Hiking Brandywine Mountain – Camping no longer permitted

August 3, 2025July 22, 2025 / Maria / 1 Comment

I first visited Brandywine Meadows with Seth and Brandon in 2015 when I was a very new hiker. We visited in October and the meadows were completely empty of people. It’s only a short hike to get to the back of the meadow, so on our visit, we continued hiking up through the boulder field at the back of the meadow to get a better view. I returned to this trail for the first time in 10 years in July 2025 to learn that since my last visit, the trail has become a lot more popular!

There’s two access points to the trail. The lower lot is accessible for any vehicle, but involves an extra 400m of elevation gain in less than 2km, so it’s a very steep trail. If you’re lucky enough to have access to a 4×4, high clearance vehicle, you can cut out most of the elevation gain and park at the upper lot. This is what I’ve done both times I visited. From the upper lot, it’s only a 2km hike to the meadows, whereas it’s 4km (plus the elevation gain) from the lower lot. I think this easy access to the backcountry has really blown up the popularity of the trail.

Brandywine Meadows is not on park land, but the trail to the meadows is managed by BC Recreation Sites and Trails. Until last summer, you could camp in the meadow, but from what I understand, people were not very respectful of the delicate alpine environment. There’s no outhouse or bear cache and overcrowding was damaging the meadows. So we were surprised, but not unhappy, to see a new “no camping” sign installed in the meadow when we arrived.

While I do think this change is good for the area, it hasn’t been well communicated. It seems the sign was added this summer, but there’s been no online roll-out of the closure. We had hiked in with our backcountry gear with the intention of camping, but definitely did not want to camp in the meadows after seeing the sign.

After the trip, I reached out to BC Rec Sites and Trails for further clarification and they did get back to me. We assumed that camping was not permitted in order to protect the meadows, but actually it’s because this is in a designated Wildlife Habitat Area for grizzly bears. BC Rec Sites did not provide me with a map of the area, but indicated they would be posting one at the trailhead soon. To save you the trouble, I did some digging online and was able to find a shapefile of the area to upload to my GPS. The “no camping” area is shown in red, which represents the Wildlife Habitat Are. We were disappointed about the change, but it’s still a beautiful area for day hiking and that is how I will be using the area in the future.

Whether you want to hike the mountain or just visit the meadows, it is an incredibly beautiful area and I would be satisfied with either trip. I don’t think I would want to attempt a full mountain summit in a day from the lower parking lot, but it’s definitely achievable from the upper lot. If you’re hiking from the lower lot, hiking to the end of the meadows is still a very satisfying objective. Just make sure you stick to the trail so as not to further impact the sensitive wildflower habitat.

The real highlight of the meadows is the wildflowers. We visited in early to mid July, so there weren’t many wildflowers in bloom yet, primarily just pink mountain heather. But if you visit in late July and early August, you’ll likely see the meadows completely covered in beautiful wildflowers! There’s 50m of elevation gain from the upper parking lot to the meadows, and then another 50m of gain to the back of the meadows, so it feels more or less like a flat hike through the meadows. I recommend hiking to the back of the meadows, enjoying the views along the way.

If you want to hike to Brandywine Mountain, prepare for some serious elevation gain. I like to challenge myself and explore lots of different hikes, but I wouldn’t consider myself a peak bagger. We didn’t end up actually summiting Brandywine Mountain, but we had a great time exploring the alpine nonetheless. If you want to head to the summit, I recommend an early start so that you have lots of daylight, but also so that you can avoid climbing uphill at the hottest part of the day. The climb up the mountain starts at the end of the meadow and there’s absolutely no shade anywhere. So if the summit is your objective, you might be better off visiting in the Fall when the days are cooler (although you give up some of your daylight hours).

It’s a steep climb out of the meadow. The trail turns to the left at the back of the meadow and after this point, you’re relying on your own way-finding skills. There is a small trail going up through the lower part of the mountain, so stick to that as much as possible to avoid further damage to the terrain. Early in the season, it will be muddy from snow run-off. Eventually (for us anyways), the trail disappears and it’s up to you to navigate the alpine. The next objective is getting to the top of the ridgeline. It’s obvious where you want to end up, but not necessarily obvious the best way to get there.

