June Hiking Update!
Looking forward to summer hiking opening up in Whistler as the mountain trails emerge from the deep winter snow? Check out our Whistler hiking guide for June! Escape to the wilderness and rent gear today at WeRentGear Whistler.
The three Joffre Lakes are some of the most stunning lakes you are likely to ever see. Each lake gets progressively more beautiful and impossibly turquoise from one to the next. By the third lake the intense colour is breathtaking. The mighty Matier Glacier rises above and beyond the third lake, making the experience even more spectacular with such a looming presence.
Very scenic drive to get there- Less challenging than most other trails
- Amazing lakes to marvel at their colour
- The campsite is in a very natural setting
- Free of snow & hikeable as early as April
- Alpine terrain extends in many directions
- One tent site is on an island!
- Stunning glacier looms above the campsite
No longer dog friendly as of summer 2018- Overcrowded much of the summer
The Joffre Lakes trail is rough and tricky in some parts, but not terribly difficult. It is also short compared to Whistler area trails at just 5.5 kilometres(one way). Hiking at a moderate pace, give yourself 1.5 - 2 hours to get to the third lake and campsites. Lots of trail construction work has been done in the past few years as a new trail has replaced much of the old trail. The old boulder section between the lower and middle lakes has now been covered with a new dirt trail. Joffre Lakes Provincial Park is centred around the three Joffre Lakes. All of them are beautiful on their own and each more beautiful than the last. The amazing turquoise colours of the lakes are caused by light reflecting off of the particles of glacial silt suspended in the water. On the trail you will immediately catch glimpses of the massive glaciers that feed these gorgeous lakes. In the winter, with the lakes frozen and the trees weighed down with snow, Joffre Lakes takes on a serene beauty, with the low sun cutting through the trees and the forest brightly reflecting. Upper Joffre Lake ends in a U-shaped valley where you will find the far side of the lake towering with glaciers relentlessly crushing down on the lake. The sun fills the valley and the silence is wonderful. At Upper Joffre Lake there are several nice, though rugged places to camp. In a hilly, lightly forested section of paradise in between the impossibly turquoise Upper Joffre Lake and the abruptly monstrous Matier Glacier descending from Mount Matier beyond. A waterfall cascades near the camping area. The campsite has one nice and well maintained outhouse.
You will notice several clearings for tents in the gravel and boulder strewn landscape. Each one barely enough room for a tent, but the ruggedness adds to the beauty of Joffre Lakes. The park is wonderfully untouched by people. With the exception of the trail, some signs, outhouse and bridges, Joffre Lakes Provincial Park is beautifully wild and picturesque. There is also a prominent helicopter pad close by as a reminder of how many injuries occur on the trail and the accessible mountains and glaciers around. There are in fact four distinct glaciers close by, Matier, Anniversary, Stonecrop and Tszil. Beyond Mount Matier there are two more, Twin One and Hartzell.
The Joffre Lakes trail is surprisingly busy most of the summer, which is a testament to how extraordinarily beautiful the lakes are, and how relatively easy the hike is. Unlike Wedgemount Lake, Black Tusk or Cirque Lake, which are to difficult for many hikers, Joffre Lakes is comparatively easy and certainly relaxing. Many hikes in the nearby Garibaldi Park are not family friendly and easy, but Joffre Lakes is. Certainly the scenic drive to the trailhead from Whistler is part of the fun.
In terms of difficulty, Joffre Lakes is easier than most other Whistler and Garibaldi Park hiking trails. Wedgemount Lake, Black Tusk, Panorama Ridge, Brew Lake and Brandywine Meadows are all considerably more strenuous, steeper and longer trails. Like the trails in Garibaldi Park and Whistler, the Joffre Lakes trail is very well marked and easy to follow. Expect to take two or three hours to hike up and one or two hours to hike back down. The beautiful lake views and the foot of Matier Glacier will add an hour or two of exploring. There are a couple very challenging hiking routes that veer off from Upper Joffre Lake that take you further up in the mountains. There is a difficult route to Tszil Mountain and Tszil Glacier as well as a route to Stonecrop Glacier. These two connect at Slalok Mountain via the Slalok Scramble Route. These are tough and challenging places to hike with considerably more hazards to contend with than the relatively mild Joffre Lakes trail. Because these two routes connect at the top, you can start and finish at Upper Joffre Lake and never have to retrace your route. A beautiful option if you are experienced, well equipped and adventurous.
More hiking info for Joffre Lakes...
More Whistler Hiking Maps & Guides
Alexander Falls Maps Ancient Cedars Maps Black Tusk Maps Blackcomb Maps Brandywine Falls Maps Brandywine Meadows Maps Brew Lake Maps Callaghan Lake Maps Cheakamus Lake Maps Cheakamus River Maps Cirque Lake Maps Garibaldi Lake Maps Helm Creek Maps Joffre Lakes Maps Keyhole Maps Logger’s Lake Maps Madeley Lake Map Meager Hot Springs Maps Nairn Falls Maps Panorama Ridge Maps Parkhurst Maps Rainbow Falls Maps Rainbow Lake Maps Ring Lake Maps Russet Lake Maps Skookumchuck Maps Sloquet Hot Springs Maps Sproatt Maps Taylor Meadows Maps Train Wreck Maps Wedgemount Lake Maps Whistler Mountain Maps
May 8th, 2019: After crossing the bridge to Whistler Train Wreck you come to the Hidden Agenda car and sloping down to the edge overlooking Cheakamus River ...
Read More
May 3rd, 2019: The beautiful murals that make Whistler Train Wreck the magical place it is today, began appearing in 2011. Artists ranging from aspiring ...
Read More
December 21st, 2019: Way up in the Callaghan Valley on the back side of Mount Sproatt is an abandoned gold mine. Old cement foundations and two ...
Read More
September 20th, 2018: Alexander Falls, high up in the Callaghan Valley in Whistler has some interesting historical murals and a mysterious plaque. The ...
Read More
October 20th, 2018: A little knowledge before you head out into the wilderness is a good idea. Especially if you are new to hiking or in unknown terrain. ...
Read More
May 16th, 2019: The Prism mural can be found perched at the edge of Cheakamus River near the Whistler Train Wreck suspension bridge. After you cross the ...
Read More
May 5th, 2019: The summer of 2011 was the time when some local Whistler artists ventured into the wilderness between the crashing Cheakamus River and ...
Read More
Whistler & Garibaldi Park 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 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 Mount Sproatt Taylor Meadows Train Wreck 
Wedgemount Lake Whistler Mountain
January February March April May June July August September October November December
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 ...
Read more
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 ...
Read more
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 ...
Read more
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 ...
Read more
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 ...
Read more
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 ...
Read more
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 ...
Read more
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 ...
Read more