Neal Carter (14 Dec 1902 – 15 Mar 1978) was a mountaineer and early explorer of the Coast Mountains primarily in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Highly skilled as a mountaineer, Carter also excelled at cartography and surveying which he used to map the vast unnamed and unexplored mountains of BC. He named a staggering number of mountains, peaks and glaciers as well as making 25 first ascents of mountains, many of which surround what we now call the Whistler Valley. 

Neal Carter (14 Dec 1902 – 15 Mar 1978) was a mountaineer and early explorer of the Coast Mountains primarily in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Highly skilled as a mountaineer, Carter also excelled at cartography and surveying which he used to map the vast unnamed and unexplored mountains of BC. He named a staggering number of mountains, peaks and glaciers as well as making 25 first ascents of mountains, many of which surround what we now call the Whistler Valley. 

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, close to Whistler Village to challenging, long and deep in the endless wilderness around Whistler. You can find dog friendly trails in and around Whistler Village that take you through deep, dark and magical forests.

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 zig-zags through the deep stretch of forest with Alta Lake Road along one side and the train tracks and the River of Golden Dreams on the other.  A River Runs Through It, or ARRTI as it is more affectionately called by the locals who love it, is buried in such a thick forest that you often only see slivers of sky above and wandering off the trail leads you to bizarre and beautiful places.  

Twentyone Mile Creek begins its long and steep journey from Rainbow Lake, high up and between Mount Sproatt and Rainbow Mountain.  Cutting between the two mountains, Twentyone Mile Creek flattens out somewhat, passes under Alta Lake Road, then winds its way through a deep and dark forest before flowing into the River of Golden Dreams near the end of Lorimer Road.  This hidden forest extends from Rainbow Park to Emerald Forest and between Alta Lake Road and the River of Golden Dreams.

Ablation Zone: the lower altitude region of a glacier where there is a net loss of ice mass due to melting, sublimation, evaporation, ice calving or avalanche.  The ablation zone of a glacier such as the Wedgemount Glacier has meltwater features such as englacial streams and a glacier window.  An englacial stream refers to meltwater flowing inside a glacier.  A glacier window is a cave-like opening at the mouth of a glacier where meltwater runs out.

Accumulation Zone: the area where snow accumulations exceeds melt, located above the firn line.  Snowfall accumulates faster than melting, evaporation and sublimation removes it.  Glaciers can be shown simply as having two zones, the accumulation zone and the ablation zone.  Separated by the glacier equilibrium line, these two zones comprise the areas of net annual gain and net annual loss of snow/ice on a glacier. 

Russet Lake sits in a wide, glacier carved valley at the base of The Fissile.  In the direction opposite The Fissile, up on a plateau less than a kilometre away are two small tarns called Adit Lakes.  Adit Lakes sit in a broad, boulder strewn alpine zone with an incredible view of Spearhead Range.  Just a few metres from Adit Lakes the plateau drops off quickly into the huge valley that separates the Spearhead Range and Fitzsimmons Range.

Aiguille: a tall, narrow, characteristically distinct spire of rock. From the French word for "needle". Used extensively as part of the names for many peaks in the French Alps.  Around Whistler and in Garibaldi Park you will find several distinct aiguilles.  Shown here is the prominent aiguille that stands like a tower at the summit of Rethel Mountain above Wedgemount Lake.  Standing near the hut at Wedgemount Lake, Rethel is the towering mountain directly across the lake.

Alexander Falls is located far up in the Callaghan Valley just before the turnoff to Callaghan Lake Provincial Park.  The falls are very impressive with its 43 metre or 141 foot drop into the boulder filled chasm below.  A beautiful viewing area directly across from the falls gives you a great view and several picnic tables entice you to have a picnic.  

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, the falls are just 9.6 kilometres from the Sea to Sky Highway, up the very scenic Callaghan Valley Road.  The parking lot is just steps from the nice viewing platform on the edge of the cliff across from the falls which crash fantastically into the valley below.

Alexander Falls is a very impressive 43 metre/141 foot waterfall just 30 to 40 minutes south of Whistler in the Callaghan Valley. Open year-round and located just before Whistler Olympic Park where several of the 2010 Olympic events were held. There is a nice viewing platform on the edge of the cliff across from the falls which crash fantastically into the valley below.

Alpha Lake Park is a beautiful little park on the shores of Alpha Lake in Creekside, just 5 kilometres south of Whistler Village.  Located partway along Lake Placid Road down past the Co-Op gas station and Nita Lake Lodge.  This quiet residential street leads to this park that is home to tennis courts, a basketball court, a huge waterfront dog park, an elaborate kids play park, a floating dock, two piers and biking/walking/running trails everywhere you look.

Alpine Zone or Alpine Tundra is the area above the treeline, often characterized by stunted, sparse forests of krummholz and pristine, turquoise lakes.  Mount Sproatt is an excellent example of an alpine zone in Whistler.  Dozens of alpine lakes, rugged and rocky terrain and hardy krummholz trees everywhere you look.  The hostile, cold and windy climate in the alpine zones around Whistler make tree growth difficult.  Added to that, the alpine areas are snow covered the majority of the year. 

The Alta Green Lost 15k is a fantastic 15 kilometre(9.3 mile) trail run that takes you past three of Whistler's wonderful lakes and several gorgeous parks.  Almost entirely on the wide, paved, two lane Valley Trail, this run is constantly changing as you pass numerous stunning vantage points.  Easy to navigate and several gradual hills make this a relaxing and constantly interesting trail run.  If you are a fan of beautiful sunrises, this run is packed with spectacular ones.  If you like to jump in a lake in the middle of your run, you have many opportunities, including a naked plunge from the clothing optional pier on Lost Lake!

The Alta Lake 8k is a beautiful 8 kilometre(5 mile) trail run in Whistler with a bunch of great things going for it.  Beautiful views running along the Whistler Golf Course.  Almost constant panoramic views of Whistler Mountain, Blackcomb Mountain and Wedge Mountain.  A little old growth forest of massive Western redcedars, and more than half of the route is along the majestic shore of Alta Lake.  This trail, like the Whistler Golf Course 5k, is accessible directly from Whistler Village, or from the convenient and free parking at the end of Lorimer Rd, just a 5 minute drive from anywhere in Whistler.

Alta Lake Park is one of several scenic parks on Alta Lake.  Lakeside Park, Blueberry Park, Rainbow Park and Wayside Park are also along the shore of this huge lake that covers much of the valley edged by Whistler Village.  These parks, all on Whistler's beautiful Valley Trail system, ensure that you are never far from one of several spectacular vantage points over Alta Lake.

Ancient Cedars is a nice, easy/moderate 2.5 kilometre (1.6 mile) hiking trail on the far side of Cougar Mountain, just 13.1 kilometres north of Whistler Village. A small, untouched grove of huge western red-cedars hidden high up in the mountains. Often overlooked by hikers, certainly there are other groves of massive cedars found in other Whistler area hikes.

Ancient Cedars is a nice, easy/moderate 2.6 kilometre(1.6 mile) hiking trail on the far side of Cougar Mountain, just 13.1 kilometres north of Whistler Village. A small, untouched grove of huge western redcedar hidden high up in the mountains. Often overlooked by hikers, certainly there are other groves of massive cedars found in other Whistler area hikes.

Every unusual phenomenon in the forest seems to have a name, but one natural work of art seems to be without a commonly used name.  Big trees with sprawling roots that wrap around huge boulders, glacier erratics or jagged bedrock are sometimes called lithophytes which translates from Latin lith and phyte as stone and plant.  Lithophyte is not the best description for these because they don't so much live on rock as encompass it.

Arête: a thin ridge of rock formed by two glaciers parallel to each other. Sometimes formed from two cirques meeting. From the French for edge or ridge.  Around Whistler and in Garibaldi Provincial Park you will see dozens of excellent examples.  At the Wedge-Weart Col above and beyond Wedgemount Lake is a prominent arête that links these two highest mountains in Garibaldi Park.  Wedge Mountain is 2892 metres(9488 feet) and Mount Weart is 2835 metres(9301 feet).

Armchair Glacier is one of the many easily identifiable mountain features around Whistler.  Along with Wedge Mountain and Black Tusk, Armchair Glacier has a distinct shape that it is named after.  Armchair Glacier can be seen from a considerable distance and from many places in Whistler.  In the winter it is a solid white ridge with three peaks and in the summer the ridge and peaks are bare rock and the glacier can be seen as a solid, horizontal line below. 

Whistler, the surrounding mountains, and Garibaldi Provincial Park are home to two types of bears.  Black bears and grizzly bears.  Black bears are frequently seen throughout the valley and often in Whistler Village.  Grizzly bears, on the other hand, are rarely seen, and only deep in the wilderness, well away from Whistler Village.  Black bears around Whistler are generally skittish and will flee into the forest when approached by people.

Bench: a flat section in steep terrain.  Characteristically narrow, flat or gently sloping with steep or vertical slopes on either side.  A bench can be formed by various geological processes.  Natural erosion of a landscape often results in a bench being formed out of a hard strip of rock edged by softer, sedimentary rock.  The softer rock erodes over time, leaving a narrow strip of rock resulting in a bench.  Coastal benches form out of continuous wave erosion of a coastline.  

Bergschrund or abbreviated schrund: a crevasse that forms from the separation of moving glacier ice from the stagnant ice above. Characterized by a deep cut, horizontal, along a steep slope. Often extending extremely deep, over 100 metres down to bedrock. Extremely dangerous as they are filled in winter by avalanches and gradually open in the summer.  The Wedgemount Glacier at Wedgemount Lake is a great way to view bergschrund up close in Whistler. 

Aerial views of Whistler hiking trails give you a nice perspective on how beautiful this part of the world is.  Wedge Glacier is hard to grasp its immensity from across the valley.  Up close, from above, the endless rows of crevasses and massive contours give this hulking glacier a more complete picture.  

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 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.

Hiking in Whistler and Garibaldi Provincial Park is beautiful year-round.  Some hiking trails are better than others at certain months of the year.  Snow restricts some trails if you don't have snowshoes or simply makes them too exhausting or impractical for most hikers.  

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 somewhat short trail that a toddler can happily manage. Some of these trails are flat enough to be stroller friendly, such as Brandywine Falls, Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain. 