Because we visited in early July, there was still a lot of snow. The lower part of the mountain was bare, but most of the upper half still had a consistent layer of snow. Microspikes were definitely a requirement, and I would have felt more comfortable with an ice axe as well. The snow was pretty stable and we weren’t postholing at all (even with a late afternoon ascent). If you want to avoid the snow, I’d advise hiking later in the season.

However, I think I preferred the snow. It’s a very steep scree slope to get up to the ridge and I think the snow significantly increased our pace. We didn’t have to navigate any loose rock and could just go straight up the snow without worrying so much about footholds. I had to cross some scree at one point and it was quite scary because the rock is really loose and unstable. My friend Victoria had hiked it the previous summer when there was no snow, and she said it was much worse on the scree. That said, I was still nervous hiking up the snow. It gets steeper the closer you get to the ridge and I was feeling pretty uncomfortable near the top. I had to just look at my feet and push for the top rather than focus on the height. If you’re new to hiking or afraid of heights, I wouldn’t recommend this hike.

Once you reach the ridge, you’re rewarded with the most incredible views of the surrounding backcountry! We hit the ridge later in the day, so we decided that was the extent of the hiking we would be doing and didn’t attempt to summit the mountain, but it was still a very rewarding experience. The rest of the trail seemed to be snow-free after that because it gets a lot more direct sunlight than the trail to the ridge. If you keep hiking up the ridge, you should be able to get views of the glacier, and then from there, you can continue to the summit of Brandywine Mountain, but I can’t comment on how challenging that summit is. I doubt I’ll ever summit, but I would return to see the glacier.

Of course, if you hike a lot, you know that if you have a challenging uphill, it’s going to be even worse on the return trip. I was pretty nervous about hiking back down the steep snowy slope and it was a little scary. This is where I wish I’d had an ice axe, so I relied heavily on my poles instead. A lot of people had been up and down the trail over the course of the day, so there were some “snow steps” along sections of the descent. We tried to stick to these as much as possible. Some people had clearly slid down on their butts, and we really avoided those tracks because they make the snow really slick. There’s a time and place for glissading, but this area was way too steep and long for me to attempt it. I wouldn’t recommend sliding down because you will pick up too much speed and it will be hard to control. Instead, we hiked sideways step-by-step back down the slope and all made it safely to the bottom.

Normally, there’s a small pond off the trail mid-way up the mountain that makes for a nice place for a quick swim, but it was still completely frozen when we visited, so we didn’t get to avail. Otherwise, we enjoyed a very nice day hiking the mountain, except that I made one terrible mistake. I’m very fair skinned, so I always apply sunscreen, but I usually skip my legs since they don’t normally get a lot of sun. This was a mistake hiking up over the snow for 2 hours. There’s no trees to provide shade and the sun is stronger at high elevations, so it reflected off the snow onto my legs and I got a really bad sunburn. I didn’t notice until nighttime, but it was pretty painful after that.

So overall, Brandywine Meadows and Mountain make for great objectives for a day hike and I want to do my part in getting the word out that camping is no longer permitted in the meadows, which is why I did my best to rush this post out.

14 Free Backcountry Campsites in BC

July 27, 2025July 15, 2025 / Maria / 1 Comment

Welcome back to the second part of my 2-part series to help you get camping with minimal advance planning, in any season! Part 1 focused on permitted campsites (that don’t require reservations) and Part 2 focuses on unpermitted (free) campsites!

Camping is incredibly popular in BC, especially near Vancouver. The popular campsites require reservations that release 4 months out and being coordinated to plan so far in advance can be a real challenge for people. It might seem like all the good campsites are booked, but there are lots of great options that don’t require advance bookings!

Why do some campsites require a permit and others are free?

The simple answer is that a lot of free campsites are located on crown land or in BC recreation sites (also considered crown land). The land doesn’t have park status, so it generally receives limited maintenance or it is maintained by users and volunteers. As a result, free campsites are often more rustic than traditional permitted campsites. There are lots of campsites located on crown land that are privately managed, either by for-profit or non-profit groups, and those campsites will usually have a campsite fee to go towards ongoing maintenance, though some non-profits will fundraise for the upkeep of facilities, like on the Sunshine Coast Trail.

