8 Spring Backpacking Trips near Vancouver

May 19, 2025May 9, 2025 / Maria / Leave a comment

Earlier this season I posted a list of some of my favourite Spring day hikes. As much as I love day hiking, backpacking is my favourite activity and I’m always excited to start camping once the weather gets nice. Spring is tricky for backpacking because the alpine is still full of snow until at least late June, but if you pick the right trail, Spring can be a really nice time for hiking because it’s not too hot and there’s usually not a fire ban in effect. Every year is different and just because a trail is generally snow-free in a previous year, doesn’t mean it will always be snow-free. Make sure to do real time research before heading out to the trail to confirm the conditions. Make sure to Leave No Trace and always be respectful of the land and indigenous territories through which you are hiking. Here’s a few of my favourite Spring backpacking trips!

Lindeman Lake

Located in Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park, this is a really popular hike. There’s somewhat limited space for tents, so I advise going early in the day or on a weekday if you want one of the tent pads. The hike to Lindeman Lake is less than 2km, but it is quite steep, with 350m of elevation gain. The parking lot is often targeted by thieves, so make sure you don’t leave anything valuable in your car. There is a bear cache and outhouse, but it’s only a throne-style toilet, meaning there are no walls. Due to the high volume of crowds at this location, I think it could use a little TLC from BC Parks. Get a backcountry permit for $5pp per night from camping.bcparks.ca. Campfires are NOT permitted, so enjoy a swim in the clear, but cold, lake instead!

Viewpoint Beach/Half Moon Beach

A photo overlooking Gold Creek and Golden Ears Mountain from Viewpoint Beach on a sunny day in Golden Ears Provincial Park in BC.

Viewpoint Beach is located very close to the lower mainland, in Golden Ears Provincial Park, and as a result, it’s also very popular. The nice thing about this location is that it’s an easy 4km hike and there’s lots of space for tents. There is an outhouse and bear cache, but the bear cache is severely undersized for the number of visitors, so be prepared to hang your food. Some people cross the river to access Hiker’s Beach, but be careful doing this when the river is running high. Also, be aware there’s no cache or outhouse on that side. If you want to avoid the crowds, you can hike another 6km to Half Moon Beach, but this trail isn’t in great shape, so be prepared for a slower, muddy hike. Get a backcountry permit for $5pp per night from camping.bcparks.ca. Campfires are NOT permitted.

Tikwalus Heritage Trail

A cute red merle Australian Shepherd dog poses on a dirt trail with a large dog backpack, with green forest in the background while hiking on the Tikwalus Heritage Trail in British Columbia, Canada.

The first two trails on this list are very popular, so if you’re looking to avoid the crowds, Tikwalus Heritage Trail is located near the Fraser Canyon on Highway 1. It’s a 6km hike to get to the campsite, but the challenge with this trail is an elevation gain of 750m, so be prepared for a climb! This trail is mostly forested, but has lovely views of the backcountry from the campsite. These are all first-come-first-serve sites, but there’s a fair amount of space and in my experience, it’s not that busy. There is an outhouse and bear cache, but there’s no water source immediately at the campsite, so fill up at the river located 1km before camp. There are no permits for this campsite and campfires are permitted if there’s no fire ban.

Levette Lake/Hut Lake

Two women sit in swimsuits on a dock with a dog, looking out at the forest and blue water of Hut Lake Recreation Site, Northwest of Squamish in British Columbia, Canada.

Levette Lake and Hut Lake are free rec sites located in the backcountry near Squamish, off Paradise Valley Road, but the vibe is very different at each lake. Levette is popular among locals and depending if the road is open, you can generally drive right up to the lake to camp. If you want to avoid the crowds, it’s a 5km hike from Levette Lake to Hut Lake. The trail is along rugged road and some hardcore off-roaders will drive all the way to Hut Lake. There’s not a lot of space for tents at Hut Lake and there’s no bear cache or outhouse, but we were the only people at this campsite when we visited on a weekend in mid-July. It’s a great option for a rainy weekend and we enjoyed swimming in the lake. There’s no permit for this site and campfires are permitted if there’s no fire ban.

Juan de Fuca/West Coast Trail

A photo of Mystic Beach on a sunny, blue sky day with the forested cliffs in the background and the waves washing up on the beach on the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail on Vancouver Island, BC.

