The Capilano River, flowing north to south through the Coast Mountains, is located on Vancouver's North Shore and empties into Burrard Inlet, opposite Stanley Park. The river is one of three primary sources of drinking water for residents of Greater Vancouver. The Cleveland Dam, built in 1954, impounds a reservoir for this purpose. The entire reservoir and watershed area upstream of the dam is closed to the public to ensure the quality of the drinking water.
The Capilano has a historic salmon run which was impacted by the dam construction. A hatchery was built 1/2 km downstream of the dam to ensure the survival of the run.
The river flows through coastal rainforest and, in its lower stretches, follows a striking granite canyon with walls in excess of 40 metres tall in places.
The Capilano flows during periods of snow melt and rainfall mainly and slows to a trickle at other times.

Recreation
Commonly seen when the river is running are the colourful boats and apparel of whitewater kayakers as the river becomes a prime destination located just ten minutes from downtown. The river is rated as class III though at high water it can be much more challenging. A kayaker was killed in high water on the Capilano in 1998.
The Capilano River Regional Park adjacent to the fish hatchery provides several kilometers of scenic, easy to moderate hiking trails alongside the river.
Every year in March the Capilano River is host to an annual charity duck race. Thousands of yellow rubber ducks are purchased ahead of time by the public. They float down the river in a sea of yellow. The first ducks to reach the mouth of the river win prizes for their owners.