The Sea to Sky Highway links Vancouver to Whistler and has several stops along the way that are often overlooked. Porteau Cove, for example, is surprisingly unknown even to locals that have driven past hundreds of times. Just off the highway the parking area is just steps from the huge pier stretching way out over the ocean.

There are plenty of beautiful and free snowshoe trails in Whistler and Garibaldi Provincial Park.  From the surreal paintings of Whistler Train Wreck to the magnificent mountain serenity of Wedgemount Lake in Garibaldi Park.  Trails range from extremely easy, to extremely difficult. 

May 18th, 2023: Summer has arrived in Whistler and though the mountains are still snowy and tough to hike, all the lower elevation hikes are snow free. Parkhurst Ghost Town is absolutely fantastic in May and nearby Wedge Creek is almost entirely unknown to hikers. If you have ever hiked to Parkhurst, you likely crossed the disintegrating, yet strangely beautiful old bridge over Wedge Creek.

March 25th, 2023: What trails are good this week?  If you are dying for summer to come, Lillooet Lake is paradise these days.  Just an hours drive north of Whistler is the first of several beach campsites along this massive lake.  Strawberry Point is the first one you come to along the In-Shuck-Ch gravel road that runs along the edge of Lillooet Lake.  The campsites along the lake don't open until April 1st, so you can visit or camp for free before then.

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 beautiful these days with deep snow everywhere.  Not really a hike as the walk from your car to the viewpoint is just a hundred metres or so, it is worth the drive, especially on a sunny day!  High up in the Callaghan Valley, Alexander Falls is easy to get to in any weather and amazing in February.

February 4th, 2023: What trails are good this week?  This is a great time of year to check out one of Whistler's impressive waterfalls, Brandywine Falls.  Brandywine Falls is a wonderful place to visit in February, though it is a bit tricky to get to in the winter months due to BC Parks keeping the parking gate locked and towing cars parked outside the gate.

Best This Week: Whistler Train Wreck is great year-round and Cheakamus River is gorgeous too! Check out our April and May guides here!

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 the excitement of approaching summer can be seen everywhere.  The snow in the village starts the month measured in feet and ends the month, having mostly melted, about halfway up to mid-station on Whistler Mountain.  Early in April the usual favourite places to snowshoe are warm and wonderful.

December hiking in Whistler is mainly done on snowshoes, though not always. If it hasn't snowed much recently then trails such as Whistler Train Wreck and Rainbow Falls can be done fairly easily without snowshoes. The wonderful, multi-use trail network in Whistler, the Valley Trail is amazing on foot all winter with some sections plowed, some left snow covered and even a few sections groomed for free cross country skiing.

August hiking in Whistler definitely has the most consistently great, hot weather.  You can feel the rare pleasure of walking across a glacier shirtless and still hot.  Even in the high elevations and on glaciers the temperatures are often a beautifully hot 20c plus.  There are numerous glaciers that are readily accessible via Whistler area hiking trails.  Wedgemount Lake has one of these beautiful glaciers just steps from its far shore.

July is a wonderful time to hike in Whistler and Garibaldi Provincial Park.  The weather is beautiful and the snow on high elevation hiking trails is long gone.  The average temperatures in Whistler Village range from 11c to 27c(52f to 80f).  Located in the Coast Mountains, Whistler gets warm summer days and cool nights.  On a hot July day of 25c(77f) often switches to a cool 12c(54f) night. 

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).  The summer tourist season in Whistler doesn’t kick into high gear until the end of June, so most trails remain relatively quiet.  The higher elevation hiking trails in Whistler and Garibaldi Park with have lingering snow well into June and sometimes early July.

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 around Whistler. If you have not been to Whistler Train Wreck, you have to, it's a must see. It's a decades old train wreck which was turned into an art exhibit in 2011 when local artists painted extraordinary murals over the mangled train cars.  

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 quiet in May and nobody goes hiking.  This is because most of the trails have quite deep snow.  This keeps everyone away, and for good reason.  The best Garibaldi Park and Whistler area trails are mostly steep and at high elevations, so hiking or snowshoeing in deep snow is exhausting.

November in Whistler is when the temperatures plummet and the first heavy snow falls in the alpine and often in Whistler Village.  The hiking opportunities become limited to easier and lower elevation hikes such as to Nairn Falls, Brandywine Falls and Rainbow Falls.  Waterfalls are a great in Whistler, huge and impressive.  Also, most can be accessed year-round. Alexander Falls, located high up in beautiful Callaghan Valley, just metres from a snow plowed road. 

Hiking in Whistler in October is often unexpectedly stunning.  The days are much shorter and colder but the mountains are alive with colour from the fall leaves.  On the higher elevations there is often a dusting of snow that makes everything look amazing.  Picking a full moon evening to hike in a place like Joffre Lakes, Russet Lake or Wedgemount Lake makes for an incredible night in the mountains.

September hiking in Whistler is possibly the best month of all.  The snow has melted far up to the mountain tops, yet the temperatures are still quite high.  And just like that wonderful phenomenon of May and June, there are no annoying bugs.  And with the passing of the first week of September, the summer season officially ends, so the number of hikers dwindles to virtually none by the second week.

There are plenty of beautiful and free snowshoe trails in Whistler and Garibaldi Provincial Park.  From the surreal paintings of Whistler Train Wreck to the magnificent mountain serenity of Wedgemount Lake in Garibaldi Park.  Trails range from extremely easy, like the short, flat trails to Brandywine Falls and Rainbow Park.  To challenging and long trails to places like Elfin Lakes and Taylor Meadows.

February is a great month for snowshoeing in Whistler and Garibaldi Park.  The days slowly get longer, but the temperatures stay consistently cold.  Expect several days of -12c and of course much colder in the mountains.  February is a great month for trying some overnight snowshoeing trips.  There are even several huts that are available to use.  Some are free and some have a reasonably low cost.

Whistler has beautiful and wonderfully hidden parks nearly everywhere you look.  Almost all are located on the shores of beautiful mountain lakes or rivers, and all seem to have great mountain views.  From Rainbow Park's terrific panorama of Wedge Mountain, Blackcomb Mountain and Whistler Mountain to Blueberry Park's panorama of Mount Sproatt and Rainbow Mountain.

There are plenty of great running trails in Whistler.  The Whistler Golf Course 5k is one of the easiest to get to, navigate and run.  It is also surprisingly varied and has nearly constant views!  The Blueberry Hill 6k follows part of the same route along Whistler Golf Course and runs up and over Blueberry Hill.

There are several hiking trails in Whistler and Garibaldi Park that could be considered the best for various reasons.  Black Tusk for its incredibly surreal geologically formed structure and location in the midst of a bonanza of Garibaldi Provincial Park attractions.  

Whistler is home to a fantastic number of beautiful waterfalls.  From the towering drop of Brandywine Falls to the awesome, up close and breathtaking view of Keyhole Falls, you could spend whole days checking out just waterfalls in and around Whistler.  

Bivouac 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.  

Black Tusk is the extraordinarily iconic and appropriately named mountain that can be seen from almost everywhere in Whistler. The massive black spire of crumbling rock juts out of the earth in an incredibly distinct way that appears like an enormous black tusk plunging out of the ground. Whether you spot it in the distance from the top of Whistler Mountain or from vantage points along the Sea to Sky Highway, its appearance is unmistakable.

Black Tusk is the extraordinarily iconic and appropriately named mountain that can be seen from almost everywhere in Whistler.  The massive black spire of crumbling rock juts out of the earth in an incredibly distinct way that appears like an enormous black tusk plunging out of the ground.  Whether you spot it in the distance from the top of Whistler Mountain or from vantage points along the Sea to Sky Highway, its appearance is breathtaking.

Blackcomb Mountain is much less known for its hiking trails than Whistler Mountain.  It is hard to compare the two mountains hiking trails as they are so different and beautiful in their own set of ways.  Whistler Mountain trails look down on Cheakamus Lake and the Whistler Valley, whereas the Blackcomb Mountain trails mostly face across the valley toward Whistler Mountain.  

Blackcomb Mountain holds an impressive and ever growing array of hiking trails. From the moment you arrive at the Rendezvous Lodge, you see hiking trails ascend into the distance. The Rendezvous Lodge is home to a cafeteria style restaurant, a fine dining restaurant, gift shops, washrooms, and quite a lot else.  The Rendezvous Lodge is centre of activity on Blackcomb Mountain and the Roundhouse Lodge is the same on Whistler Mountain.

Blackcomb Mountain holds an impressive and ever growing array of hiking trails. From the moment you arrive at the Rendezvous Lodge, you see hiking trails ascend into the distance. The Rendezvous Lodge is home to a cafeteria style restaurant, a fine dining restaurant, gift shops, washrooms, and quite a lot else.  The Rendezvous Lodge is centre of activity on Blackcomb Mountain and the Roundhouse Lodge is the same on Whistler Mountain.

Back in 2011 Kups, a Whistler local and now professional muralist painted a hauntingly surreal, blue face on the side of this house.  This beautiful mural, along with the fact that this is the last fully intact house in Parkhurst makes it the most well known and photographed structure in the old ghost town.  It is difficult to figure out why the Blue Face house outlasted all the others, but it appears to still be quite structurally sound.

The Blueberry Hill 6 kilometre(3.7 mile) trail run is a beautiful running route that is packed with great views and a wonderfully varied terrain.  From Whistler Village you run along the edge of Whistler Golf Course on the wide, paved, two lane trail to the start of the Blueberry Trail.  The Blueberry Trail quickly ascends through a deep forest as a few small switchbacks take you high up on the edge of Blueberry Hill. This five minutes of gruelling ascent then levels off and you get the first of several nice viewpoints, high above Alta Lake. 

Blueberry Park is a very scenic park on Alta Lake that most Whistler locals don't even know about.  If you have been to Rainbow Park you would have noticed several piers across Alta Lake surrounded by forest.  These public piers sit at the edge of Blueberry Park, with the Blueberry Trail running from one side of the forest to the other in a loop trail along the shore and up through the forest.  

The Blueberry Trail is a relatively unknown, though very scenic trail that ascends quickly up to a cliff viewpoint high above Alta Lake.  Another trail hugs the shoreline of Alta Lake through a wonderfully deep forest past four secluded piers.  The trails connect a few hundred metres past the fourth pier, so you can continue to the north end of the park in Tapleys near Whistler Cay, or loop back to the south trailhead off St. Anton Way. 