The Juan de Fuca Trail is a great option for Spring as it’s located along the coast of Vancouver Island and is open year round. However, it’s closed in 2025 due to damage from winter storms, so I’ve opted to include the West Coast Trail as an alternative. The WCT opens May 1 for the season and is extremely popular, so be prepared to book your permit from Parks Canada when they release in Jan/Feb. Both trails are long, multi-day hikes, though it is possible to do shorter trips along the Juan de Fuca trail. If you’re hiking the Juan de Fuca, backcountry permits are required for $10pp per night from camping.bcparks.ca. Both trails are recognized for their coastal beauty and campfires are permitted when there’s no fire ban.

San Josef Bay/Cape Scott Trail

A photo of San Josef Bay on a cloudy, moody day, with the forest lit by the sun and the waves crashing onto the sand in Cape Scott Provincial Park on Vancouver Island, BC.

Given the challenges with the Juan de Fuca Trail this year, visiting San Josef Bay or Cape Scott on the northern part of Vancouver Island is a great alternative! San Josef Bay is recognized as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and is only 3km from the trailhead along well maintained trail. If you’re more ambitious, there’s a fully developed trail that travels 25km each way to the historic lighthouse at Cape Scott. This trail is more challenging, but still relatively well maintained, with several campsites on beautiful beaches. All campsites have an outhouse and bear cache and you can get a backcountry permit for $10pp per night from camping.bcparks.ca. Campfires are permitted when there is no fire ban. Be prepared to drive along 65km of gravel road to access the trailhead – any car can make the trip, but be prepared to drive slow.

Sunshine Coast Trail

The Sunshine Coast Trail is a 180km trail through the wilderness of the upper Sunshine Coast. The entire trail will not be accessible until summer, but there are a few options for Spring hiking in the first 50km of trail between Sarah Point and Powell River. You can do the entire 50km section, or you prioritize one of the shorter trail options, such as Manzanita Bluffs, Appleton Canyon, Rieveley Hut, or Little Sliammon Lake. This is a very well maintained trail with facilities at every site. It is free to hike, but I recommend a donation to qPaws if you’re using the huts. The trailhead at Sarah Point is along rugged road, so I recommend booking a trip with the Sunshine Coast shuttle to access the trailhead. Be aware that not all campsites have a reliable water source (or any water source) and plan accordingly.

Cheakamus Lake

Cheakamus Lake is a popular campsite near Whistler. I include this option with a caveat to check the trail conditions before going. I’ve hiked the trail in May when it’s been completely clear of snow, but I’ve also had to cancel a June trip when the snowmelt was particularly late. It’s a great option for beginners as it’s a mostly flat trail. There’s two campsites on the trail, the first is a 4km hike from the trailhead and the second is a 7km hike. Reservations are required to stay at these sites and release 4 months in advance of your date from camping.bcparks.ca for $10pp per night. Campfires are NOT permitted, but there is an outhouse and bear cache.

8 Great Hikes for Swimming

June 16, 2021June 7, 2021 / Maria / Leave a comment

I love to swim! I’ll hike any trail, but I find hikes with somewhere to swim to be some of the most rewarding trails, especially on a hot summer’s day! A lot of the lakes in BC are fed by glaciers or snow-melt, which makes for a really cold swim, but over the years I’ve become a big fan of those quick, cold dips and will swim in almost any lake from May to October. That said, I’ve tried to focus my list on some of the warmer swimming spots, but we do live in Canada, so to be honest, they’re still all quite cold.

Just a few things to remember before you swim in any body of water. Practice Leave No Trace principles, which means don’t swim in lakes that are also used for drinking water and don’t alter the site in any way or move rocks to create pools. Remove sunscreen, fly spray, moisturizer, etc, before entering the water.

Without further ado, here’s some of my favourite swimming hikes!

Brohm Lake

Brohm Lake is an awesome place to visit in the summer because there’s access to a ton of hiking trails and you can opt to go around the lake, up to the Tantalus viewpoint, or hike through the interpretive forest, finishing each hike with a dip in the lake. The only downside to this hike is that the lake is located right next to the highway and is popular for picnicking – so if you want to make sure you get parking on a hot day, arrive early!

