Eye of the Wind on Grouse Mountain
The view from the Eye of the Wind is breathtaking!
The Eye of the Wind is the world’s first wind turbine with a glass viewPOD™ at the top of the tower. This vantage point gives visitors a 360-degree view of Metro Vancouver and the North Shore Mountains. Reservations are recommended.
Our tour guide, Pippa, told us there is an escape hatch in the floor that is used to lower people in an emergency. A safety harness is used to lower people approximately 65 metres (215 feet) to the ground. Thankfully, there was no need to use the escape hatch on the day we visited.
Pippa Standing on Escape Hatch
Did you know?
- The Eye of the Wind is 1,273 metres (4,176.5 feet) above the City of Vancouver.
- The entire structure weighs 208.313 kgs (458,289 lbs).
- The tower is imbedded 15 metres (50 feet) into solid granite.
- The Eye of the Wind stands 65 metres (215 feet) high.
- Each of the three giant blades weighs 5,530 kgs (12,200 lbs).
- Each blade is 37.3 metres (122 feet) long.
- The blades can reach speeds of 300 kph (185 mph) at their tip.
- Vancouver’s highest recorded wind speed is 100 kph (62 mph).
- The Eye of the Wind can generate enough electricity in a year to service the needs of 400 homes.
- Grouse Mountain’s project partner for the Eye of the Wind is Leitner Technologies of Südtriol, Italy.
- Nine countries are represented in the development of the Eye of the Wind: Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, India, Italy, South Korea, and the United States of America.
View from Eye of the Wind
Grouse Mountain
Grouse Mountain is a four season tourist destination located 15 minutes from Vancouver. It is one of the North Shore Mountains in North Vancouver and is Vancouver’s most popular attraction receiving more than 1.2 million visitors each year. Grouse Mountain is open daily from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM 365 days a year.
In October 1894, the first recorded hiking party named Grouse Mountain after they hunted blue grouse on its alpine slopes. At that time, climbing Grouse Mountain was a three or four day journey, as there was no bridge across Burrard Inlet and no road to the base. Hikers had to trek over rocks and through dense forest to ascend the summit. Word of the first ascent spread and Grouse Mountain attracted hundreds of hikers. Among them were Don and Phyllis Munday who built the first log cabin on the mountain. The Munday Alpine Snowpark is named in their honour.
Winter comes alive at Grouse Mountain with skiers and snowboarders hitting the slopes. The variety of trails gives all levels of skiers and snowboarders the opportunity to ski while enjoying views of Metro Vancouver and the Pacific Ocean. The mountain’s many activities include ice skating, skiing, sleigh rides, snowboarding, snowshoeing, snow-limo and ziplines. Lessons and rentals are available on the mountain.
Getting There
Grouse Mountain provides a free shuttle service to the mountain with the purchase of an admission ticket. The shuttle departs daily from Canada Place in downtown Vancouver in the summer.
BC Transit provides regular bus service to and from the base of Grouse Mountain every half hour. In North Vancouver, take Bus 232 at Phibbs Exchange or Bus 236 at Lonsdale Quay to Grouse Mountain.
For travel from Vancouver, take the SeaBus from Waterfront Station SeaBus Terminal to the Charles A Spratt SeaBus Terminal at Lonsdale Quay and then take Bus 236 to Grouse Mountain. For more information, visit translink.ca.
For travel by car from Vancouver, follow Georgia Street through Stanley Park and across the Lion’s Gate Bridge, then take the North Vancouver exit to Marine Drive and turn left on Capilano Road. Proceed north on Capilano Road for five kilometres (three miles).
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