That said, there are still some free campsites located in provincial parks, especially the further you get from the lower mainland. I don’t know the exact reason why some campsites have permits and others don’t, but I think it’s likely related to the popularity of a park and how much maintenance the park gets. For example, I visited South Chilcotin Provincial Park last year for 6 nights and didn’t pay any camping fees, but the park is very remote, has limited infrastructure, and several of the places we camped were considered wild camping (no outhouse or bear cache). When sites become more popular, permits will often be introduced.

If you are visiting a free campsite that does not have bear cache facilities or an outhouse, it is absolutely essential to practice bear safety and leave no trace practices. You must hang your food or bring a bear bin. In addition, you must be prepared to dig catholes or use a wag-bag, and pack out your toilet paper, pads, and tampons. It is not acceptable to poop in the woods without burying it, or to leave your toilet paper around the backcountry. We are so lucky to have access to incredible backcountry in Canada and we need to respect it.

Campsites Near Vancouver

Hanging Lake

Hanging Lake is located in Whistler, sharing a trailhead with the Rainbow Lake trail on Alta Lake Road. Rainbow Lake is Whistler’s water supply, and as such, it’s a protected watershed area, so you’re not allowed to camp there. But if you hike a few more kilometres over Rainbow Pass to Hanging Lake, you can enjoy a nice view from the pass and a relaxing night at the lake. It’s a 10km trail to the lake, but the real challenge comes from climbing 800m of elevation along the way. There’s a fair bit of space for tents at Hanging Lake and there is an outhouse and a bear cache. You can also access this trail from the Rainbow Madeley trailhead near Madeley Lake.

Tikwalus

In my opinion, Tikwalus Heritage Trail is an underrated trail along the Fraser Canyon. To access it, you take Highway 1 past Hope until you pass Alexandria Bridge Provincial Park. The Tikwalus Heritage Trail has been used by indigenous peoples for generations, and in more recent history, it was used by fur traders. It’s only 6km along a semi-loop trail to the campsite, but you’ll climb almost 800m in elevation, so it’s steeper than Hanging Lake. Most of the trail is in the trees, but there are some beautiful mountain views from the campsite. There’s lots of space for tents, as well as an outhouse and a bear cache. There’s no water source directly at the campsite, so fill up at the creeks on the way up to save yourself having to backtrack.

Brunswick Lake / Deeks Lake

Deeks Lake and Brunswick Lake are both located on the Howe Sound Crest Trail, but are accessible from the northern trailhead at Porteau Cove if you’re not doing the 30km thru hike from Cypress Mountain. Both lakes are beautiful and offer an easier alternative to the strenuous Howe Sound Crest Trail. It’s 6.5km to Deeks Lake (which is the smaller site) and 10km to Brunswick Lake, however there’s almost 1200m of elevation gain along the way. Most of the elevation gain is in the first 6.5km to Deeks Lake, making this part of the trail the steepest on my list. Of the two lakes, Brunswick is the most scenic and has more room for camping. It’s also important to note there are no facilities at either site, so be prepared to hang your food and dig catholes.

Flatiron

Keeping in theme with the previous trails, the trail to Flatiron is just as steep, climbing over 800m in ~5.5km, with most of the elevation gain in the first 3.5km. It’s located in the Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area off Highway 5 and shares a trailhead with Needle Peak. The first section of the trail is a huge slog through the forest, but the views are incredibly rewarding. Once you pass the junction for Needle Peak, there’s a small lake where you can camp. You can also camp at the summit of Flatiron, but there’s no water source up there. There are no facilities at either site, so be prepared to hang your food and dig catholes.

Brew Lake

Brew Lake is less steep than some of the other trails on this list, but still a big hike, covering 900m of elevation gain over 8.5km. However, if you have access to a 4×4 vehicle, you can reduce some of that distance along forestry roads. We parked along Brew Creek FSR, at the entrance to Branch 50, and hiked the entire trail from there, including 3.5km along other FSRs. This isn’t a very popular site, so it’s a nice place to go to escape the crowds. There are no facilities, so be prepared to hang your food and dig catholes.