Buntzen Lake

Located in Anmore, Buntzen lake is a popular attraction for hikers, boaters, and picnickers. This is another location you need to get to early, but it’s a much bigger lake, so there’s more room to spread out. My preference is to hike down to the far side of the lake where there’s a smaller picnic area and wharf with a lot less people. You can either take the lakeview trail, which has minimal elevation, or the Diez Vistas trail, which climbs up over the lake and has beautiful views of Indian Arm. This is definitely a colder lake, but refreshing after a day of hiking!

Deeks Lake and Brunswick Lake

Both lakes are located on the north end of the Howe Sound Crest Trail and are best done as an overnight trip. You can do them in a single day, but it does make for a lot of walking. Deeks is the first lake and a great place to swim, but if you’re willing to walk a few kilometres farther, Brunswick Lake is really the shining gem of the trail. Both are cold, but when the sun hits the water on Brunswick Lake, it turns the most brilliant shade of blue and looks like a tropical paradise!

Elfin Lakes

I feel like most people don’t think about Elfin Lakes for swimming because they’re so small and completely fed by snow melt, but the last time I visited in the summer was a scorching day and I couldn’t get enough of lazing around in the water. Of the two lakes, swimming is only permitted in one – the other is solely for drinking water and swimming is not allowed. I recommend later in the season for this hike because the lake will heat up a lot by the end of the summer.

Alice Lake

When I think of Alice Lake, I tend to think of it more as a frontcountry campground rather than a good place for hiking, but if you’re looking for a shorter hike that can end in a swim, this is a great one! It’s only a few kilometers to walk around the lake, but if you’re looking for something longer you can also extend it to do the four lakes trail loop. Similar to Brohm and Buntzen, get here early to secure a parking spot as you will be sharing the lake with picnickers.

Lightning Lakes

This is another one that might surprise a few people because Lightning Lakes isn’t one of the warmest lakes, but on a nice day, I really love this lake. Definitely make sure it’s going to be sunny before driving out to Manning Park because it can be really cold and windy on an overcast day, but this is a great place for boating, swimming, and hiking on a hot day. Hike around 1st lake or 2nd lake (or both) and then finish with a dip in the water!

Cheakamus Lake

I’ve only swam in Cheakamus Lake in May, so it was quite cold, but I imagine it probably warms up later in the summer. I decided to include it because it’s a great lake for either day hikes or overnight trips. There are two campsites, one at the foot of the lake and another halfway up, and both have beaches from which you can swim. It’s a big body of water, so it’s always going to be cold, but a great place to hang out and dip in and out of the water.

Lindeman Lake

Lindeman Lake is another one I’ve only swam in May, but I really love this lake. It’s a short, but steep, hike in Chilliwack Provincial Park and you can swim at both the foot and head of the lake. It’s tempting to swim right when you arrive at the lake, but I prefer to hike up to the back of the lake and jump of the rocks into the water from there. It’s definitely another cold one, but has the most gorgeous views!

5 Overnight Hikes for Beginners

May 26, 2021February 27, 2025 / Maria / Leave a comment

Backpacking can be very intimidating when you first get started. Hiking with an overnight pack is a lot different than day hiking, so you don’t want to start with too challenging of a hike. Figuring out what gear and food to bring is enough work without also having to stress about a difficult trail or having access to facilities at the campsite. So keeping in mind that you want to focus on shorter distance, less elevation, and easy access to facilities, here are some of my hiking recommendations for beginners.

Cheakamus Lake

In my opinion, this is the ultimate trail for beginners! It’s located in Garibaldi Park and is a short distance hike with very minimal elevation gain. It has outhouses and bear cache facilities, and you can book your site online in advance so that you don’t have to worry about fighting other hikers for a camping spot.

There are two campsites to choose from – the first one (Cheakamus Lake) is located right at the head of the lake and requires the least amount of hiking, approximately 4km. The campsites are located next to the water and have a decent amount of privacy. The second site (Singing Creek) is another 3.5km and is located at the midpoint of the lake. This site lends itself better to group camping as it’s a series of campsites right next to each other in the woods. That said, there is a really nice beach to hang out and cook from. If you’d like to visit both, you could always camp at the first campsite and then do a day hike out to visit the second! Both sites have an outhouse and bear cache. Reserve here for $10 per person, per night (listed under Garibaldi Park).