Brandywine Falls Provincial Park is a very convenient stop along the Sea to Sky Highway on the way to or from Whistler.  The falls spill over an abrupt 70 metre cliff with a perfectly positioned viewing platform to view it.  Most just take the short, 5 minute hiking trail to the viewing area, however Brandywine Falls Provincial Park has a couple connecting trails to cute little lakes as well as the wonderful Sea to Sky Trail.  

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 to the valley below. Brandywine Falls Provincial Park is such a popular, accessible and beautiful sight that it has a large and elaborate viewing platform directly opposite the falls. Located just 20 minutes south of Whistler, Brandywine Falls is just off of the Sea to Sky Highway.

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 to the valley below. Brandywine Falls Provincial Park is such a popular, accessible and beautiful sight that it has a large and elaborate viewing platform directly opposite the falls. Located just 20 minutes south of Whistler, Brandywine Falls Provincial Park is just off of the Sea to Sky Highway.

Brandywine Falls is one of the must see sights on the drive to or from Whistler, and arguably the nicest of Whistler’s numerous beautiful waterfalls.  Located about halfway between Squamish and Whistler, the falls drop from a 70 metre/230 foot, unnaturally abrupt looking cliff to the valley below.  Brandywine Falls Provincial Park is such a popular, accessible and beautiful sight that it has a large and elaborate viewing platform directly opposite the falls.

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 surrounding the falls is the result of lava rapidly cooling against a glacier.  The rapid cooling causes solid rock to fracture in bizarrely angular ways known as columnar jointing.  From the viewing platform across from the falls you can make out four distinct layers of columnar jointing separated by glacial till.

Brandywine Meadows is a nice, relatively short hike to a massive flower filled valley high up in Callaghan Valley. Located 40 minutes south of Whistler, this tough and sometimes muddy trail gains a huge 550 metres of elevation in just 3 kilometres(1.9 miles), trailhead to meadows.  The trailhead is tricky to find and involves a fairly long gravel road journey that is passable without a 4x4, but barely.

Brandywine Meadows is a nice, relatively short hike to a massive flower filled valley high up in Callaghan Valley. Located 40 minutes south of Whistler, this tough and sometimes muddy trail gains a huge 550 metres of elevation in just 3 kilometres(1.9 miles), trailhead to meadows.  The trailhead is tricky to find and involves a fairly long gravel road journey that is passable without a 4x4, but barely.

Brew 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.

Brew 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.

Whistler Bungee Bridge, also known as the Cheakamus Bungee Bridge is a very convenient and beautiful attraction on the way to or from Whistler from Vancouver.  Just 20 minutes south of Whistler Village on the Sea to Sky Highway, then just a 3 kilometre logging road takes you right to the stairs up to this amazing bridge.  Open year-round and surprisingly accessible, even in the snowy winter months.  Thousands of cars drive the Sea to Sky Highway past the turnoff to this wonderful bridge every day and never take a look. 

Bushwhack is a term often used in Canada and the United States to refer to hiking off-trail where no trail exists.  Literally means 'bush' and 'whack'.  To make your own trail through the forest by whacking or cutting your way through the bush.  A bushwhacker is a term sometimes used to describe someone who spends a lot of time in the wilderness.  Bushwhacking is also usually needed to plot a new trail through deep forest. 

Cairns, inukshuks or inuksuks are a pile or arrangement of rocks used to indicate a route, landmark or a summit.  The word cairn originates from the Scottish Gaelic word carn.  A cairn or inukshuk can be either large and elaborate or as simple as a small pile of rocks.  To be effective a cairn marking a trail has to just be noticeable and obviously man-made.  In the alpine areas around Whistler, above the treeline, cairns are the main method of marking a route. 

Callaghan Lake is a stunning lake high up in the Callaghan Valley that you can drive to from Whistler Village in less than an hour.  The very potholed and waterbar strewn gravel road to get there ends at the Callaghan Lake Park campsite and shore of the lake.  Hardly any hiking trails exist at the lake itself, however trails are being planned for the near future.  

Callaghan Lake Park is a relatively untouched wilderness of rugged mountainous terrain. The valley walls were formed by relatively recent glaciation. Evidence of this can be seen in the considerable glacial till and slide materials visible across the lake. Around the lake you will see talus slopes, flat rock benches, cirques, hanging valleys, tarns, waterfalls and upland plateaus with bogs.

Callaghan Lake Park is a relatively untouched wilderness of rugged mountainous terrain. The valley walls were formed by relatively recent glaciation. Evidence of this can be seen in the considerable glacial till and slide materials visible across the lake. Around the lake you will see talus slopes, flat rock benches, cirques, hanging valleys, tarns, waterfalls and upland plateaus with bogs.

Along the shore of Green Lake, you will find a monstrous old Caterpillar tractor that dates from the 1930’s.  Abandoned here in the 1950’s, it looks as if the driver parked it one day and just never returned to work.  In fact that may have been the case as one day in 1956, the sawmill at Parkhurst shut down forever and the town was abandoned.  For a logging town in the 1950's having everyone suddenly leave was not unusual and in fact Parkhurst vacated every year when the sawmill shut for the winter.

The second Caterpillar tractor in Parkhurst Ghost Town is considerably harder to find despite being just a few metres from the hulking Caterpillar at the shore of Green Lake.  If you bushwhack through the dense forest toward the point of land that the Parkhurst Sawmill was located you will find this second tractor also abandoned in 1956.  This tractor is much easier to identify than the other one and appears to be a Caterpillar RD8 built in 1936.

Cheakamus Lake is a wonderfully relaxing way to get in the wilderness easily and quickly from Whistler Village. The trail begins on the far side of Whistler Mountain, 8 kilometres from the Sea to Sky Highway at Cheakamus Crossing across from Function Junction.  This 8 kilometre stretch of logging road is fairly bumpy and potholed, but does have the benefit of allowing you to drive the elevation gain instead of hiking it.

Cheakamus Lake is a wonderfully relaxing way to get in the wilderness easily and quickly from Whistler Village.  The trail begins on the far side of Whistler Mountain, 8 kilometres from the Sea to Sky Highway at Cheakamus Crossing across from Function Junction.  This 8 kilometre stretch of logging road is fairly bumpy and potholed, but does have the benefit of allowing you to drive the elevation gain instead of hiking it.

Cheakamus River is a beautiful, crashing, turquoise coloured river that flows from Cheakamus Lake, through Whistler Interpretive Forest, then down past Brandywine Falls to Daisy Lake, then all the way to Squamish where it merges with Squamish River and into the ocean. Cheakamus River has quite an extensive network of hiking and biking trails that run alongside it.  The Riverside trail and the Farside trail run on either side of Cheakamus River and connect at both ends by bridges.

Cheakamus River is the beautiful, crashing and turquoise coloured river that flows from Cheakamus Lake, through the Cheakamus Valley to Daisy Lake.  Also a popular kayaking route, the main attraction to Cheakamus River is the wonderful and quite extensive network of hiking and biking trails that run along either side of it. Several trails run throughout the forest around the enormous 70 kilometre length of Cheakamus River. 

Cheakamus River is a beautiful, crashing, turquoise coloured river that flows from Cheakamus Lake, through Whistler Interpretive Forest at Cheakamus Crossing, then down past Brandywine Falls to Daisy Lake. Also a popular kayaking route, the main attraction to Cheakamus River is the wonderful and quite extensive network of trails that run along either side of it.  The Riverside trail and the Farside trail hug both sided of Cheakamus River and connect at both ends by bridges.

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 Tusk in Garibaldi Provincial Park in Whistler.  The final ascent of Black Tusk requires climbing a near vertical chimney with crumbling rock all around.  Black Tusk is the extraordinarily iconic and appropriately named mountain that can be seen from almost everywhere in Whistler. 

Cirque: a glacier-carved bowl or amphitheater in the mountains.  To form, the glacier must be a combination of size, a certain slope and more unexpectedly, a certain angle away from the sun. In the northern hemisphere, this means the glacier must be on the northeast slope of the mountain, away from the suns rays and the prevailing winds. Thick snow, protected in this way, grows thicker into glacial ice, then a process of freeze-thaw called nivation, chews at the lower rocks, hollowing out a deep basin.

Cirque Falls crashes down from Cirque Lake to Callaghan Lake, connecting these two remarkably beautiful and very different lakes.  Where Callaghan Lake is a large, easy to get to mountain lake, Cirque Lake is an extraordinarily serene and hidden lake that takes a bit of planning and effort to get to.  Though it is just two kilometres up a steep, yet easily manageable trail, the Cirque Lake trailhead is hidden at the far end of Callaghan Lake.

Cirque Lake is a beautiful mountain lake hidden up alongside Mount Callaghan in Callaghan Lake Provincial Park.  The trailhead is tricky to find and located at the far end of Callaghan Lake.  You can only reach the trailhead by boat and the trail is quite steep but very short.  Less than two kilometres long the steep trail hugs Cirque Creek and Cirque Falls up to Cirque Lake.  

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 Whistler area is both its location and geologically formed shape.  It sits high above Callaghan Lake, which itself is a gorgeous, mountain lake.  The remoteness of Callaghan Lake is a bit of a mirage due to the fact that you can drive right to it!

Adjacent to the huge Caterpillar tractor in Parkhurst is a large disintegrating wooden dock that is a great place to take in the wonderful view of Green Lake.  From the dock if you look to the right you will see a large triangle of deep forest jutting out into the lake.  This is where the Parkhurst Sawmill once operated for thirty years.  Looking at the almost impenetrable forest now, it is hard to picture this area without trees and with train tracks extending into a large building housing the sawmill with an enormous steel chimney several dozen metres tall. 

The Cloudraker Skybridge and the Raven’s Eye Cliff Walk are new additions to the summit of Whistler Mountain.  The Cloudraker Skybridge stretches 130 metres from just steps from the top of the Peak Express Chair across to the West Ridge.  The Raven’s Eye Cliff Walk is a viewing platform that extends over 12 metres up and out from the West Ridge.  Both of these exhilarating viewing areas tower way above Whistler Bowl.

Coast Douglas-fir trees are medium to extremely large trees that you will encounter in Whistler and Garibaldi Park. They are the second tallest conifer trees in the world after the coast redwood and the third tallest of all trees in the world after Eucalyptus regnans. Coast Douglas-fir, also known as Pacific Douglas-fir, Oregon pine and Douglas spruce range along the coast of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon and have been known to reach heights of 120 metres (390 feet).

