Best Free Camping in Whistler

Free Camping IconWhistler is surrounded by an immense wilderness dotted with spectacular, hidden lakes and amazing places to set up a tent.  Decades of logging activity has left a network of forest service roads that has opened easy access to these places.  Some of these you can drive to and some you may need a 4x4 to comfortably get to.

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Bivouac or Bivy - Hike in Whistler Glossary

Garibaldi Park Whistler A to Z: BivouacBivouac or Bivy: a primitive campsite or simple, flat area where camping is possible.  Traditionally used to refer to a very primitive campsite comprised of natural materials found on site such as leaves and branches or simply sleeping under the stars.  Often used interchangeably with the word camp, however, bivouac implies a shorter, quicker and much more basic and naturally constructed camp setup.  

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Brew Lake Hike in Whistler

Brew Lake Hike RatingBrew Lake is beautiful mountain lake just a short drive south of Whistler and is relatively unknown and seldom hiked. Laying at the base of Mount Brew, Brew Lake lays in a massive alpine valley of enormous erratics.  On first seeing Brew Lake it looks serene, yet wild and hostile.  The lake is surrounded on one side by idyllic tree covered hills and lakeside cliffs and on the other side a brutal looking wasteland of huge boulders sloping up to the sky.

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Clothing, Gear & Packing

January 5th, 2023: Pack smart by putting heavier items close to your back and higher up your pack.  Be organized and think of keeping important things easily accessible.  Having an accessible sweater makes you more likely to not put off your comfort by difficulty in finding it. Familiarize yourself with your gear before you go.  Setting up your tent in the living room will ensure you have all the parts and know where to put them.

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Fall Camping in Whistler: Cal-Cheak

October 22nd, 2022: The Cal-Cheak campground just south of Whistler sits in a tranquil, huge tree forest, nestled between Callaghan Creek and Cheakamus River.  Both Callaghan Creek and Cheakamus River are huge and chaotic torrents of turquoise water that surround the campground on three sides.  Cal-Cheak Recreation Site is divided into three campsite areas, Callaghan Camp is adjacent to Callaghan Creek, the North Camp is along Cheakamus River, and the South Camp has both merging around it. 

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Fall Camping in Whistler: Newt Lake

Sept 25th, 2022: Newt Lake is a fantastic, emerald coloured and very hidden lake up on the far side of Cougar Mountain.  In the busy summer months you are not likely to see anyone on the trail or at the lake.  In the much quieter fall months, you almost certainly won’t.  The unmarked trailhead is found at the end of the Ancient Cedars trail between the “TREES IN THE ANCIENT CEDARS… DOUGLAS-FIR” info board and the bridge.

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Hiking Gear Rentals

Renting Hiking & Camping Gear in Whistler is Easy!

 

WeRentGear is a full service online hiking and camping gear rental company in Whistler.

They take all the hassle out of renting by delivering gear right to your door.

Garibaldi Park Camping Gear Rental

 

Renting Gear is Simple!

Reserve Now!1. Reserve Online

Figure out the gear you would like and book through our reservation page here or the booking section further down this page. We will send you a confirmation of the booking and make sure we know where to deliver your gear for you when you get to Whistler. We have the largest inventory of high quality rental hiking and camping gear from Vancouver to Whistler. Our booking page is easy to use and our cancellation policy is amazing. Free cancellations anytime for any reason as long as you let us know more than 24 hours before delivery. If you need to change your delivery or pick up time or location, we don't mind. 

 

2. Gear ArrivesGear Arrives

 We deliver right to your door anywhere in Whistler and to all Garibaldi Park trailheads except Diamond Head in Squamish. We will be waiting for you at the trailhead when you arrive or if you are already in Whistler at a house, hotel, condo, etc we will deliver and pick up right to your door. We are happy to deliver to your hotel's Front Desk or Bell Desk before your arrival to make your vacation even more worry free! If you would like the gear delivered the day before so you can pack and prepare, let us know when you book and we will make it happen! Prefer to pick up? We have a 24 hour pick up and drop off location 3 minutes from Whistler Village! 

