Photo: Vancouver Pickleball Association/Facebook
The beginner-friendly racquet game of pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in North America. In Vancouver, you can play pickleball all over the city.
What is Pickleball?
Pickleball is the casual cousin of tennis and ping-pong. It has simple rules, small courts, and a slower playing speed so it is easy to learn. It’s a great game to play with friends, but can also join a local pickleball club (such as the Vancouver Pickleball Association or the North Shore Pickleball Club) or register for pickleball lessons through Vancouver Parks and Recreation.
Where to Play Pickleball in Vancouver
You can play pickleball both indoors and outdoors. If you’re looking for an indoor pickleball court, many Vancouver Community Centres offer dedicated pickleball court rentals, drop-ins, and leagues.
Head outdoors to enjoy Vancouver’s best pickleball courts. In response to the increased popularity of the sport, the City of Vancouver has recently built several new pickleball courts. Unless they are reserved for community centre or school programs, most courts are first-come, first-served. If others are waiting to play, there is a 30-minute limit on play.
Queen Elizabeth Park
Located at Vancouver’s highest point, Queen Elizabeth Park has great views of downtown and the North Shore Mountains. It’s also home to the most pickleball courts in the city. Find them on the west side of the park near the tennis courts. Initially, there were four pickleball courts in Queen Elizabeth Park, but they proved so popular that the city installed three more, bringing the current total to seven. There is also a practice wall.
Pandora Park
Head to Pandora Park at the north end of the Granview-Woodland neighbourhood if you want to play pickleball. This community park has six pickleball courts in the middle of the park. A few get some shade, which can be nice on hot afternoons. The pickleball courts overlap the tennis courts so you may need to install portable pickleball nets before you play. Pandora Park is also just a few blocks from “Yeast Van“, one of Vancouver’s craft brewery districts, perfect for drinks afterward.
Brewers Park
There are four pickleball courts at Brewers Park in the Kensington-Cedar Cottage neighbourhood. Like in many other parks, the pickleball courts are shared with the tennis courts and you may have to set up portable pickleball nets. If you want to get something to eat after your game, walk a few blocks to Kingsway to an area informally known as “Little Saigon”. You’ll find several dozen Vietnamese restaurants lining the blocks both east and west of here.
Pickleball courts at Brewers Park. Photo: Mona Lee/Vancouver Pickleball Association/Facebook
Normanby Park
If you’re in West Vancouver, head to Normanby Park on the lower slopes of Hollyburn Peak to play at the North Shore’s newest purpose-built pickleball courts. There are four dedicated pickleball courts surrounded by forest. Make it a dual-sport day by going for a hike on the nearby Brother’s Creek Trail. The hike starts two blocks from the courts and includes some gorgeous old-growth trees.
More Courts
You can find more pickleball courts in Vancouver. Cedar Cottage Park, John Hendry (Trout Lake) Park, and Champlain Heights Park each have courts.
Many of the municipalities around Vancouver also have pickleball courts. You can play pickleball in West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, and New Westminster.