Fall Hiking in Whistler!
Fall is here and hiking in Whistler is spectacular! Check out our Best Whistler Hiking by Month for inspiration!
The Garibaldi Volcanic Belt is a line of mostly dormant stratovolcanoes and subglacial volcanoes largely centred around Whistler and extending through much of the Coast Mountains. Divided into sections with the Mount Garibaldi Area at the southern end and the Mount Cayley area southwest of Whistler. The Mount Meager Area is west of Pemberton and the Bridge River Cones Area northwest of the Meager Area.
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 Ring Lake Russet Lake Sea to Sky Trail Skookumchuck Hot Springs Sloquet Hot Springs 
Sproatt East Sproatt West Taylor Meadows Train Wreck 
Wedgemount Lake Whistler Mountain
January February 
March April May 
June July August 
September October November December
And finally the Silverthrone Caldera Area which is a couple hundred kilometres northwest of Whistler. The Garibaldi Volcanic Belt makes up the northern section of the Cascade Volcanic Arc which includes Mount St. Helens, which had a major eruption in 1980. The Garibaldi Volcanic Belt is potentially active from several locations. Mount Garibaldi, Mount Price and many of the mountains in the area were tremendously active during the last ice age less than ten thousand year ago. Mount Price produced a lava flow that formed The Barrier and allowed Garibaldi Lake to form. Mount Meager had several massive eruptions in the last 2 million years, with the most recent one just 2360 years ago! This makes Mount Meager the most recent volcanic eruption in Canada. The Garibaldi Volcanic Belt is caused by the Juan de Fuca Plate and the North American Plate colliding together along the coast of British Columbia. The Juan de Fuca Plate is subducting under the North American Plate. It is estimated that these plates build up stress for centuries before slipping and producing a massive earthquake. The most recent mega-earthquake, the Cascadia earthquake occurred on January 26th, 1700. It is estimated that this megathrust earthquake ran from the centre of Vancouver Island down to northern California and produced a tsunami powerful enough to hit Japan. Similarly large earthquakes have occurred along this fault in 1310, 810, 400, 170BC and 600BC.
The Garibaldi Volcanic Belt was very active during the last major ice age and some interesting interactions took place between fire and ice. The Barrier at Garibaldi Lake was a lava flow that pushed against a massive glacier. The result of lava piling up against the wall of ice was the creation of The Barrier as well as filling the valley at one end, allowing Garibaldi Lake to form. The Barrier is comprised of unpredictably unstable rock that is dangerous enough to necessitate the evacuation of a small settlement at Rubble Creek a few decades ago. Rubble Creek is named from the rubble debris from The Barrier's last major collapse in 1856. Today it is the main trailhead for Garibaldi Provincial Park if you want to hike to Garibaldi Lake, Black Tusk and Panorama Ridge.
Garibaldi Volcanic Belt Southern Section
Mount Garibaldi was active in the last 300,000 years, with its most recent eruption just 9300 years ago. This eruption occurred during the last big ice age and lava erupted onto the Cordilleran Ice Sheet. Mount Garibaldi has had three detectable seismic events since 1985. Mount Price was a similarly active volcano during the same time Mount Garibaldi was, forming The Barrier and Garibaldi Lake. Cinder Cone lays on the north side of Garibaldi Lake and was quite active in the last 11,000 years. Lava flows from Cinder Cone down the valley along the flank of Black Tusk. Black Tusk is a stunning geological wonder formed in the last million years during two periods of volcanic activity. The original, much larger than today, volcano dome was eroded, exposing the roots of the cone. Further eruptions pushed against the surrounding glacier forming the distinctly tusk shaped pinnacle of black rock.
Garibaldi Volcanic Belt Central Section
The Mount Cayley Volcanic Field is another region of fairly recent volcanic activity. Mount Cayley began erupting about four million years ago and was active until just a couple hundred thousand years ago. Pali Dome, just north of Mount Cayley erupted several times in the last 25,000 years, and as recently as during the last ice age, 10,000 years ago. Nearby Cauldron Dome was similarly active during this period as well. Slag Hill, at the norther end of the Mount Cayley volcanic field appears to have been active less than 10,000 years ago. The Mount Cayley Volcanic Field has had four detectable seismic events since 1985. Ring Mountain appears to have been active as recently as the last ice age. Ring Lake is a nice hike in the Callaghan Valley with its trailhead just steps from the Callaghan Lake Provincial Park campsites and parking area. The Ring Lake trail ends at the lake with beautiful views across to Ring Mountain. A much quieter hiking trail than other Whistler and Garibaldi Park hiking trails. Callaghan Lake Provincial Park is a very beautiful mountain paradise with a pretty drivable access road that takes you right to the lake. Callaghan Lake and Cirque Lake are very beautiful and comparatively serene and untouched.
Garibaldi Volcanic Belt Northern Section
The northern segment of the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt has the Mount Meager massif. Mount Meager was the most recently active volcano in the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt. About 2350 years ago it had a major eruption with an ash column 20 kilometres high and spread ash as far as Alberta. Since 1985 the Mount Meager massif has had seventeen detectable seismic events. The Bridge River Cones are a series of stratovolcanoes, volcanic plugs and lava flows just a few kilometres north of the Meager massif. It appears that some of the lava flows in this area are less than 1500 year old. Further north, the Franklin Glacier complex and the Silverthrone Caldera are two large caldera complexes in the northern Garibaldi Volcanic Belt. Formed in the last million years, these two complexes have indications of volcanic activity as recently as 1000 years ago.
Books About Geology in BC
Here are two excellent books on the Geology of British Columbia. In Search of Ancient British Columbia by Barbara Huck is one of our favourites. It focuses on southern BC and covers each individual region separately. The Lower Mainland chapter explains the geology, paleontology and archaeology of the region stretching from Vancouver, Sea to Sky, Garibaldi Park and north to Mount Meager and Meager Hot Springs. Quite a lot of the book is devoted to how the last ice age shaped the land and inhabitants of southern BC. The chapters on Vancouver Island are particularly good as the geological history was particularly chaotic and the history of glaciation around present day Victoria is very interesting. Roadside Geology of Southern British Columbia by Bill Mathews and JWH Monger is a wonderful geologic history of BC and covers some great features along the Sea to Sky Highway.
The Garibaldi Ranges are a subdivision of the Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains. Deriving its name from Mount Garibaldi, the Garibaldi Ranges cover ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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. ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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December hiking in Whistler is mainly done on snowshoes, though if it hasn't snowed for a few days, trails to Whistler Train Wreck and Rainbow Falls can ...
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There are plenty of beautiful and free snowshoe trails in Whistler and Garibaldi Provincial Park. From the surreal paintings of Whistler Train Wreck to ...
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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 Ring Lake Russet Lake Sea to Sky Trail Skookumchuck Hot Springs Sloquet Hot Springs Sproatt East Sproatt West Taylor Meadows Train Wreck Wedgemount Lake Whistler Mountain
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Newt Lake is beautiful little 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 ...
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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 ...
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Garibaldi Lake is the centre and base for much of the hiking in Garibaldi Provincial Park. The Garibaldi Lake campsite is located on the amazing, turquoise shores of this massive and mostly still wild ...
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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 ...
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