SQUAMISH NEIGHBOURHOODS
THE PLATEAU
One of the newest and most sought-after neighbourhoods in Squamish, The Plateau features towering mountain vistas and lush coastal rainforest as its backdrop. The area offers many beautiful single-family homes, all with great views. This is where you’ll find the new Crumpit Woods development. When completed, Crumpit Woods will include 109 full-sized, single-family building lots. The Plateau offers easy, almost-right-outside-your-door access to an extensive network of well maintained mountain biking and hiking trails through incomparable coastal rainforest. And with the neighbourhood located right in the heart of the Valleycliffe area, residents are just steps away from a shopping plaza with a general store, coffee shop, hair salon, day spa, and a neighbourhood pub, as well as two elementary schools and a Waldorf school. The Plateau is only a short walk or bike ride on paved lanes to Squamish’s downtown core.
HOSPITAL HILL
Perched atop the impressive granite Smoke Bluffs and offering a bird’s-eye view of all the downtown action, Hospital Hill is one of Squamish’s original neighbourhoods. Located just off Highway 99 at the southern end of town, this is an ideal neighbourhood for those commuting to Vancouver and looking for a unique area with small town appeal and charm. Surrounded by a well-established network of well-maintained hiking and mountain biking trails, Hospital Hill’s mostly single-family homes offer easy access to all the outdoor recreation for which Squamish has become famous. As the name implies, the neighbourhood is also the location of Squamish General Hospital. It is also in close proximity to all the amenities the Valleycliffe area has to offer, like a shopping plaza with a general store, coffee shop, hair salon, day spa, and a neighbourhood pub, as well as two elementary schools and a Waldorf school. Hospital Hill is also just a short walk or bike ride from downtown Squamish, as well as all the Vegas-style action of Chances Casino.
BRENNAN CENTER
Located between the bustling downtown core and the vibrant and growing Garibaldi Estates neighbourhood, Brennan Centre is an up-and-coming area with plenty of room to grow. Future plans for this neighbourhood include a mix of single-family homes with a smattering of townhomes. Offering large lots and easy access to both forested singletrack and paved bike trails, Brennan Centre is also the location of the Brennan Park Recreation Centre. The modern facility houses a large indoor public swimming pool, plus hot tub and sauna, as well as a skating arena and community rooms. It’s also where you’ll find Squamish’s wide range of leisure fields, as well as mini BMX track and baseball diamonds. It’s a great place to meet people and take part in Squamish’s healthy and active lifestyle. This section of town may be growing rapidly, however there is still plenty of room and opportunity to carve out a beautiful piece of Canada’s Recreation Capital in this ideal and picturesque location.
TANTALUS
The Tantalus neighbourhood was carved into the side of a hillside on the northernmost edge of Squamish, just a stone’s throw from Garibaldi Estates and Garibaldi Highlands. A newer neighbourhood, Tantalus features a unique mix of townhomes, single-family homes and commercial enterprises.
The area offers a wide range of amenities, from dental offices and boutiques, to the world-class Executive Suites Hotel and Resort, complete with challenging golf course. The all-suite hotel offers a heated indoor pool, plus the best fine dining this side of Vancouver and evening entertainment in its lounge. The neighbourhood also backs onto some of the best trails in Squamish, taking hikers and mountain bikers through gorgeous coastal rainforest. As it is a newer neighbourhood, Tantalus is a growing community, with future plans in the works to develop higher up the hillside.
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS
Higher education meets luxury living in University Heights. Situated on a forested plateau above Garibaldi Highlands, University Heights offers simply stunning views of the surrounding mountain ranges. The area offers stately single-family homes and duplexes, as well as building lots, and some apartments and dorm buildings that serve the nearby Quest University. The neighbourhood is surrounded by amazing hiking and mountain biking trail systems, plus Quest University features leisure sports fields where you can catch exciting collegiate-level soccer or football matches. The university campus also offers jaw-dropping scenic views from its cafeteria, which is a local’s favourite for showing off the stunning natural beauty, which encompasses Squamish. A newer area, University Heights is slated for future expansion, making it a desirable and much-sought-after neighbourhood.
VALLEYCLIFFE
Located under the watchful shadow of the massive Stawamus Chief, Valleycliffe is Squamish’s most southerly residential neighbourhood. In the 1920s, the area was once prized logging land, but today it is a quiet and quaint scenic area offering a true small town feel, with a variety of real estate options. The tree-lined neighbourhood features mostly single-family homes in a mix of styles, as well as several townhomes and apartment complexes. Climbing enthusiasts will find their paradise in Valleycliffe with its sheer Smoke Bluffs, as well as the neighbourhood’s proximity to the base of the Stawamus Chief’s more than 300 climbing routes. The area also offers biking and hiking trails, as well as rivers, creeks and steams for fishing. You will also find several key amenities here including an authentic neighbourhood pub, convenience store, hair salon and more. With three elementary schools, Valleycliffe also features a variety of education options for families.