 

Camp in Paradise3. Camp in Paradise

 Hike into paradise and camp in beautiful Whistler and incredible Garibaldi Park. With the best quality and highest rated hiking gear money can buy, you will have the trip of a lifetime. We do all the work and you have all the fun!  We rent the best quality and highest rated gear on the market. MSR tents, Osprey backpacks, MSR WindBurner Stove Systems, Rab Ascent 700 sleeping bags, Therm-a-Rest XTherm MAX sleeping pads, MSR Evo Ascent snowshoes and more. We also rent complete hiking gear kits. We can equip one person, couples or large groups with everything you need except food and water! We are proud to be Whistler's best source for rental hiking gear. We have the best gear, the best prices and best service! 

 

Easy Returns 4. Easy Returns

 When you return from your hike, let us know where and when you'd like us to drop by and pick up the gear. Staying at a hotel? Leave the gear with the Bell Desk or Front Desk. Living in Whistler or staying in an AirBnB, just leave the gear outside your door and text us. We will pick it up and you don't need to wait around. We deliver it to you perfectly clean and don't mind if you return it a mess. We have a precise and methodical cleaning and maintenance process and we go to great lengths to ensure the gear you get is like new. Though we don't have a retail location in Whistler, we do have a convenient 24 hour pick up and drop off location near Whistler Village!

 

WeRentGear Camping and Hiking Gear Rentals 

We Rent Osprey Atmos AG 65 and Aura AG 65 Packs

Rent Osprey Packs Whistler and Garibaldi ParkWe rent Osprey Atmos AG 65 and Aura AG 65 backpacks. These 65 litre packs are widely regarded as the best and most innovative packs in the world. Perfect for overnight expeditions in the mountains around Whistler and in Garibaldi Provincial Park. They have Osprey's innovative Anti-Gravity™ suspension system which contours to your body providing seamless comfort and excellent mobility. The mesh back separates your back from the pack which allows ventilation and phenomenal comfort. They are designed for a load range of 30-50 pounds or 13-23 kilograms. Some of the features include: Internal compression - Adjustable harness - Internal reservoir sleeve - Compression straps, removable floating top lid, dual zippered front pockets, removable pad straps, Fit-on-the-Fly™ hipbelt, Stow-on-the-Go™trekking pole attachment, FlapJacket™, tool attachment and quite a lot more. The Atmos is designed for males, and the Aura for females. We also carry a range of sizes from large to extra small, so we can get you a perfect fit. Rent Osprey packs for Whistler and Garibaldi Park here...

We Rent MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 Person Tents

Rent MSR Tents WhistlerWe rent MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 person tents. One of the highest rated, lightweight, compact and versatile tents on the market. Perfect for overnight expeditions in Whistler and Garibaldi Provincial Park. Designed for backpackers who need a tent that can do it all while still being compact and lightweight, MSR Hubba Hubba 2 person tent feels as light and efficient to use as it does to carry.  From its optimized, symmetrical geometry and non-tapered floor that maximize space, down to its integrated, adjustable stake-out loops that speed setup, this tent redefines lightweight liveability. Ultralight: Very lightweight at just 1.60 kg or 3 lb 8 oz. Maximum Space: Head and elbow room throughout tent; two large side-entry vestibules to store gear. Liveable: Two large StayDry™ doors with built-in rain gutters; adaptable, cross-ventilating rainfly. Easy Setup & Packing: Unified hub-and-pole system with color-coded clips; ultra-compact compression stuff sack. The MSR Hubba Hubba NX is one of the most liveable tents for its weight. The two door design and airy ventilation make it feel like you have tons of space.

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Madeley Lake Access

September 5th, 2022: Madeley Lake is a stunning wilderness lake high up in the Callaghan Valley that is easily accessible by a decades old logging road.  Until 2020, you could drive all the way to the end of the lake and walk the short trail to the old campsite nestled in the forest.  This little corner of paradise has been included in area granted to be part of Whistler Olympic Park built for the 2010 Winter Olympics.  

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Still Unresolved Plane Crash in the Callaghan Valley

January 18th, 2023: Alexander Falls, high up in the Callaghan Valley in Whistler has some interesting historical murals and a mysterious plaque. The information board with as short history of the areas surrounding the falls, complete with museum-like pictures of the regions logging history. One depicts, "A Land of Giants" and describes, with photos, how incredibly huge trees were cut down and moved. One picture from 1910, shows 10 men sitting on an enormous, felled tree and looking tiny by comparison.

