Squamish Valley

To reach Squamish Valley simply follow the road of the same name, turning off the Sea to Sky highway. I would give the valley a high explorability rating as you pull to the side of the road anywhere along the drive and find a great place to walk. Turning off of Squamish Valley road onto Maggee Road you'll find a path down the the shoreline. 

Cypress Mountain

Cypress Mountain is one of three North Shore Mountains with ski facilities. It is nearest to Howe Sound and can be argued to have the best view of the city, Straight of Georgia and Vancouver Island on a clear day. On a really clear day Mt Baker in Washington state can be seen from lookouts on the drive up. If you go during the ski season the only way to access trails on foot is to drive to the very end of the lower parking lot. Once there enjoy a casual walk through massive trees on the way to Hollyburn lodge. There are many options for exploring on Cypress Mountain trails so on the next rainy day in Vancouver, head up the mountain to find a beautiful winter walk.

Yale, BC

Yale is located on the #1 hwy not far past Hope. It's a long drive from Vancouver but the drive is always half the fun. Throw on some good music and bring a good friend along and you've got a mini road trip. And, if you drive along Lougheed hwy (#7) you might pass a man making hickory smoked chestnuts in a santa hat.

We basically just walked up the banks of the Fraser river which has a very interesting mix of giant, weather shaped, moss covered boulders strewn about the wide sandbank. 

Yale is a quaint town with a museum chronicling the gold rush boom that put the town on the map. Beside the museum is an old church, built in 1863. Unfortunately both of these were closed the day we visited but I imagine the history of the town would be quite interesting. 

Kanaka Creek Regional Park

Kanaka Creek Regional Park is located between the #7 hwy and the banks of the Fraser River in Maple Ridge. A small park with groomed trails, it makes for a nice walk but being so close to the highway, train tracks and some industrial buildings it's not exactly tranquil. If you go in the early to mid fall you should be able to see salmon jumping upstream in the Fraser. Which I found pretty neat. With a few benches along the banks you can sit and watch for a spell.

There is a segment of the park that I was unaware of which follows along the creek as it makes it's way towards the Fraser River. For the portion of the park that I visited I would give it a low rating for explorebility; not much to do but stick to the path. If you're looking for an easy walk, maybe with younger children, Kanaka Park is a great place to find yourself.