Buckhorn Campsite on the Heather Trail

The Heather Trail is a 21km one-way trail in Manning Park. While I definitely don’t recommend doing the whole trail for beginners, the first campsite (Buckhorn) is only 4km in, which makes it the perfect spot for beginners! The Heather Trail is most popular in late July/early August for the colourful wildflowers that pop up all along the trail. What makes it so great for beginners is that you do most of the elevation gain on the drive up. You park at the top of Blackwall Road and from there is a steady incline down to Buckhorn Campsite. The views are beautiful right from the start of the trail.

Buckhorn has an outhouse, bear cache, tent pads, and even picnic tables! You do need a backcountry permit to stay overnight, but sites are first come, first serve, so you don’t need to pre-reserve. You can purchase here for a Manning Park backcountry permit for $5 per person, per night (you will need to create an account to see the system – entry and exit points are Blackwall Peak) . If you have the time, stay for two nights and make a day trip out to 3 Brothers Mountain for unreal views of the alpine meadows and surrounding mountains. Even if you can’t make it all the way to 3 Brothers, explore a little further beyond buckhorn to experience the alpine meadows. Be aware, in the early season this hike will still have snow until end of June.

Viewpoint Beach

Viewpoint Beach is very similar in difficulty to Cheakamus Lake. It’s a 4.5km hike in Golden Ears Park with minimal elevation gain. Similar to Buckhorn, the campsites are first come, first serve, and you can get a permit online for Golden Ears before you go for $5 per person, per night (entry and exit points are West Canyon). There aren’t any really obvious places to camp, but most people pitch their tents along the tree line on either side of the river since the beach itself is pretty rocky. Plan in advance which side you want to camp on – if you want to camp on the far side, make sure to cross the river at the bridge before you reach the campsite. Both are nice but there tend to be less people on the far side of the trail.

There is an outhouse at this site, but when I visited last year, there wasn’t a bear cache, so we did have to make our own, which you may prefer not to do as a beginner. BC Parks has been spending a lot of time re-vitalizing this trail, so I suspect they will probably install a bear cache soon, but either way, check before you go. If you’re not comfortable hanging your food, you can purchase a bear proof container at most outdoor stores. These don’t need to be hung, but can be a little pricey.

Lindeman Lake

Lindeman Lake is located in Chilliwack Provincial Park. At 3.5km round trip, it’s the shortest hike on the list, but it has 300m in elevation gain in under 200m, so be prepared for a climb. If it’s your very first time carrying a pack, I’d recommend a flatter trail, but if you’re trying to increase your stamina, this is a great practice trail for beginners because it’s steep but short. Same as the previous sites, there’s no reservations for this campsite, but purchase a Chilliwack Lake permit online before you visit for $5 per person, per night.

There are a limited number of tent pads, but there’s lot of ground space to set up your tent. There’s a bear cache right next to the water and a pit toilet up in the woods. As a heads up, the toilet doesn’t have walls, but the trees provide natural privacy and it’s personally never been a problem for me. After setting up camp, I recommend hiking the 1km to the back of the lake for even more amazing views, or if you have time to stay 2 nights, make a day trip up to Greendrop Lake on the second day.

Elfin Lakes

Elfin Lakes is a popular campsite located in Garibaldi Provincial Park. It is the longest trail on the list and definitely the most strenuous. However, I include it because even though it’s a bit longer, 11km one way to the campsite, it is a very forgiving trail and has lots of facilities along the way. The most challenging part of the trail is the first 5km, which is a steady incline up an old forestry road. The road ends at Red Heather hut, which is only meant for emergency overnight use, but has an outhouse and is a great place to stop for lunch.

From there, the trail meanders up and down through some truly beautiful scenery as you wind your way along the ridge to the Elfin Lakes hut. There are two options for camping – both require reservations – but you can either camp on the tent pads, or sleep on one of the bunks in the hut. The hut is the main reason I include it as a beginner trail because if you’re just starting out and want to try with a bit of a lighter pack, you can leave your tent at home and sleep in the hut instead. But if you’re willing to carry your tent up, the panoramic views from the tent pads are truly unreal! Elfin has a big outhouse facility with 3-4 toilets and there is a ranger living in the ranger’s hut. Campsites sell out fast, so book early. Purchase here for Garibaldi Park for $10 per person, per night. Don’t even think about coming up without a permit because the ranger will send you packing. Be aware, this trail usually has snow on it until end of June or even early July.