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).  The length of the Coast Mountains is roughly 1600 kilometres(1000 miles).  They are often referred to as the BC Coastal Range or the Coast Range.  The Coast Mountains are comprised of three mountain ranges, the Pacific Ranges, the Kitimat Ranges, and the Boundary Ranges.

Col: a ridge between two higher peaks, a mountain pass or saddle.  More specifically is the lowest point on a mountain ridge between two peaks.  Sometimes called a saddle or notch.  The Wedge-Weart Col is a popular destination at the top of Wedgemount Glacier.  The Wedge-Weart Col connects these two highest peaks in Garibaldi Provincial Park and is easily visible from much of the area around Wedgemount Lake.

Columnar Jointing: bizarre looking columns of oddly angular rock formations that can be found in many places around Whistler and worldwide.  Generally found in large clusters packed together in a uniformly vertical array of columns that appear to be several metres long and usually more than 30 centimetres in diameter.  Surface erosion causes the columns to fracture and break apart, giving the appearance of an ancient, crumbling wall.

The Cordilleran Ice Sheet covered most of north-west North America for much of the last 2.6 million years.  At the Last Glacial Maximum during the Last Glacial Period(26,500 years ago), the Cordilleran Ice Sheet likely covered as much as 2.5 million square kilometres.  Stretching from Alaska to Oregon, British Columbia was entirely covered in ice that in many places over two kilometres thick.  At the Continental Divide of North America the Cordilleran Ice Sheet merged with the Laurentide Ice Sheet.

Cornice: a wind deposited wave of snow on a ridge, often overhanging a steep slope or cliff.  They are the result of snow building up on the crest of a mountain.  Cornices are extremely dangerous to travel on or below.  A common refrain of climbers is that if you can see the drop-off of a cornice, you are too close to the edge.  Cornices are dangerous for several reasons.  They can collapse from hiking across or they can collapse from above.

Corrie Lake is the surreal looking lake that can be seen across the valley from Whistler Mountain.  While hiking the High Note trail along Whistler Mountain it slowly comes into view, seemingly hanging in the forest on an otherwise steep sided, broad mountain.  The broad mountain that Corrie Lake sits within is called Corrie Ridge, which extend from Corrie Peak to Gentian Ridge.  The ridge is named Corrie Ridge because Corrie Peak is the highest peak along the ridge.

Crevasse: is a split or crack in the glacier surface, often with near vertical walls.  Crevasses form out of the constant movement of a glacier over irregular terrain.  Crevasses are both revered for their dramatic beauty and feared for their inherent danger.  Crevasses are often dozens of metres deep and less than a metre wide.  The fear of slipping into one of these treacherously narrowing chasms is well founded. 

Deadfall means a tangled mass of fallen trees and branches.  There are several name variations for fallen trees that are commonly used in Whistler.  Windthrow, blowdown and windsnap are used somewhat interchangeably with deadfall.  Deadfall is a more generalized term that literally means dead and fallen, as in a dead and fallen tree.  Windthrow and blowdown, however are more specifically used to refer to trees blown over and uprooted by strong winds during storms. 

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 trailhead is just over an hours drive away, located near the south end of Garibaldi Park.  Garibaldi Provincial Park is the massive wilderness park of nearly two thousand square kilometres that stretches from Squamish to Pemberton.

Emerald Forest is a cute little forest that is well hidden between Whistler Cay and Alpine.  From Whistler Village, if you go down to the end of Lorimer Road you will see the Valley Trail branch off in three directions.  If you take the direction toward Meadow Park, you will immediately cross the bridge over the River of Golden Dreams.  The paved trail then continues to Meadow Park, but if you take the first left after crossing the train tracks, you will come to the old gravel pit and the start of the Emerald Forest trails.

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. 

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.

Oct 10th, 2022: Jane Lakes consist of three lakes that are well hidden in the vast wilderness adjacent to Whistler’s Interpretive Forest.  West Jane Lake, East Jane Lake and Little Jane Lake are all so engulfed in the forest that they remain unseen until just a few metres away from the shore.  So hidden in fact, that when you do catch a glimpse of West Jane Lake, the biggest of the three, you can’t help but be shocked at the sudden sprawling view.

The Fitzsimmons 9k is a 9 kilometre(5.6 mile) running route through tranquil forests along the beautiful Fitzsimmons Creek and the scenic forest around Lost Lake.  There are plenty of nice viewpoints along the main trail as well as quite a few short trails that lead to several access points to the lake, some with great places to sit and relax in the sun and take in the view.  Lost Lake has a very popular beach at one end and in the height of summer can get busy as it is the most convenient beach from Whistler Village.  There are several swimming platforms out in the lake as well as a wonderful and huge pier along the right hand side of the lake.

Fitzsimmons Creek is the beautiful and huge creek that crashes through Whistler Village.  When walking from Whistler Village to the Upper Village, you will cross the nice, covered bridge over Fitzsimmons Creek.  It passes through Whistler Village and pours into Green Lake at the north end of Whistler.  Fitzsimmons Creek originates from Overlord Glacier and Russet Lake, about 12 kilometres up the valley that separates Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain.

The Fitzsimmons Range is a subsection of the Garibaldi Ranges that covers the area between the valleys of Cheakamus Lake and Fitzsimmons Creek.  Fitzsimmons Creek cuts between Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain and largely originates from the Fitzsimmons Glacier.  The Fitzsimmons Glacier and Mount Fitzsimmons are part of the Overlord Massif, which gets its name from the highest peak in the area, Overlord Mountain. 

Hiking and biking trails are so abundant in Whistler that many go unnoticed, neglected or taken for granted.  The Flank Trail is one of these.  Most people in Whistler don't even know about it, but the ones that do, love it.  Officially known as the Rainbow-Sproatt Flank Trail, it runs the length of Whistler Valley, opposite Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain, and connects Rainbow Mountain and Mount Sproatt with dozens of hiking and biking trails.

Hiking and biking trails are so abundant in Whistler that many go unnoticed, neglected or taken for granted.  The Flank Trail is one of these.  Most people in Whistler don't even know about it, but the ones that do, love it.  Officially known as the Rainbow-Sproatt Flank Trail, it runs the length of Whistler Valley, opposite Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain, and connects to dozens of hiking, snowshoeing and biking trails.

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 mountain lake. There are no trails around the edge of the lake except the small section leading to the campsites, so your view is an impossibly coloured lake edged by swaths of forest and a magnificent glacier towering in the distance.

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 mountain lake. There are no trails around the edge of the lake except the small section leading to the campsites, so your view is an impossibly coloured lake edged by swaths of forest and a magnificent glacier towering in the distance.

Garibaldi Provincial Park is an enormous mountain wilderness park stretching from Pemberton to Squamish in British Columbia.  At almost 2000 square kilometres, the park partly surrounds Whistler and is accessible by foot or by gondola from Whistler Village.  Garibaldi Provincial Park is characterized by dense British Columbia coastal rainforest, snow-capped mountains, glaciers and innumerable mountain lakes.  The park has a tremendous variety of impressive hiking trails to glacier fed, turquoise lakes, surreal mountain summits, remote alpine huts, glaciers, flower filled valleys and a mostly untouched wilderness stretching beyond the horizon.

Inosculation is the technical name for two or more trees that have fused together into a single bizarre looking tree. They are colloquially known as gemels, a name derived from the Latin word gemellus which means "a pair" or "twin". Gemels are a natural phenomenon where trees of the same species grow close enough to rub against each other. Gradually the bark where the two trees contact each other wears away and exposes the cambium.

Glacier Window: the cave-like opening at the mouth of a glacier where meltwater runs out.  Glacier windows are often extraordinarily beautiful.  A blue glow often colours the inside and the walls are filled with centuries old glacial till.  You can often see deep into the clear walls and the enormous magnitude of a glacier can be appreciated from up close.  The popular and easily accessible glacier window at the terminus of the Wedgemount Glacier at Wedgemount Lake is a stunning example of this.

For half of the year in Whistler, from mid November to April, jogging and trail running becomes difficult due to snow.  During this time there are only a few areas of the Valley Trail system that are plowed consistently.  The Golf Course 5k is a beautiful 5 kilometre(3.1 mile) route around Whistler Golf Course, and a great, scenic and convenient option to run year round, and right from Whistler Village!  If you are not staying in Whistler Village, convenient and free parking can be found at the end of Lorimer Road.

Green Lake is the marvellously vivid, green coloured lake just north of Whistler Village.  Driving north on the Sea to Sky Highway, Green Lake appears along the highway on your right.  The vivid colour is always impressive and on a sunny day can be spectacular.  One of the best, and easiest places in Whistler to capture an extraordinary sunrise or sunset photo is along the Green Lake viewpoint along the edge of the highway.

The Green Lake Loop is the original trail that runs around the back side of Green Lake.  Before the Sea to Sky Highway was cut through the valley in 1964, the road for vehicles went through a treacherous route on the opposite side of Green Lake.  With the Sea to Sky Highway open for cars, the old road behind Green Lake became the trail known as the Green Lake Loop.  The Green Lake Loop stretches a windy and often steep 6 kilometre arc up around Green Lake and emerges from the forest 30 metres to the left of Wedge Creek bridge.

Green Lake is stunning, vivid turquoise coloured lake just north of Whistler Village.  The Sea to Sky Highway runs along the edge of the lake for most of its length, giving you excellent view of its stunning colour surrounded by thick forests rising up to mountains.  Along the highway there is a nice pull-out viewpoint that gives you a fantastic view of Green Lake, Wedge Mountain, Blackcomb Mountain and Whistler Mountain beyond.

Helm Creek is a cute, meandering creek that winds its way from beyond Black Tusk, down the valley to the wonderful campground that takes its name. From the Helm Creek campground, Helm Creek descends further along the Helm Creek trail, until it joins Cheakamus River, not far from where it leaves Cheakamus Lake. The location of Helm Creek campground is pretty amazing for a variety of reasons.

Helm Creek is a cute, meandering creek that winds its way from beyond Black Tusk, down the valley to the wonderful campground that takes its name. From the Helm Creek campground, Helm Creek descends further along the Helm Creek trail, until it joins Cheakamus River, not far from where it leaves Cheakamus Lake. The location of Helm Creek campground is pretty amazing for a variety of reasons.

