Spring Hiking Has Arrived!
Spring is here and summer is not far off! The road to Parkhurst Ghost Town is accessible now! Whistler Train Wreck is free of snow too. Check out Hike in Whistler May 2022 for inspiration!
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.
Surreal combination of wreckage & serene forest- Many excellent views of Cheakamus River
- Insane place to have a drink with friends
- Unbeatable place to have a picnic on the river
- Accessible year-round and on bus route
- Bike friendly & surrounded by endless bike trails
- Dozens of amazing areas to spend the night
- Graffiti art is always changing & interesting
- Sea to Sky Trail runs past nearby
Paintings often covered with boring graffiti
Along with the surreal train wrecks painted with stunning murals, you find yourself in a thick forest that runs along Cheakamus River. Cheakamus River is a beautiful, wild and crashing river that snakes past the train wrecks. Numerous side trails take you to some marvellous viewpoints, several metres above the rushing water below. If you follow a trail past the wrecks(heading north or in the direction of Whistler Village) you will emerge at the train tracks. If you are adventurous you will then walk along, beside the tracks for a couple hundred metres and some truly breathtaking views of Cheakamus River. Keep in mind that skirting the train tracks is illegal, so you must never do this if a train is in the vicinity. If you plan to bivouac under the stars, this area is a great choice. Multiple beautiful rock outcrops along and above the river and you may not get disturbed as most hikers don't risk violating the law. Camping is technically prohibited within Whistler's municipal boundary, which Train Wreck is within, yet a sleeping bag under the stars will almost certainly go unnoticed. If bivouacking or stealth camping is what you are after, you will find quite a lot to choose from as you hike in along the Train Wreck trail.
Whistler Train Wreck is located along Cheakamus River over several hundred metres of scenic, and deep forest. The trailhead can be found in Cheakamus Crossing, a neighbourhood 8 kilometres south of Whistler Village. The area is home to quite a variety of hiking and biking trails, both old and new. The Whistler Train Wreck trail from Cheakamus Crossing was only established in 2016 after construction of a beautiful bridge over Cheakamus River.
Trailhead & Parking Directions to Whistler Train Wreck
The Whistler Train Wreck is one of the easiest hiking trails in Whistler to get to by car, bike or public transit. Public transit runs continuously between Whistler Village and Cheakamus Crossing for just $3 one-way. The bus will drop you off at the HI Hostel and a short section of the Sea to Sky Trail connects you to the Trash Trail and Train Wreck. If you would rather bike to the trailhead you are in for a treat. From anywhere in Whistler the bike ride to Train Wreck is very nice. Whistler's Valley Trail system and the Sea to Sky Trail connect you to Cheakamus Crossing from Whistler Village with only one road crossing! The wide, two lane, paved Valley Trail takes you through some beautiful scenery and along three lakes. Only 9 kilometres by bike, Whistler Train Wreck is easily within reach by bike. Walking to the Train Wreck trailhead is a possible option as well. The same route as by bike, you will pass by some amazing scenery and get from Whistler Village to the trailhead in well under 3 hours.
To get to the trailhead for Whistler Train Wreck, drive 7.9 kilometres south of Whistler Village(Village Gate Boulevard). At the traffic lights at Function Junction turn left onto Cheakamus Lake Road. At 8.6 kilometres, just after you cross the bridge over Cheakamus River, turn right. At 9.2 kilometres you will see the unmarked parking area on the left side of the road, across from the Whistler Train Wreck and Sea to Sky Trail trailhead.
More Whistler Train Wreck Info...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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The rocky and narrow row of islands in Garibaldi Lake just offshore from the Garibaldi Lake campsite are known as Battleship Islands. Named by the ...
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When hiking to Parkhurst Ghost Town, the first area you will encounter after you cross the disintegrating bridge over Wedge Creek is the wye. In railroad ...
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The 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 ...
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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 ...
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Surprisingly often in Whistler's forests you will find a tree growing on an old fallen tree or out of a decaying tree stump. Decaying logs and stumps in ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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
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September October November December
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 ...
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Panorama Ridge is easily one of the most amazing hikes in Garibaldi Provincial Park. The 15 kilometre(9.3 mile) hike from the trailhead at Rubble Creek to Panorama Ridge takes you through beautiful and deep ...
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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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The Sproatt East trail is a beautifully wild, steep, but relatively short trail to the magnificent, wide open alpine and summit of Mount Sproatt. Mount Sproatt (1834 metres) towers over Whistler Valley ...
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