Fairview Bay / Manzanita Bluffs

We have finally arrived at some options that are not super steep! Both of these sites are located on the Sunshine Coast Trail, which has lots of possibilities for backpacking trips. The whole trail is 180km long, but there are lots of sections that can be done over a day or two. The campsite at Manzanita Bluffs, located on the north end of the trail, is especially beautiful. I also really like the campsites at Fairview Bay and Rainy Day Lake, located on the south end of the trail. All campsites along the trail have outhouses and most of them have bear caches or huts. They do not all have water sources, so plan accordingly. While these sites are free, I do recommend a donation to qPAWS if you opt to stay in one of the huts.

Campsites Accessible by 4×4 Vehicle

Tricouni Meadows

Tricouni Meadows is a popular campsite located northwest of Squamish. The trailhead is located on Branch 200, off of Squamish River FSR. If you can make it all the way to the trailhead, the hike to the campsite is just over 3km, with 250m of elevation. However, there was a large wash-out on Branch 200 when I did this hike in 2022. If you park at the wash-out, it adds 3km to the trail. In 2022, some vehicles could get through, but I’ve heard it’s gotten worse, so play it safe. There are 3 lakes near the meadows, with the campsite located at the middle lake: Spearhead Lake. It’s not a large campsite, so I recommend getting there early. There are no facilities, so be prepared to hang your food and dig catholes.

Blanca Lake

Blanca Lake is another campsite located northwest of Squamish. In general, I would say this road is in better shape than the road to Tricouni, but it’s further away. The trailhead is located off E300 on the Elaho Mainline. The trail is 4.5km, with almost 500m of elevation gain. It starts off pretty steep, but then levels out along the middle. The view from Blanca Lake is incredible and there is tons of space for camping. Give yourself extra time to explore around the alpine once you get to the lake. There are no facilities, so be prepared to hang your food and dig catholes.

Conglomerate Flats / Manson Ridge

Both of these campsites are located on the HBC Heritage Trail that runs 70km between Hope and Tulameen. Manson’s Campsite is located on the Hope end of the trail (off Peers Creek Road), so you don’t need 4×4 to access this site, but if you want to access Conglomerate Flats for a night, then you need 4×4 to get the trailhead at Jacobson Lake Rec Site (off Tulameen FSR). Both sites are beautiful, though Conglomerate Flats is the more stunning of the two. It’s 6.5km and 600m of elevation gain to Manson’s Camp from the southern trailhead, and 2.5km and 150m of elevation gain to Conglomerate Flats from Jacobson Lake. Both campsites have outhouses and bear caches.

Winter Campsites

Falls Lake / Zoa Subpeak

Both of these sites are located in the Coquihalla Summit Rec Area off highway 5. Falls Lake is a great site for beginners because you only have to snowshoe 1km along the road (which isn’t plowed in the winter) and 1km to the lake. Zoa subpeak is a bit more challenging as it’s 550m of elevation gain over 4km. Both trails are located in simple terrain, but make sure to stop at Zoa Subpeak – if you try and snowshoe all the way to the true peak, you will be entering challenging avalanche terrain. I’ve never actually been to Falls Lake, but I believe there is an outhouse. There are no facilities at Zoa Subpeak.

Ottomite Peak

Ottomite Peak is also located in the Coquihalla Summit Rec Area off highway 5. The trailhead is at the Zopkios Rest Area. It’s a 4.5km trail with 300m of elevation gain to get to the summit. It was completely empty when I camped there, but the general area is popular among ski tourers, so you may see people along the trails for the day. The trail is in simple terrain, but always exercise caution – in general, I always recommend taking an AST1 course. It’s not a challenging trail, but there are no facilities.

Water Access Campsites

Widgeon Creek

Widgeon Creek is located near the lower mainland and is extremely popular on summer weekends. It’s a ~5 paddle across the Pitt River and up Widgeon Creek to get to the campsite. You can rent canoes or kayaks at Pitt Lake. There are lots of campsites and great facilities, including a large bear cache and 2 outhouses. But I recommend getting their early on a nice weekend to beat the crowds. From the campsite, you can do a day hike to Widgeon Falls.

Twin Islands / Granite Falls

Twin Islands and Granite Falls are two campsites located in Indian Arm, so they are very accessible from the lower mainland. As a result, they are very popular on summer weekends, attracting paddle boats and motorized boats. You can rent kayaks from Deep Cove. It’s only 5km to paddle to Twin Islands, so this is the easier campsite to access. You’re only allowed to camp on the north island, but it has an outhouse (no bear cache since it’s an island). Granite Falls is at the far end of Indian Arm and is an 18km paddle from Deep Cove, so you should be an experienced paddler if you want to do this trip. It has 2 outhouses and a bear cache, but it’s severely undersized. Be prepared for northern afternoon winds.