Ablation Zones in Garibaldi Park, Whistler

Ablation Zone: the lower altitude region of a glacier where there is a net loss of ice mass due to melting, sublimation, evaporation, ice calving or avalanche.  The ablation zone of a glacier such as the Wedgemount Glacier has meltwater features such as englacial streams and a glacier window.  An englacial stream refers to meltwater flowing inside a glacier.  A glacier window is a cave-like opening at the mouth of a glacier where meltwater runs out.  The ablation zone is located below the firn line.  Firn originated from Swiss German and means "last year's snow".  It has been compacted and recrystallized making it harder and more compact than snow, though less compact than glacial ice.  A glacier such as the Wedgemount Glacier which stretches from Wedge Mountain down toward Wedgemount Lake, the ablation zone is very beautiful.  A big pool of meltwater spills down the rock face and into turquoise coloured Wedgemount Lake.  The pool of water is at the toe of Wedgemount Glacier and the large glacier window appears like a huge, gaping mouth.  Big chunks of ice float in the pool and chunks of glacier split off into the water.  Whistler and Garibaldi Park Geology: Ablation Zone continued...

Accumulation Zones in Garibaldi Park, Whistler

Accumulation Zone: the area where snow accumulations exceeds melt, located above the firn line.  Snowfall accumulates faster than melting, evaporation and sublimation removes it.  Glaciers can be shown simply as having two zones, the accumulation zone and the ablation zone.  Separated by the glacier equilibrium line, these two zones comprise the areas of net annual gain and net annual loss of snow/ice on a glacier.  The accumulation zone stretches from the higher elevations and pushes down, eventually reaching the ablation zone near the terminus of the glacier where the net loss of snow/ice exceeds the gain.  The Wedgemount Glacier in Garibaldi Provincial Park in Whistler is an ideal place to see an accumulation zone up close.  From across Wedgemount Lake you can see the overall picture of both the accumulation zone and ablation zone of a glacier.  The Wedgemount Glacier is also relatively easy and safe to examine closely and hike onto.  The left side of the glacier is frequented in the summer and fall months by experienced hikers on their way to Wedge Mountain and Mount Weart.  Extreme caution is always needed and if you don't know how to remain safe while travelling on a glacier, you should avoid doing so.  Whistler and Garibaldi Park Geology: Accumulation Zone continued...

Adit Lakes in Garibaldi Park, Whistler

Russet Lake sits in a wide, glacier carved valley at the base of The Fissile.  In the direction opposite The Fissile, up on a plateau less than a kilometre away are two small tarns called Adit Lakes.  Adit Lakes sit in a broad, boulder strewn alpine zone with an incredible view of Spearhead Range.  Just a few metres from Adit Lakes the plateau drops off quickly into the huge valley that separates the Spearhead Range and Fitzsimmons Range.  The Spearhead Range is named for its jagged array of spearhead shaped peaks that extend to include Blackcomb Mountain.  Adit Lakes sit on a plateau in Fitzsimmons Range.  From Adit Lakes you can look across the Musical Bumps all the way to the summit of Whistler Mountain.  Musical Bumps is the collective name for the series of broad mountain peaks that have musical names.  Viewed from Adit Lakes are Oboe Summit, Flute Summit and Piccolo Summit.  The Singing Pass trail connects from the Musical Bumps trail and takes you down the valley between Whistler Mountain and  Read more

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.

Renting Gear is Simple!

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 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! 

3. 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! 

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

We 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

We 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.

Hoary Marmots are the cute, pudgy, twenty plus pound ground squirrels that have evolved to live quite happily in the hostile alpine areas around Whistler.  In the northwest of North America, marmots have a distinct grey in their hair, a hoary colour, so have been named hoary marmots. They manage to survive quite happily in the alpine, largely by hibernating for 8 months of the year and largely for having a surprisingly varied array of food in such an inhospitable environment.

Holloway Falls is the beautiful waterfalls you see partway along the Joffre Lakes Provincial Park trail.  Located between Middle Joffre Lake and Upper Joffre Lake, Holloway Falls is a wide, crashing torrent of white water emerging from the forest and rushing past the trail.  Huge boulders and logs along the edge with swirling water rushing around them.  On a hot day, you can easily dunk your head in the rushing water and cool down.

Jane Lakes are a very remote feeling set of lakes in the beautiful wilderness near Cheakamus Crossing.  Consisting of three lakes, West Jane Lake, East Jane Lake and Little Jane Lake, they have a great network of hiking trails that link and circle them all.  The area has been logged for decades and an old logging road once led to West Jane Lake.  Many years ago, you could have driven a 4x4 all the way to lake.  In recent years the growing forest narrowed the old road into an overgrown trail.

Joffre Lakes Provincial Park is a gorgeous park with extraordinarily coloured lakes, waterfalls, stunning mountain peaks and ominous glaciers pouring into the valley.  Joffre Lakes is one of those incredible places that makes it hard to take a boring picture.  The three Joffre Lakes are some of the most stunning lakes you are likely to ever see.  

Joffre Lakes Provincial Park is a hiking paradise in the summer and a skiing and snowshoeing paradise in the winter.  About 1 hour and 20 minutes north of Whistler gets you to the Joffre Lakes trailhead.  Located up on the Duffy Lake Road north of Pemberton, Joffre Lakes is well known for its incredibly surreal, turquoise water.  In the winter of course, all three of the Joffre Lakes are frozen over but the trail is popular with skiers and snowshoers between the months of November and April.

Keyhole Falls are found just a couple kilometres upriver from Keyhole Hot Springs.  The unmarked trailhead and parking area for Keyhole Falls are just a couple kilometres past the parking area for Keyhole Hot Springs.  If you don't have a rough idea where it is, or expect an obvious sign, you will likely get lost in the maze of logging roads in the area.  

Mount Meager erupted here 2400 years ago and filled the valley with debris that cemented into rock that blocked Lillooet River.  Eventually water erosion cut a channel through the breccia dam, and Keyhole Falls were born.  The trail to Keyhole Hot Springs shows you plenty of examples of breccia, which is larger pieces of angular rock cemented together with small particles or a mineral cement that forms these marvels.

Keyhole Hot Springs (aka Pebble Creek Hot Springs) is located 100 kilometres from Whistler (Village Gate Blvd). Though much of the drive to Keyhole is on logging roads, the route is driveable by most cars without any trouble. The massive Innergex hydroelectric project turned this once quiet wilderness into a war-zone in recent years. On the plus side, the old logging roads near Keyhole Hot Springs are now well maintained and smooth.

When you hike in the alpine in Whistler and Garibaldi Provincial Park, you will often encounter unbelievably hardy and sometimes mangled looking trees.  Weathering high winds, freezing temperatures, deep snow and usually growing where most other things can't.  These weather battered trees are called krummholz.  Krummholz is a German derived word that comes from two words, krumm and holz.  Krumm means bent, crooked, twisted and holz means wood.

Lakeside Park on the shore of Alta Lake in Whistler is a beautiful beach park just a short distance from Whistler Village.  Located on the Valley Trail, it is just 2 kilometres or a 30 minute walk, or 10 minute bike ride away.  Similar to the popular Rainbow Park across the lake, Lakeside has a concession stand for food and drinks, picnic tables, BBQ stands, canoe and kayak rentals a huge grass field, pier, a sandy beach and an elaborate little kids play are.

There are plenty of amazing webcams in Whistler set up by the Mountain and the Municipality of Whistler.  On Whistler Mountain there are several webcams that update images every few minutes from the summit of Whistler Mountain and down at the Roundhouse Lodge.  On Blackcomb Mountain there are several more webcams at Rendezvous Lodge that point in six different directions, completing a panoramic view.  

Whistler & Garibaldi Hiking

Alexander Falls  Ancient Cedars  Black Tusk  Blackcomb Mountain  Brandywine Falls  Brandywine Meadows  Brew Lake  Callaghan Lake  Cheakamus Lake  Cheakamus River  Cirque Lake  Flank Trail  Garibaldi Lake  Garibaldi Park  Helm Creek  Jane Lakes  Joffre Lakes  Keyhole Hot Springs  Logger’s Lake  Madeley Lake  Meager Hot Springs Nairn Falls  Newt Lake Panorama Ridge  Parkhurst Ghost Town  Rainbow Falls  Rainbow Lake 

Along Whistler’s Valley Trail near Rainbow Park you come across some impressively unusual trees. Unlike most other Whistler trees with straight trunks and slender branches, these lodgepole pines have wide gnarled trunks and magnificently huge, muscular branches. The branches of are of various sizes, ranging from very thick and long to enormous and long enough to disappear into the forest canopy. The more impressive branches emerge from the trunk nearly horizontal, then abruptly bend skyward.

Logger’s Lake is an amazing little lake hidden up in the deep forest above the more well known Cheakamus River. The lake, almost unbelievably exists in a long extinct volcano. However, as soon as you see the lake up close, you quickly come to believe it. The lake sits in a beautifully volcano-shaped bowl, with one side of the bowl a crumbling array of huge, cube shaped boulders leading down to, and spilling into the lake.

The Lost Lake 6k is a nice 6 kilometre(3.7 mile) running route that takes you from Whistler Village out and around Lost Lake.  Lost Lake, along with the Whistler Golf Course 5k trail run are two of the most convenient and scenic trail runs adjacent to Whistler Village.  Both can be started in Whistler Village and both have almost constant views and easy to follow routes.  Depending on where you are in the Village you can access the Lost Lake Park via many different directions, however the Fitzsimmons Trail between Lot 1 and Lot 2 is possibly the nicest.

Lost Lake is a tranquil and secluded lake that hides in the forest extending from Whistler Village.  Just a 20 minute, leisurely walk or 5 minute bike ride along the well signed Valley Trail will lead you to this beautiful little lake.  The wide and paved Valley Trail turns into a wide and gravel trail as you enter Lost Lake Park and.  Trails circle the lake and extend in all directions. 

Madeley Lake is a beautiful, remote mountain lake hidden high up in the Callaghan Valley.  From Whistler Village expect to take 40 minutes to drive there.  You can drive directly to the lake, however the access road is pretty bad with deep waterbars.  An average 4x4 can make it quite easily, though most cars with have great difficulty driving over the numerous deep water cut gouges in the road.  

