Fall Hiking in Whistler!
Fall is here and hiking in Whistler is spectacular! Check out our Best Whistler Hiking by Month for inspiration!
October 22nd, 2019: 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.
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
Alexander Falls Brandywine Falls Cirque Falls Holloway Falls Keyhole Falls Nairn Falls Rainbow Falls Shannon Falls Train Wreck Falls Wedgemount Falls
The beautiful, Cal-Cheak suspension bridge spans Callaghan Creek just before it flows into Cheakamus River. Over fifty, well spaced and organized, drive-in campsites are dispersed throughout the forest and you are never more than a stones throw from a water view. The Sea to Sky Trail runs right through the middle of Cal-Cheak and splits into two routes heading south on either side of Cheakamus River. They meet again a couple kilometres downriver after the Whistler Bungee Bridge which crosses Cheakamus River at a dizzying height. Another couple kilometres away, the Sea to Sky Trail takes you through Brandywine Falls Provincial Park, yet another beautiful sight within walking distance from your camp. With the excellent location and beautiful setting, you would expect Cal-Cheak to be expensive, but it is remarkably cheap. Because it is a Recreation Sites and Trails BC campground, the campsite fees are very low at just $13 per campsite, per night. By way of comparison, the two other Whistler campgrounds that are privately owned charge over $45. They have lots of amenities like showers, electricity, flushing toilets, internet, etc. But with more amenities, they obscure the wilderness and take away what most people are looking for.. to get away from civilization. At Cal-Cheak you are immersed in the wild, beautiful wilderness and connected to Whistler via the Sea to Sky Trail. Cal-Cheak Recreation Site is easy to find off the Sea to Sky Highway, just 13 kilometres south of Whistler Village. Unfortunately there is no left turn lane, so you have to drive 0.8km further down the highway and turn right onto Callaghan Lake Road and do a U-turn. Back onto the highway, heading north for 0.8km and turn right at the sign for Cal-Cheak Recreation Site(Whistler Bungee is also down here and you will see that highway sign as well). After you turn off the highway, you will immediately cross the train tracks and down the gravel road that runs between the three Cal-Cheak campground areas.
The first entrance you will pass on the right and is nicely located along Callaghan Creek with 16 drive-in campsites in the forest. Being the first of the three campsite areas, Callaghan Camp tends to be the least serene and feels a bit busier than the other two. There are three outhouses(one is wheelchair accessible) and two bearproof storage areas. The second entrance will be on the left where the gravel road bends to the right. This campground(North Camp) is found at the end of a short gravel road leading to a ring road with 10 drive in campsites all around it and mostly backing onto Cheakamus River. Big trees, beautiful river and fewer campsites make this area very tranquil and hidden feeling. The forest here has some huge trees and nice rock cliffs that give it a more secluded and private feel. Also, the Cheakamus River is big and impressive as it bends around a nice grassy area with picnic tables that is very sunny in the morning. The thick forest blocks the sun from much of the rest of the campsites in Cal-Cheak, but the North Camp gets some morning sun here.
The third set of campsites is found further down the gravel road towards the Whistler Bungee Bridge, on the right. The South Camp has 23 campsites in an excellent location where the Cheakamus River and Callaghan Creek meet. Lots of beautiful, water views and the suspension bridge crosses Callaghan Creek here. You also get a fair bit of sun here along Cheakamus River, though most of the campsites here are clustered in the forest. As with the Callaghan Camp, these campsites can feel a bit busy compared to the 10 sites at the North Camp, though the South Camp has arguably the best location of the three. The suspension bridge and the converging Callaghan Creek and Cheakamus River make it the most scenic of the three campsite areas.
Cal-Cheak Recreation Site is maintained by a caretaker from May 1st to October 31st. Outside these dates you can camp for free, though snow may prevent you from driving into the campsites. Snowfall in the area varies from year to year, but often only falls consistently in late November until March, though takes until late April to melt from the campsites. The gravel access road to the Whistler Bungee Bridge is used year-round and though hard packed with snow in the winter, is drivable by non 4x4’s for the section of road leading to the three campsite entrances. Campsites cannot be reserved and fees are payable by cash to the Site Operator. You will find envelopes and a drop box at the first campsite to pay by cash once you select your campsite.
April 8th, 2019: The Rubble Creek trailhead to Garibaldi Provincial Park is finally accessible by car. The snow buried access road is mostly free of snow. ...
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October 21th, 2018: Pack smart by putting heavier items close to your back and higher up your pack. Be organized and think of keeping important things ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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December 27th, 2021: The Rubble Creek trailhead to Garibaldi Provincial Park is not being snowplowed this winter(2021/2022). Last winter, after years of ...
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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 ...
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June 13th, 2020: One of Callaghan Valley's beautiful places appears to be now blocked from the public. Madeley Lake, about as perfectly idyllic a lake can ...
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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
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 ...
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Sloquet Hot Springs is a wonderfully wild set of shallow, man-made pools fed by a small, all natural, and very hot, waterfall. The pools stretch from the waterfall to the large and crashing Sloquet River. The ...
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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. ...
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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 ...
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