Nine Mile Point / Kunechin Point

A photo from Kunechin Point in Sechelt Inlet on a kayaking trip, with the water and mountains in the background on the Sunshine Coast in BC.

Nine Mile Point Beach and Kunechin Point Campsite are both located in Sechelt Inlet on the Sunshine Coast. There’s a kayak rental place at the end of Sechelt Inlet Road, where you can launch from. It’s ~6km to paddle to Nine Mile Beach and ~10km to paddle to Kunechin Point, but the latter involves crossing the arm of the inlet, which can get windy. Both are beautiful sites and have outhouses, but no bear caches.

Garibaldi Provincial Park Guide

June 15, 2025June 4, 2025 / Maria / Leave a comment

If you live in BC, chances are you’ve heard of Garibaldi Provincial Park. I’m not sure if it’s quite as popular as some of BC’s National Parks, but it’s certainly developed a pretty wide-reaching reputation. Garibaldi Park is a large backcountry access park near Vancouver that captures a lot of the wilderness area east of Squamish and Whistler. You can’t drive to any of the park attractions, but it has not slowed down the number of visitors to the park.

A photo of Black Tusk as seen from Panorama Ridge in Garibaldi Park on a blue sky day in the summer, with the alpine meadows and mountains in the background and lake in the foreground in BC.

Getting There

It’s impressive that Garibaldi Park gets as many visitors as it does when the access to the park is solely self-powered. The park is located between Squamish and Whistler, with several key park entrances at Diamond Head, Rubble Creek, Cheakamus, Whistler, and Wedgemount. Diamond Head is closest to Squamish, while the rest of the park entrances are closer to Whistler, so it can be a bit of a drive from Vancouver. I always give myself 1.5-2 hours of driving to get to the trailhead. Parking is generally secure, but there’s always the risk of break-ins, so don’t leave anything in your car.

Driving is by far the easiest way to get to the park, as public transit is not available. There is a park shuttle (Parkbus) that runs from Vancouver to Rubble Creek (the trailhead to Garibaldi Lake and Panorama Ridge) during late June to early October. The bus only runs on Fridays and weekends, and will book up early for Saturdays. Otherwise, there’s not many options and you’re best off trying to carpool with others via a facebook hiking group if you don’t have a car.

A hiking trail extends through the alpine of Garibaldi Provincial Park towards Helm Lake, with the forest and mountains in the background on a sunny day in British Columbia, Canada

Activities

The most popular activity in the park is day hiking. Visitors park at a trailhead and spend the day hiking to various viewpoints in the park. The trails are all well maintained and make for a very scenic day in the backcountry. However, most of the trails cover considerable distance and elevation gain in a remote environment, so visitors should be prepared with the 10 essentials and leave a trip plan with someone they trust. For more information on trip preparedness and trip planning, see my Safety post.

Backpacking is also popular as there are 10 beautiful campsites spread throughout the park that can be visited as single night trips or along thru hikes. Biking isn’t permitted everywhere, but you can bike from Diamond Head and Cheakamus Lake, which is a popular activity for cyclists. Finally, lots of winter visitors use the park for snowshoeing or ski touring, either as a day trip, or for an overnight expedition. There is one hut available for camping at Elfin Lakes, which is popular in winter. Avalanche Safety Training is highly recommended if you are recreating in the park during the winter. See my Avalanche Safety post.

A group of 3 skiers traverse the ridge on the way to the Elfin Shelter at Elfin Lakes in Garibaldi Provincial Park, BC. It's a beautiful sunny day with lots of snow and the forest and Diamond Head Mountain in the background.

Permits and Day Passes

In the 10+ years I’ve lived in BC, Garibaldi has always had a reputation as a crowded park. In 2016, BC Parks brought in a reservation system for their backcountry campsites to reduce the impact to the natural environment from overflow camping. If you want to camp at any of the backcountry campsites, you will need an overnight permit. These are available on camping.bcparks.ca for $10 per person ($5 for youth), per night, and release 4 months in advance of your desired date. So if you want to camp on Aug. 15, make sure to book your pass on Apr.15.