Madeley Lake is a gorgeous mountain lake located high up in the Callaghan Valley just a short drive past Alexander Falls.  From Whistler Village it takes about 50 minutes to drive the 27.4 kilometres to get to the parking area for both Madeley Lake and Hanging Lake.  A new gate installed in 2022 blocks Madeley Lake FSR which continues two kilometres to the far end of Madeley Lake near the campsite.   

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.  

Meadow Park is a huge recreation area in Whistler that has a hockey rink, huge gym, swimming pool, squash courts, baseball diamonds, tennis courts, basketball courts, ball hockey court and a wonderfully elaborate kids play park.  Meadow Park is wonderfully located along the River of Golden Dreams, a cute little, slow, winding river that connects Alta Lake and Green Lake.

Moraines are glacially deposited ridges of debris that accumulate at the sides or terminus of a glacier.  Lateral moraines form at the sides of glaciers and terminal moraines at the terminus of a glacier.  Terminal moraines mark the maximum advance of a glacier.  Moraines are made up of glacial debris ranging in size from enormous boulders to fine glacial flour.  Boulders and rocks in moraines are generally rounded due to the churning and grinding within the glacier as it moved.

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.  Surrounded by glaciers on all sides, Mount James Turner has an almost to perfect cone shape to it.  The third highest mountain in Garibaldi Provincial Park at 2703 metres(8868 feet), it is only surpassed by Wedge Mountain at 2892 metres(9488 feet) and Wedge's neighbour Mount Weart 2835 metres(9301 feet).

Mountain hemlock is a species of hemlock that thrives along the west coast of North America from Alaska to California. In Whistler and Garibaldi Park you will encounter them high up on the mountains in subalpine areas battered by harsh winters. If you encounter a brutalized, yet strangely beautiful tree mangled by long winters, it is a good chance it is a mountain hemlock. Trees that have a weather worn, twisted appearance are known as krummholz, and the mountains around Whistler have plenty of these extraordinary trees.

Nairn Falls is a wonderful, crashing and chaotic waterfall that surrounds you from the deluxe viewing platform that allows you to safely watch it from above.  The beautiful, green water rushes through the deep and angular channels of rock. Nairn Falls Provincial Park is centred around a very large campground and the short, 1.2 kilometre trail to the falls.

Nairn Falls Provincial Park is located just a twenty minute drive north of Whistler Village.  There is a nice, relaxing 1.2 kilometre hiking/snowshoeing trail that runs along Green River to a gorgeous viewing area in the midst of Nairn Falls.  The popular trail is actually hike-able year-round, so you most likely will not need your snowshoes unless there has been lots of new snow in the last couple days.  The trail is well marked and doesn't gain any significant elevation, making it a very easy, kid friendly trail. 

Neal Carter (14 Dec 1902 – 15 Mar 1978) was a mountaineer and early explorer of the Coast Mountains primarily in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Astoundingly skilled as a mountaineer, Carter also excelled at cartography and surveying which he used to map the vast unnamed and unexplored mountains of BC. He named a staggering number of mountains and alpine features, as well as making at least 25 first ascents, many around what we now call the Whistler Valley. 

Newt Lake is cute little hidden lake high up on the far side of Cougar Mountain near Ancient Cedars.  Its location is a wonderful mix of unexpected characteristics that combine to make it a gorgeous place to see, as well as an unforgettable place to spend the night.  The lake itself is comparatively small, but its irregular shape, deep water and dramatically varied topography make it seem pretty big.  The terrain around the lake is chaotic combination of monstrous boulders, rocky cliffs and weather battered forest.

Nita Lake is a tranquil little lake located in Creekside, just 4 kilometres south of Whistler Village.  Whistler's beautiful Valley Trail runs right along the edge of Nita Lake and continues past the beautiful Nita Lake Lodge.  A small gravel beach with a creek flowing through it gives the park consistently good fishing.  Two picnic tables sit in a forest clearing next to the creek.  At the end of the lake there are two piers.  One is a public pier and the other is for Nita Lake Lodge guests.

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 living here and you don't have a car, it's no problem. On foot or on a bike you can travel the extensive network of non-motorized trails. 

Northair Mine is wonderful, hidden world high up in Callaghan Valley.  It was a gold mine run by the Northair Group from 1976 until was abandoned in 1982 due to waning profitability and slumping gold prices.  The buildings and construction equipment were removed, leaving only the cement foundations and a scattering of metal cables.  For decades the foundations and surrounding area remained untouched except for the occasional visitor to the old ruins or the nice lake beside it. 

November 18th, 2022: Way up in the Callaghan Valley on the back side of Mount Sproatt is an abandoned gold mine.  Old cement foundations and two unexpectedly beautiful lakes mark the location of Northair Mine, abandoned in 1982.  For about five years it was a fairly productive gold mine that extracted five tons of gold.  Largely forgotten for years, in the last decade it has come to life in stunning colour by graffiti artists and professional muralists.

Nunatuk: a rock projection protruding through permanent ice or snow.  Their distinct appearance in an otherwise barren landscape often makes them identifiable landmarks.  Nunatuks are usually crumbling masses of angular rock as they are subject to severe freeze/thaw periods.  There is a very prominent nunatuk on Wedgemount Glacier, high up near the summit of Wedge Mountain.  Another nunatuk once stood down the glacier near Wedgemount Lake, however the glacier retreated above it several years ago.

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 the forest actually give new trees some interesting survival advantages. Though a tree stump or log appears to be an inhospitable place for a new tree to grow, the opposite is actually true for a bunch of not so obvious reasons. Known a nurse log or nurse stump the fallen or cut down and removed tree opens some of the forest canopy and allows more sunlight in.

The Pacific yew or western yew is a coniferous tree that grows in Whistler and along the coast from Alaska to California. The Pacific yew’s unique appearance stands out among other more numerous and commonly known trees. The trunk is often contorted in angular directions toward gaps in the forest canopy and the branches are extremely long and sinewy. Branches tend to stretch toward the light and needles tend to only grow near the ends where light is found.

Panorama Ridge is easily one of the most amazing hikes in Garibaldi Provincial Park.  The 15 kilometre hike from the trailhead at Rubble Creek to Panorama Ridge takes you through beautiful and deep forests, across countless idyllic streams, through meadows filled with flowers, and past dozens of jaw dropping viewpoints.  

Paper birch, also known as white birch is a type of birch tree that grows in northern North America. Named for its paper-like, white or cream coloured bark that easily peels off in large white, horizontal sheets. Leaves are rounded at the base and with a pointed tip and have a length ranging from 5-12cm or 2-5 inches. Wood is excellent for firewood and pulpwood. The bark is particularly flammable. Usually grow to 20 metres (66 feet), but have been known to grow at tall as 40 metres (130 feet).

Whistler has an absurd number of wonderful and free hiking trails and Parkhurst Ghost Town certainly ranks as one of the most unusual, exotic and interesting. Parkhurst was a little logging town perched on the edge of Green Lake way before Whistler was Whistler.  Up on the ridge where Parkhurst sits, the views are sensational. Green Lake far below, a solid unnatural looking mass of green.  

Whistler has an absurd number of wonderful and free hiking trails and Parkhurst Ghost Town certainly ranks as one of the most unusual, exotic and interesting. Parkhurst was a little logging town perched on the edge of Green Lake way before Whistler was Whistler.  Up on the ridge where Parkhurst sits, the views are sensational. Green Lake far below, a solid unnatural looking mass of green. 

At the north end of Green Lake hides one of the most unusual, interesting and scenic snowshoe trails in Whistler, Parkhurst Ghost Town.  From the 1920’s to 1950’s a small logging town with several dozen houses and a sawmill, the town quickly vacated in 1956 when the sawmill ceased operating.  Decades of snowy winter crushed the old sawmill and all but two of the old houses.  Various types of logging machinery, old vehicles, trucks, Caterpillar tractors and a Cletrac tractor lay in the forest unmoved for almost seventy years. 

Parkhurst Ridge is an incredible place for a lot of reasons.  Of course, the view is spectacular with Green Lake's absurdly vivid green coloured water.  Snowy mountains all around.  Wonderfully varied clifftop terrain with easily accessible cliff plateaus leading like giant steps down to the water.  The forest on the ridge is sparse enough to be always sunny, but with plenty of trees to make it feel secluded.

The Peak 2 Peak Gondola connects Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain at a dizzying height of 436 metres(1427 feet).  It runs all winter and in the summer when the mountains are open for sightseeing and hiking.  The Peak 2 Peak Gondola runs very fast as it carries up to 4100 people per hour at 7.5 metres per second or 16.8 miles per hour!

Hidden in the tangle of forest along Green Lake where the old Parkhurst Sawmill once operated, is the bizarre and beautiful Parkhurst Plow Tree.  A very large aspen has managed to grow, probably since 1956, through a big triangular gap in a huge, 4 ton steel tractor plow.  Spilling over the top of the plow, the bark of the aspen has molded itself over the plow and has grown to a width about twice the size of the gap within the plow. 

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 Alta Lake, just down and across from Rainbow Park.  Rainbow Falls are not awe inspiring, however the trail to them is fun and the creek above and below the falls is very scenic.  The Flank Trail crosses the Rainbow Trail and 21 Mile Creek just up from Rainbow Falls.

The short, scenic and easy hiking trail to Rainbow Falls is located just a short, half kilometre from the Rainbow Lake or Rainbow Trail trailhead. The trail begins by ascending into deep forest and the trail winds left, right, up and down constantly.  Twentyone Mile Creek, always on your right can be either seen or heard as you hike through beautiful forest to the somewhat hidden Rainbow Falls. 

Rainbow Falls is a fantastic way go get yourself into some deep snow quickly from Whistler Village.  The short 2.2 kilometre, winding, and ever-changing loop trail to Rainbow Falls partly overlaps the Rainbow Trail which continues on to Rainbow Lake.  The trailhead is marked as the Rainbow Trail, and the trail quickly ascends into the forest winding left, right, up and down almost constantly.  Twentyone Mile Creek can always been seen or heard as you snowshoe through the forest to the somewhat hidden Rainbow Falls.

