine Drive where there is a grassy area with several picnic tables. Tower Beach is at the end of the much longer Trail 3 and Point Grey is near the steeper Trail 4. There is pay parking close to Trail 3 and 4 at the Museum of Anthropology. All of Wreck Beach is contiguous and it is possible to walk along the entire coastline. However, when the tide is too high, access can be limited.

Along Tower Beach are two tall concrete range/direction instrument towers that are relics from World War II.

Along with lush vegetation, various forms of wildlife can also be seen, including nesting herons, sea lions, kingfishers, and bald eagles.

While the entire 7 km beach around to Point Grey from Acadia Beach to Booming Ground Creek is often referred to as Wreck Beach, the large sandy area on the north side of the North Arm Breakwater at the base of Trail 6 is what many think of when they talk about Wreck Beach. The trail is the most developed of the trails down the bluff and has about 500 wooden steps set into the soil. At the bottom of Trail 6 is the most popular portion of the beach, a stretch of sand between two artificial rock jetties constructed as breakwaters, lined by a row of licensed vendors selling imported clothing, jewelry, drinks, snacks, and other beach related items. Other unlicensed vendors may be found wandering the beach selling alcoholic beverages and other more illicit cash crops of British Columbia.


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