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Whistler Hiking Trails

Whistler Hiking TrailsHiking in Whistler is spectacular and wonderfully varied. Looking at a map of Whistler you see an extraordinary spider web of hiking trails that are unbelievably numerous. Easy trails, moderate trails and challenging hiking trails are all available. Another marvellous thing about hiking in Whistler is that Garibaldi Provincial Park wraps around it. Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain push into this massive wilderness park. You can ride a gondola to the alpine of Whistler Mountain and hike for days into Garibaldi Park's stunning heart!

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Wilderness Tips and Hiking/Camping Advice

July 20th, 2022: A little knowledge before you head out into the wilderness is a good idea.  Especially if you are new to hiking or in unknown terrain.  Planning a suitable hike is a great first step is having a great hike.  Bringing along extra clothing and food is a great idea and having a first aid kit will help you with any troubles you may encounter.  Courtesy and hiking etiquette is an important factor as well.  Leaving no trace and packing out what you pack in are paramount to keeping the wilderness wild. 

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Whistler Hiking Trails

Cirque Lake is a wild and beautiful lake that hides high above and beyond Callaghan Lake in Callaghan Lake Provincial Park.  What makes Cirque Lake special among the other sensationally beautiful lakes in the ...
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The Sproatt East trail is a beautifully wild, steep, but relatively short trail to the magnificent, wide open alpine and summit of Mount Sproatt.  Mount Sproatt (1834 metres) towers over Whistler Valley ...
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Sloquet Hot Springs is a wonderfully wild set of shallow, man-made pools fed by a small, all natural, and very hot, waterfall. The pools stretch from the waterfall to the large and crashing Sloquet River. The ...
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Garibaldi Lake is the centre and base for much of the hiking in Garibaldi Provincial Park. The Garibaldi Lake campsite is located on the amazing, turquoise shores of this massive and mostly still wild ...
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Vancouver Hiking Trails

Hollyburn Mountain in Cypress Provincial Park, is an amazing hiking and snowshoeing trail. The Hollyburn trailhead is an astonishingly close, 30 minute ...
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Rice Lake is a relaxing walk around a cute lake in Lynn Valley.  It is a family friendly hike although dogs are not welcome.  Roundtrip from your car the ...
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Stanley Park in downtown Vancouver is a beautiful and astoundingly huge network of hiking/walking/biking trails.  An estimated 8 million hikers, walkers, ...
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St Mark's Summit is a relatively easy way to get hiking deep into Vancouver's amazing mountains.  Starting this hike at Cypress means you drive most of the ...
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Whistler Snowshoe Trails

Wedgemount Lake is a steep and difficult hike in the summer when there is no snow.  It doesn't require technical skill, but it is just exhausting.  You gain 1220 metres of elevation in just 7 kilometres(+2 in ...
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Taylor Meadows, in Garibaldi Provincial Park is an amazing place to snowshoe in the winter near Whistler.  Beautiful snowy meadows surrounded by mountains everywhere you look.  Black Tusk towering in the ...
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Brandywine Falls Provincial Park is a beautiful park centred around the wonderful falls that plunge 70 metres down a vertical wall of glacier fractured rock.  The peculiar, angular cubes of rock that the cliffs ...
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Elfin Lakes in Garibaldi Provincial Park is an absolutely phenomenal, though long, hiking, biking, snowshoeing and skiing trail that begins at the Diamond Head area in Squamish.  From Whistler Village, the ...
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Hike in Whistler Glossary

Surprisingly often in Whistler's forests you will find a tree growing on an old fallen tree or out of a decaying tree stump. Decaying logs and stumps in ...
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Accumulation Zone: the area where snow accumulations exceeds melt, located above the firn line.  Snowfall accumulates faster than melting, evaporation and ...
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When hiking to Parkhurst Ghost Town, the first area you will encounter after you cross the disintegrating bridge over Wedge Creek is the wye.  In railroad ...
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The Rubble Creek trailhead is the main access point for many of the best hikes and sights in Garibaldi Provincial Park.  Rubble Creek is located midway ...
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Chimney: a gap between two vertical faces of rock or ice.  Often a chimney offers the only viable route to the summit of a mountain.  An example of this is Black ...
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Wedge Creek cuts through the valley that separates Wedge Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain and empties into Green River near the north end of Green Lake.  ...
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The Coast Mountains run from the Yukon down to Vancouver along the west coast of British Columbia in a band that averages 300 kilometres wide(190 miles).  ...
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If you make it to the summit of Wedge Mountain you will notice off in the distance a beautifully symmetrical mountain that stands out among the rest.  ...
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Best Hiking by Month