The Rainbow Trail is a convenient and popular trail near Whistler Village that takes you to Rainbow Lake as well as the Rainbow-Sproatt Flank Trail, Rainbow Falls, Hanging Lake, Madeley Lake, Beverley Lake, Rainbow Mountain... and even Whistler Olympic Park if you are determined.  It is a consistently uphill and very beautiful trail with several water (bridge) crossings and waterfalls on the way to the picture-perfect lake.  

The Rainbow Trail is a convenient and popular trail near Whistler Village that takes you to Rainbow Lake as well as the Rainbow-Sproatt Flank Trail, Rainbow Falls, Hanging Lake, Madeley Lake, Beverley Lake, Rainbow Mountain... and even Whistler Olympic Park if you are determined.  It is a consistently uphill and very beautiful trail with several scenic bridge crossings and waterfalls on the way to the picture-perfect lake. 

The Rainbow Trail is a convenient and popular trail near Whistler Village that takes you to Rainbow Lake as well as the Rainbow-Sproatt Flank Trail, Rainbow Falls, Hanging Lake, Madeley Lake, Beverley Lake, Rainbow Mountain... and even Whistler Olympic Park if you are determined.  It is a consistently uphill and very beautiful trail with several water (bridge) crossings and waterfalls on the way to the picture-perfect lake. 

Rainbow Lodge was a popular wilderness lodge in the small community called Alta Lake, and what would eventually be called Whistler  It was a fishing and relaxing destination and easily accessible from Vancouver via the train route that counted it as one of the main train stations in the valley.  Open by Alex and Myrtle Philip in 1914, Rainbow Lodge brought tourism to a sparsely inhabited region populated mostly by loggers and miners. 

Rainbow Park is one of Whistler's most popular sightseeing, picnicking, dog walking, relaxing and swimming beaches and for good reason.  The beach is south facing so every morning the sun rises from behind Wedge Mountain and the whole park seems to glow.  From the dazzling reflecting from the snow off of Wedge Mountain, Blackcomb Mountain and Whistler Mountain, to the amazing blue glow from Alta Lake.  **Closed due to construction until June 2024.

Rainbow Park is one of the hugely popular swimming beaches in Whistler in the summer.  In the winter it is a spectacular vantage point across Alta Lake to Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain.  The beautiful ski run lines snake down the mountains and by December Alta Lake is usually completely frozen.  Hockey games occur at various spots on the lake and the Valley Trail leading to and from Rainbow Park is buried in snow and unplowed all winter.  When the heavy snow of December comes, the valley trail becomes a snowshoeing and cross country ski trail.

The Roundhouse Lodge is the centre of activity on much of Whistler Mountain.  It is where the Whistler Gondola drops off and next to where the Peak 2 Peak Gondola crosses to Blackcomb Mountain.  Restaurants, patios, gift shops and even the fantastic Umbrella Bar perched at the edge of the newly expanded outdoor patio with incredible mountain views.

Russet Lake is a surreal little paradise that lays at the base of The Fissile, in Garibaldi Provincial Park. The Fissile is the strikingly bronze mountain visible from Whistler Village.  From the Village look into the distance at the Peak2Peak Gondola hanging between Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain and you will see The Fissile. Its pyramid shape in the distance perfectly separates the two mountains.  

Russet Lake is a surreal little paradise that lays at the base of The Fissile, in Garibaldi Provincial Park. The Fissile is the strikingly bronze mountain visible from Whistler Village.  From the Village look into the distance at the Peak2Peak Gondola hanging between Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain and you will see The Fissile. Its pyramid shape in the distance perfectly separates the two mountains.

The sawmill at Parkhurst operated on the triangle of land that juts out into Green Lake and also extended north between the train tracks and the lake.  The old sawmill was almost certainly crushed under heavy snow in the years following its closure in 1956.  With the town abandoned there were no caretakers to maintain any of the old structures and the crushing weight of spring snow eventually flattened all but two of the old houses and the sawmill buildings.

Scree: from the Norse “skridha”, landslide.  The small, loose stones covering a slope. Also called talus, the French word for slope. Scree is mainly formed from the annual freeze/thaw periods of spring and fall, where water seeps into cracks in the rock and expands when freezing.  Scree slopes are a common obstacle or simply part of the scenery around Whistler.  The terrain at Wedgemount Lake is dominated by scree slopes and a massive erratic field around the lake.

The Sea to Sky Trail is a 180 kilometre multi-use trail that runs from Squamish to D'Arcy. The trail is still under construction in many parts, however, the amazing route through Whistler is finally in place. The Whistler section of the Sea to Sky Trail is 33 kilometres long between Brandywine Falls Provincial Park and WedgeWoods Estates just north of Green Lake, near the trailhead for Wedgemount Lake.

Shannon Falls towers above Howe Sound at 335 metres as the third tallest falls in BC.  The wonderful, though very short trail winds through a beautiful old growth forest to get to the base of the falls.  From your car to the viewpoint takes only about four minutes.  You can continue along the trail and join with the Stawamus Chief trail which goes to the three marvelous summits of The Chief.

Skookumchuck Hot Springs(aka T'sek Hot Springs and St. Agnes Well), located two hours north of Whistler along the edge of the huge Lillooet River. The name Skookumchuck means "strong water" in the language of the Chinook people of the Pacific Northwest. The name is associated with the hot springs because of the nearby First Nation community of Skatin, which was once called Skookumchuck.

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 large, spread out campsite for the hot springs lies a short 5 minute walk from the springs. You have to follow a dark and quickly descending trail toward the crashing river.

The Spearhead Range is a subsection of the Garibaldi Ranges that runs in an arc that connects Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain.  The Spearhead Range is effectively the brother of the Fitzsimmons Range which runs east from the summit of Whistler Mountain to Russet Lake.  The Spearhead Range covers the area on the north side or Blackcomb Mountain side of Fitzsimmons Creek. 

Whistler is spectacular in springtime! Check out our Best Whistler Hiking by Month guides! WeRentGear.com rents tents, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, camp stoves, packs, complete kits and more!

Mount Sproatt, or as it is known locally as  just Sproatt, is one of the many towering mountains visible from Whistler Village. Above and beyond Alta Lake, directly across from Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain, you will see this quiet giant. Its unremarkable appearance hides the growing network of trails that stretch through some startlingly beautiful terrain.  

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 directly across from Whistler Mountain (2181 metres) and Blackcomb Mountain (2436 metres).  There are several routes and trails to access Sproatt and the Sproatt East trail is arguably the shortest and certainly the most convenient from Whistler.

Mount Sproatt, or as it is known locally as just Sproatt, is one of the many towering mountains visible from Whistler Village. Above and beyond Alta Lake, directly across from Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain, you will see this quiet giant. Its unremarkable appearance hides the growing network of trails that stretch through some startlingly beautiful terrain.

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.

Tarn: a small alpine lake.  The word tarn originates from the Norse word tjorn which translates to English as pond.  In the United Kingdom, tarn is widely used to refer to any small lake or pond.  In British Columbia tarn is used specifically for small mountain lakes.  Around Whistler tarns number in the hundreds and many are so small and/or hidden as to remain unnamed.  Russet Lake in Garibaldi Provincial Park could be called a tarn, however its relatively large size dominates the area and the term lake seems more appropriate. 

Taylor Meadows is a very scenic campsite and great alternative to the much busier and more well known, Garibaldi Lake campsite. Located in Garibaldi Provincial Park between Garibaldi Lake and Black Tusk, Taylor Meadows is best hiked to from the same trailhead as Garibaldi Lake at Rubble Creek. There are 40 tent platforms, toilets, a good water source and food cache, all in the lush forest of Taylor Meadows with great views of Black Tusk. 

Taylor Meadows is a very scenic campsite and great alternative to the much busier and more well known, Garibaldi Lake campsite. Located in Garibaldi Provincial Park between Garibaldi Lake and Black Tusk, Taylor Meadows is best hiked to from the same trailhead as Garibaldi Lake at Rubble Creek. There are 40 tent platforms, toilets, a good water source and food cache, all in the lush forest of Taylor Meadows with great views of Black Tusk.

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 distance so close and blanketed in wonderful, beautiful snow.  Garibaldi Lake is accessible as well on this snowshoeing hike.  The Taylor Meadows trail forks partway up, left goes to Taylor Meadows, right to Garibaldi Lake.  The trail joins again at the far side of both campsites.

The Fissile is the stunning Matterhorn-looking mountain that is visible from Village Gate Boulevard in Whistler.  Looking up from Village Gate you will see the distant Peak2Peak Gondola spanning Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain.  In the background distance you will see The Fissile.  In the bright sunshine of summer it will be vibrantly coloured red.  In the evening it turns dark red then fades into an ominous black.  In the winter months, of course, The Fissile is a striking, white pyramid. 

The Table is an extraordinary flat-topped mountain located in Garibaldi Park just one kilometre south of Garibaldi Lake.  Sometimes reflexively referred to as Table Mountain, The Table is its commonly used name and distinguishes it from the dozens of mountains worldwide named Table Mountain.  About 12000 years ago, the Cordilleran Ice Sheet covered much of North America with a thickness measured in hundreds of metres.  The Table formed when an erupting volcano forced magma to the surface of the ice and solidified with a strikingly, near-perfect flat surface. 

Charles Townsend moved from England to Vancouver in the early 1920's where he met Neal Carter while studying at UBC.  They worked together in the summer of 1923 as surveyors for the hydroelectric project that would eventually result in the hydro dam on Daisy Lake along the Sea to Sky Highway.  Townsend was a member of the British Columbia Mountaineering Club during his few short years in Vancouver. 

Whistler Train Wreck is an amazing, easy and accessible year-round hike in Whistler.  The trail to Whistler Train Wreck is an easy, yet varied route through deep forest, across a great suspension bridge over Cheakamus River, to a stunning array of wrecked train cars. The trail from your car to the wrecks only takes about 15 minutes, however once you reach one wreck, you see another, then another. 

Whistler Train Wreck is a hidden little world of brightly graffiti painted, wrecked train cars along a gorgeous stretch of Cheakamus River.  One particularly stunning section of the river, unseen by nearly all visitors to Train Wreck, is the marvelously broad and crashing Train Wreck Falls.  In the past, the falls were easily spotted on the trail to Train Wreck, but with the recent installation of the bridge to Train Wreck, the access trail was redirected.