During the pandemic, BC Parks further regulated park use by employing a free day pass system from mid June to mid October to manage parking at the trailhead and impacts to the park from overuse. While these passes are free, they have generated a lot of criticism and frustration from visitors struggling to obtain a pass. The day passes release 2 days before your desired date at 7am, and from what I understand, they can be challenging to obtain due to popularity. My recommendation is to be ready at 7am and keep refreshing for up to 15 minutes. If you make a reservation on Parkbus, it includes a day pass.

The sun shines down during golden hour on Wedgemount Lake with the hut and the mountains in the background in Garibaldi Provincial Park, BC.

When to Visit

The park is popular year round, but it is important to understand that travel through the park has much higher risks in Winter and Spring. The most popular time to visit the park is in the summer (from July to September), but be aware that summer in the mountains is much later than summer in the city. You can usually hike to Garibaldi Lake starting in late June, but the snow in the alpine and along the trails to Panorama Ridge and Black Tusk may have snow on them into late July. Early Fall is also a good time to visit the park, but be aware that temperatures will drop quickly in the mountains and that limited daylight hours can make certain trails more challenging.

Winter can also be a great time to visit the park, but avalanche safety training is highly recommended no matter where you’re going. Snowshoers and ski tourers will travel to Elfin Lakes and the privately managed Kees and Claire Hut at Russet Lake in the winter. Both of these routes pass through challenging avalanche terrain and I strongly advise completing an AST1 course before attempting these routes. The Red Heather Hut is also a popular location for skiers who want to do a few laps on Round Mountain before heading home. This carries less risk than the other trails because the route is only in simple avalanche terrain, but you should still exercise caution and be prepared.

A female hiker looks tiny in comparison to the large Wedgemount Glacier in the background in Garibaldi Provincial park, BC.

Trails

There are so many trails to explore in Garibaldi Park. I’ve hiked all of them, with the exception of the winter glacier routes. Here’s some more information on trail options and links to dedicated resources for each trail. Please note that trail distances and elevation gain are approximate.

Garibaldi Lake (18km, 800m gain) – A great option for summer day hiking, or winter snowshoeing (with AST1). Probably considered the most popular hike in the park, with the trailhead at Rubble Creek.

Panorama Ridge (29km, 1500m gain) – Completed by some visitors as a long day hike (12 hours), but recommended as part of a backpacking trip (day hike from the campsite at Garibaldi Lake or Taylor Meadows). This is a very popular trail, with the trailhead at Rubble Creek. Only recommended in the summer.

Black Tusk (25km, 1400m gain) – Completed by some visitors as a long day hike, but recommended as part of a backpacking trip (day hike from the campsite at Taylor Meadows). This is a very popular trail, with the trailhead at Rubble Creek. Only recommended in the summer.

Mount Price (25km, 1400m gain) – Completed by some visitors as a long day hike, but recommended as part of a backpacking trip (day hike from the campsite at Garibaldi Lake). This trail is not very popular and requires some wayfinding, with the trailhead at Rubble Creek. Only recommended in the summer.

Helm Creek (16km, 650m gain) – Most often used as an alternative route when backpacking to Panorama Ridge or as a thru hike from Garibaldi Lake. The trailhead is at Cheakamus Lake and this route is less popular than the trails from Rubble Creek. Only recommended in the summer.

Garibaldi Thru Hike (~30km, 1500m gain) – Only completed as a backpacking objective in the summer. People will hike from Rubble Creek to Cheakamus Lake, camping at Garibaldi Lake, Taylor Meadows, or Helm Creek along the way.

Cheakamus Lake (9km, 50m gain) – A great option for beginner hikers, backpackers, and mountain bikers. It can be completed in a single day or as an overnight trip, camping at Cheakamus Lake Campsite. The trail is popular in the summer, with the trailhead at Cheakamus Lake. Can also be completed in the winter, but the access road is not plowed, making it a much longer hike.

Singing Creek (16km, 50m gain) – A great option for beginner hikers, backpackers, and mountain bikers. It can be completed in a single day or as an overnight trip, camping at Singing Creek Campsite. The trail is popular in the summer, with the trailhead at Cheakamus Lake.