March is usually a snowy month in Whistler, though in 2024 not a whole lot of snow has fallen. Snowshoes are already not necessary for lots of trails in and ...
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April in Whistler is a wonderful time of year.  The winter deep freeze ends and T-shirt weather erupts.  The village comes alive with overflowing patios and ...
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May is an extraordinarily beautiful time of year in Whistler.  The days are longer and warmer and a great lull in between seasons happens.  Whistler is fairly ...
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June is a pretty amazing month to hike in Whistler and Garibaldi Park.  The average low and high temperatures in Whistler range from 9c to 21c(48f/70f).  ...
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Best of Whistler

Whistler is very dog friendly and the number of wonderful hiking trails that your dog will love is huge. The massively varied hiking trails range from easy, short, ...
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There are plenty of excellent, kid and family friendly hiking trails and destinations in and around Whistler. Kid and family friendly generally means an easy and ...
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Whistler is surrounded by an immense wilderness dotted with spectacular, hidden lakes and amazing places to set up a tent.  Decades of logging activity has left a ...
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Whistler as a resort has a wonderful car-free core. The Village Stroll runs through the heart of Whistler Village and is entirely car free. If you are visiting Whistler or ...
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Hike in Whistler News & Blog

February 11th, 2023: What trails are good this week?  Driving up into the mountains is a great way to seek out some springtime snow.  Alexander Falls is ...
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October 22nd, 2022: The Cal-Cheak campground just south of Whistler sits in a tranquil, huge tree forest, nestled between Callaghan Creek and Cheakamus ...
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Sept 25th, 2022: Newt Lake is a fantastic, emerald coloured and very hidden lake up on the far side of Cougar Mountain.  In the busy summer months you are not ...
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Sept 11th, 2022: The notoriously difficult biking trail in the wilderness between Emerald Forest and Rainbow Park is a pretty fun place to wander around.  It ...
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Best Whistler Waterfalls

Alexander Falls is a very impressive 43 metre/141 foot waterfall just 30 to 40 minutes south of Whistler in the Callaghan Valley.  Accessible year-round, ...
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Brandywine Falls is one of the must see sights on the way to or from Whistler. The falls drop from a 70 metre(230 feet), unnaturally abrupt looking cliff ...
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Wedgemount Falls can be seen along the trail to Wedgemount Lake.  As the falls flow directly from Wedgemount Lake, they are located about three quarters ...
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Rainbow Falls is located just a short hike from the start of the Rainbow Trail to Rainbow Lake.  The trailhead is along Alta Lake Road on the far side of ...
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Explore BC Hiking Destinations!

Whistler Hiking Trails

Hiking in Whistler is spectacular and wonderfully varied. Looking at a map of Whistler you see an extraordinary spider web of hiking trails that are unbelievably numerous. Easy trails, moderate trails and challenging hiking trails are all available. Another marvellous ...
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Squamish Hiking Trails

Squamish is located in the midst of a staggering array of amazing hiking trails. Garibaldi Provincial Park sprawls alongside Squamish and up and beyond Whistler. Tantalus Provincial Park lays across the valley to the west and the wonderfully remote Callaghan Valley ...
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Vancouver Hiking Trails

Vancouver is surrounded by seemingly endless hiking trails and mountains to explore.  Massive parks line up one after another.  Mount Seymour Provincial Park, Lynn Canyon Park, Grouse Mountain, Cypress Park and the enormous Garibaldi Park all contribute to Vancouver ...
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Clayoquot Hiking Trails

Clayoquot Sound has a staggering array of hiking trails within it.  Between Tofino and Ucluelet, Pacific Rim Park has several wilderness and beach trails, each one radically different from the last.  The islands in the area are often Provincial parks on their own with ...
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Victoria Hiking Trails

Victoria has a seemingly endless number of amazing hiking trails.  Most take you to wild and beautiful Pacific Ocean views and others take you to tranquil lakes in beautiful BC Coastal Rainforest wilderness.  Regional Parks and Provincial Parks are everywhere you turn in ...
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The West Coast Trail

The West Coast Trail was created after decades of brutal and costly shipwrecks occurred along the West Coast of Vancouver Island.  One shipwreck in particular was so horrific, tragic and unbelievable that it forced the creation of a trail along the coast, which ...
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