The trail to Whistler Train Wreck is an easy, yet varied route through deep forest, across a great suspension bridge over Cheakamus River, to a stunning array of wrecked train cars. The trail from your car to the wrecks only takes about 15 minutes, however once you reach one wreck, you see another, then another. There are seven wrecks in total that are spread over an area about 400 metres long.

The trail to Whistler Train Wreck is an easy, yet varied route through deep forest, across a great suspension bridge over Cheakamus River, to a stunning array of wrecked train cars. The trail from your car to the wrecks only takes about 15 minutes, however once you reach one wreck, you see another, then another. There are seven wrecks in total that are spread over an area about 400 metres long.

The pale green shub-like growths hanging from trees in the forests around Whistler is called usnea.  These bushy, coral-like fruticose lichens anchor to bark and branches on trees and hang like tinsel on a Christmas tree.  known as old man’s beard, usnea tends to thrive on dead and dying trees and is can appear to be harming their hosts.  They actually do no harm to trees and prefer dying ones for their lack of sunlight blocking canopy growth. 

Waterbar and Cross-Ditch: the purpose of a waterbar or cross-ditch is to capture and redirect surface water from the road and channel it across the road surface beyond the shoulder of the road.  A waterbar differs from a cross-ditch as it collects only road surface water and not water flowing down a ditch line or creek.  Waterbars often form naturally across forest service roads over time by seasonal flooding.  Man-made waterbars are visibly different than natural ones in that they are deeper, straighter and have a berm on the downhill side.

Wayside Park in Whistler is one of several idyllic parks along the shore of Alta Lake.  Rainbow Park, Lakeside Park and Blueberry Park are also along the shore of this huge lake that covers much of the valley edged by Whistler Village.  These four parks, all on Whistler's beautiful Valley Trail system, ensure that you are never far from one of several amazing vantage points over Alta Lake.

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.  Wedge Creek is notable for the mountain pass between Wedge and Blackcomb that runs between it and Billygoat Creek. The original name for the pass, officially adopted in 1930 was Wedgemount Pass, however it was changed in 1957 to Wedge Pass to avoid confusion with nearby Wedgemount Creek which flows from Wedgemount Lake.

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 of the hiking distance from the trailhead.  At almost 300 metres high, Wedgemount Falls can be heard long before being visible.  The forest cover is very thick for most of the trail to Wedgemount Lake so getting a clear look at the falls is difficult.

Wedgemount Glacier descends the steep valley down from Wedge Mountain and flanked by Parkhurst Mountain and Mount Weart.  A couple decades ago the glacier reached Wedgemount Lake with an abrupt wall of ice.  Now the terminus is a few hundred metres from the shore and has a huge, gaping glacier window at its end.  

Wedgemount Lake itself is a magnificent destination for a day hike or spectacular overnight beneath the dazzling mountain peaks and stars above Garibaldi Provincial Park. Many sleep under the stars on one of the many beautiful tent platforms that dot the landscape. Solidly built, wooden tent platforms are everywhere you look at Wedgemount Lake. 

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 the winter) and hiking with a heavy pack takes about 2.5 to 3.5 hours to reach the lake.  In the winter, on snowshoes, the Wedgemount Lake trail is considerably harder, as well as a couple kilometres longer owing to the undrivable, snow buried access road. 

Western hemlock (tsuga heterophylla) is a large evergreen coniferous tree that is native to the west coast of North America. Unlike many other trees in Whistler, western hemlocks don't mind growing in the shade, and their tolerance for shade is only surpassed by two other local trees, the Pacific yew and Pacific silver fir. The Pacific yew and the Pacific silver fir are also quite numerous in Whistler and manage to thrive under the taller and more established trees blocking much of the sunlight.

Western redcedar is a very large tree commonly found in the Pacific Northwest. Frequently growing up to 70 metres and with a trunk diameter of 7 metres, they can live well over 1000 years. Specific is tricky to accurately measure on living trees, however, the oldest verified western redcedar was recorded as 1460 years old. The big western redcedars in Whistler's Ancient Cedars forest are thought to be 1000 years old.

Great Snowshoeing This Week!

10 Jan 2023: what trails are good this week?  Rainbow Falls is a fun and easy 1.1 kilometre(one way) trail to the cute and hidden waterfalls.  They are not huge and impressive, but the trail is fun as it bends and ascends quickly up the forest along Twentyone Mile Creek.  The snow is deep all winter and you almost always need snowshoes to get there.  If you hike a bit further beyond Rainbow Falls you connect to the Flank Trail which crosses Twentyone Mile Creek.  The bridge across is always deeply buried in snow and you always feel like you are in a winter wonderland!  Huge boulders below the bridge are buried in massive pillows of snow and it is quite easy to snowshoe along the creek which crashes through.  You can continue along the Flank Trail and connect back down to the Rainbow trailhead where you started.  This circle route is fantastic and you can easily snowshoe the route un under an hour.

Snowshoeing the Sproatt East Trail

The Sproatt East trail is another great trail to snowshoe in January.  This trail begins high up in Stonebridge, the neighbourhood across the valley from Whistler Village.  The trailhead begins very high up the side of Mount Sproatt, allowing you to start snowshoeing way up the mountain.  The Sproatt East trail winds through the forest, across several winding bridges, and up to several great views across the valley.  The trail to the summit of Sproatt is a very steep and challenging 5 kilometres, one way.  There are several stunning plateaus along the trail and make worthy destinations on their own.  The second plateau along the trail is just 2.4 kilometres from the trailhead.  Still challenging in the winter with snowshoes, but much easier than going all the way to the summit of Sproatt.  The first plateau is fairly easy and just 1.4 kilometres from the trailhead and still with wonderful views.

Best Whistler Hiking and Snowshoe Trails January

Madeley Lake Accessible Again!

Hike in Whistler News: July 28th, 2022: Whistler Olympic Park blocked vehicle access to Madeley lake back in 2020, which meant that you had to hike several kilometres up the ascending logging road to get there.  This year, evidently due to pressure from the public, they have moved the gate much farther up the road to the Hanging Lake trailhead.  It is still about 500 metres from Madeley Lake and well over a kilometre to the Madeley campsite.  At the gate there is a large area for parking and the hike to the lake is not too far.  This is a picture of the new gate and parking area.  On the right you can see the Madeley to Hanging Lake trailhead.

Winter 2021/2022 Hiking Gear Rental Sale!

Hike in Whistler News: November 10th, 2021: We are celebrating winter with a huge sale!  25% off everything!  We rent the best hiking gear at the best prices and with the best service.  We deliver and pick up anywhere in Whistler for free.  If you are driving up from Vancouver to go to Garibaldi Provincial Park, we deliver/pickup to the Rubble Creek trailhead for free as well!(on rental bookings over $100).  Let us do all the gear planning, maintenance and cleanup for you!  Pick up your gear at the trailhead and we will pick it up when you are done! We rent everything you could possibly need to hike in Whistler and beyond. We Rent complete hiking kits, so all you need is to bring clothes, food and drinks. All our hiking gear is top quality, ultralight and very expensive.. but not for you. We rent our top quality gear at bargain prices and all summer long we are taking 20% off our already amazingly low prices!

Madeley Lake Accessible Again!

Hike in Whistler Blog: July 8th, 2020: One of Whistler's most impressive drive-to mountain lakes, Madeley Lake is accessible once again. It appears a large public outcry forced, or at least embarrassed Whistler Olympic Park into opening the gate that was installed in the springtime barring public access. They have also removed the sign on the gate warning that entering the area is considered trespassing. Whistler Sport Legacies managed to gain control over this road in recent years by arguing the necessity to groom it in the winter. Evidently a forest service road cannot be legally groomed for skiing, so granting Whistler Sport Legacies the lease on Madeley Lake Road must have seemed like a harmless decision. To then parlay that decision into blocking the road in the summer to the public seems very dishonest.

Considerable hiking trail maintenance work in the last few years has gone on around Madeley Lake, which links it to Hanging Lake and Rainbow Lake. Obviously the trail work would not have been done if the trail was to be blocked by Whistler Olympic Park. The most shocking thing about Whistler Sport Legacies installing the gate is that no one seems to have known about it. Continued here...

Madeley Lake Closed?

Read more

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 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!

The alpine hiking trails on Whistler Mountain are the ultimate in luxurious, quick-access alpine hiking. Little effort gets you amazing views of turquoise lakes, snowy mountains, valleys of flowers and distant glaciers.  The Whistler Gondola takes you to the Roundhouse Lodge where you find gift shops, restaurants, viewing decks and the new Umbrella Bar.  

Whistler spruce is a hybrid of the Sitka spruce and the interior Engelmann spruce. Sitka spruce trees thrive in the rainforests of the Pacific Northwest along the West Coast of North America, whereas Engelmann spruce trees grow in the much drier interior. The Whistler spruce is a fast growing tree that gets impressively large very fast. Possibly the best place to get a good look at big Whistler spruce trees is along the Valley Trail at the end of Lorimer Road.

February 1st, 2023: The beautiful murals that make Whistler Train Wreck the magical place it is today began appearing in 2011 when this hidden place was known by just a few Whistler locals.  Artists ranging from aspiring graffiti artists that mostly remain unnamed, to tremendously gifted professional mural artists like Kups.  Kups is a prolific mural artist with stunning works that can be seen all over Whistler and the lower mainland.  One of his hauntingly beautiful murals can be found inside the first boxcar you come to after crossing the bridge into Whistler Train Wreck.

The trail to Whistler Train Wreck is an easy, yet varied route through deep forest, across a great suspension bridge over Cheakamus River, to a stunning array of wrecked train cars. The trail from your car to the wrecks only takes about 15 minutes, however once you reach one wreck, you see another, then another. There are seven wrecks in total that are spread over an area about 400 metres long.

February 10th, 2023: There are plenty of dog friendly snowshoe trails in Whistler.  They range from easy and quick to get to, to a bit of a drive and a bit more challenging.  Blueberry Park is a wonderful trail just a 2 minute drive from Whistler Village.  You can even walk there in about 20 minutes.  This deep forest park has a great 3 kilometre circle route that takes you up Blueberry Hill and then down along the shore of Alta Lake where you pass by four piers set into the frozen lake.  

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 terminology a wye is a large turnaround area which traces a large triangle shape and allows trains to exit the main train tracks and turnaround.  The original wye in the area was Mons Wye located about where the Catholic church at the end of Lorimer Road is today.