DOWNTOWN SQUAMISH
Squamish’s downtown neighbourhood, including the areas of Dentville and Northyards, offers a delightful blend of both old and new homes. Originally an agricultural settlement and trading post in the early 1890s, the downtown quarter has blossomed over the years into a booming commercial centre offering a wide selection of amenities including fine restaurants, specialty shops and boutiques, art galleries, furniture stores, pharmacies, grocery stores, a post office, retail shops, veterinary offices, and so much more. This neighbourhood also includes the town’s waterfront on Howe Sound, complete with marina and dock. In addition, the area will soon feature an exciting new Squamish Oceanfront development with a mix of commercial and residential spaces.
DENTVILLE & NORTHYARDS
Dentville is situated just a five or ten–minute walk from the main downtown core, and offers lots of sun and larger, flat lots. Once considered an older neighbourhood, Dentville has evolved into an up-and-coming area, thanks to new construction and the revitalization of many properties, as well as the area’s affordable prices. You will find three schools in the Downtown/Dentville area, including an elementary school (kindergarten to grade six), secondary school (grade nine to grade 12), and Capilano University, which offers a variety of post-secondary programs and courses. The area features the West Coast Railway Museum’s fascinating and up-close exhibits of Canada’s railway history. It is also only a few minutes drive to the BC Museum of Mining and the gorgeous Shannon Falls.
GARIBALDI ESTATES
The area that is now known as Garibaldi Estates was once a community all its own in the middle of the valley between the original town of Squamish and the community of Brackendale. Simply called “Mamquam,” the area merged with the other two communities in 1964 to form the Squamish municipality we know today. Garibaldi Estates has seen a lot of development in recent years with the construction of several new modern townhome complexes, as well as a steadily growing commercial and retail sector. The area offers many amenities including grocery and convenience stores, pharmacies, a post office, a liquor store, specialty shops, a gas stations, and fine restaurants. Garibaldi Estates is where you will find the superb Squamish Valley Golf Club, an 18-hole scenic wonder that offers challenging play as well as breathtaking mountain views. There are also several small, forested trail systems in the area and along the Mamquam River and dike for both hikers and mountain bikers. You can find an incredible variety of home and property options, ranging from single-family houses with lots, to apartments, duplexes and townhomes, as well as mobile homes, in this flat and sunny neighbourhood. Garibaldi Estates offers an elementary school with a focus on learning through art.
GARIBALDI HIGHLANDS
Like other neighbourhoods, streets, businesses, and more in the Squamish area, Garibaldi Highlands borrows its name from towering Mount Garibaldi. The snow-capped mountain itself is named for the great 19th century Italian patriot, soldier and guerrilla general, Giuseppe Garibaldi. Views of that stunning peak and others can be found almost everywhere you look in this exceptionally sunny and family friendly neighbourhood. Built high up on hillside benches, Garibaldi Highlands takes advantage of the elevation and offers beautiful southwest views of the entire valley and ocean vistas across the Howe Sound. The neighbourhood features a wide selection of mostly residential, single-family homes for every type of living including duplexes, ranch-style, quaint cottages and luxurious houses. You will find several small parks in Garibaldi Highlands, as well as an intricate and well-used system of hiking and mountain biking trails leading to small valleys, lakes, and picturesque viewpoints. The neighbourhood features an elementary school (kindergarten to grade six), and is conveniently close to grocery and liquor stores, shopping, dental care, health clinics, and many restaurants.
BRACKENDALE
When a road was put in to connect Howe Sound to Brackendale, the town of Squamish grew at the water’s edge. Up until 1964 when it joined Squamish to form a municipality, Brackendale remained a separate community governed by the local Farmers’ Institute. Lush, green and offering views of the surrounding mountains, Brackendale has many housing options available for a variety of needs. Although the neighbourhood consists of primarily single-family homes with larger lots, it also features townhomes, as well as building lots. The area has both an elementary school (kindergarten to grade six) and a secondary school (grade seven to ten), which offers a French immersion option. Brackendale still retains much of its rustic roots and atmosphere, even with its own general store – yet it is still a very vibrant and thriving community with a delightful art gallery, as well as coffee shops, bike shops, and commercial area with restaurants and more. Located along the river, Brackendale also features incredible eagle viewing opportunities and locations, as well as fishing, canoeing, rafting and more.
RURAL SQUAMISH
Surrounding the Squamish town centre and its spacious neighbourhoods are tracts of forested lands and backcountry properties that offer a true home away from it all. Locations like Ring Creek, Upper Squamish, and the aptly named Paradise Valley are rural residential areas that feature stunning acreages of varying sizes. Own a piece of Mother Nature’s backyard near a wooded glade or quiet stream and share the land with eagles, hawks, foxes, and other beautiful West Coast wildlife. Enjoy simply breathtaking and unspoiled views of rivers and snow-capped mountains while horseback riding, eagle watching, whitewater rafting, or enjoying any number of backcountry activities in your own rural paradise.