Wreck Beach

The park is administered by Metro Vancouver, though Indigenous claims are repeatedly asserted, especially by the Musqueam Nation.

In 1993, a brutal murder and rape occurred at the top of the stairs and a plaque still remains in memory of Christina (Tina) Joy Thompson.

In the Great Depression, nude bathing became popular due to high costs of swimsuits with men congregating on Siwash Rock in Stanley Park, to escape the puritanicalist oppression of local residents, a legacy of the Victorian era, they then flocked to Wreck Beach.

The beach increased in popularity with hippies until the late 1960s when a police raid in 1970 yielded a dozen arrests.

The WBPS has fought against these developments: a 20-million cubic meter dredging operation behind the North Arm breakwater; a parallel trail from Trail 6 to Trail 7 (One already built there quietly by two unknowns); a proposal to barge millions of gallons of "jet-fuel A" past Wreck Beach weekly; toe-to-cliff-top condominiums (proposed in 2004);[4] a 20-foot high, 10-foot wide sea wall over the beach it would supposedly have been meant to protect; viewing platforms which would have changed the interpretation of the Canadian Criminal Code insofar as nudity was concerned; the cutting of 40-acres of cliff face forest and then, the shaving of the cliffs in those 40-acres, and the construction of an RCMP service road to and along the beach.

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.

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

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.

A few times over the years, Metro Vancouver health authorities have issued advisories that the ocean's coliform bacteria counts near the beach are relatively high, and there may be potential risk to swimmers.