Elfin Lakes (22km, 600m gain) – A great option in the summer for day hiking and mountain biking, and in the winter for snowshoeing or ski touring (with AST1). Complete as a day hike or stay overnight at the campground or hut. A very popular trail, with the trailhead at Diamond Head (chains required for your tires in winter).

The Saddle/The Gargoyles (27km, 900m gain) – An extended trail option from Elfin Lakes, can be completed from the parking lot in a single day, or shortened as a day hike from Elfin Lakes. The trailhead is located at Diamond Head. Only recommended in the summer.

Opal Cone (13km, 350m) – This trail can be completed as a day hike from the campsite at Elfin Lakes, or as a stop along the way when backpacking to Rampart Ponds. The trailhead is located at Diamond Head. Only recommended in the summer.

Rampart Ponds (18km, 500m gain) – This trail can be completed as a day hike from Elfin Lakes, or as a backpacking objective if you plan to stay at the campsite. The trailhead is located at Diamond Head. Only recommended in the summer.

Mamquam Lake (22km, 600m gain) – This Trail can be completed as a day hike from the campsite at Elfin Lakes, or as a shorter route from the campsite at Rampart Ponds. The trailhead is located at Diamond Head. Only recommended in the summer.

Russet Lake via Musical Bumps Trail (24km, 1300m gain) – Completed by some visitors as a long day hike (12 hours), but recommended as part of a backpacking trip, staying at the Russet Lake Campground overnight. This route requires paying for a sightseeing pass on the Whistler Gondola and hiking along the High Note or Half Note trails and the Musical Bumps trail. The trailhead is located at Whistler. It can also be visited in winter, but AST1 is required and a backcountry pass from Whistler Resort.

Russet Lake via Singing Pass Trail (27km, 1200m gain) – Completed by some visitors as a long day hike, but recommended as part of a backpacking trip, staying at the Russet lake Campground overnight. The trailhead is located at Whistler and this route avoids having to pay for a pass for the gondola. Only recommended in the summer.

Wedgemount Lake (14km, 1200m gain) – This trail can be completed as a day hike or an overnight backpacking trip to the Wedgemount Lake Campsite. Overnight is recommended due to the substantial elevation gain. The trailhead is located at Wedgemount Creek. Only recommended in the summer.

Garibaldi Neve – This is a winter route for experienced alpinists only as it involves glacier travel. It is generally completed over 2-3 days and avalanche training and snow camping experience are required. I don’t have any experience with this route, please look elsewhere and do sufficient research and training before attempting.

Spearhead Traverse – This is a winter route for experienced alpinists only as it involves glacier travel. It is generally completed over 3-4 days and avalanche training and snow camping experience are required. I don’t have any experience with this route, please look elsewhere and do sufficient research and training before attempting.

A group of campers sit on the ground surrounded by camp food, pots, and stoves, preparing their dinner on the beach with the trees and lake in the background at Cheakamus Lake Singing Creek Campsite in Garibaldi Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada.

Campgrounds

All campgrounds in Garibaldi Park require permits from camping.bcparks.ca. These release 4 months in advance of your desired date. They are popular, so it is recommended to book exactly 4 months before you want to visit. Backcountry permits are $10 per person ($5 for youth), per night.

Elfin Lakes Campground – Reservable year round. There are 35 tent pads, several outhouses, picnic tables, a bear cache, and a cooking shelter.

Elfin Lakes Shelter – Reservable year round. There are 33 bunks and an outhouse. You must bring your own sleeping pad and sleeping bag.

Red Heather Campground – Reservable in winter only (Dec-Apr) for snow camping. There are no tent pads, but there is an outhouse and a cooking shelter. You are not permitted to sleep in the cooking shelter.

Rampart Ponds Campground – Reservable year round. There are 12 tent pads, an outhouse, and a bear cache. Sometimes this site floods in the summer and is closed.

Garibaldi Lake Campground – Reservable year round. There are 50 tent pads, several outhouses, picnic tables, bear caches, and four cooking shelters.

Taylor Meadows Campground – Reservable year round, except in September and October (I’m guessing because of bears). There are 40 tent pads, several outhouses, picnic tables, a bear cache, and two cooking shelters.

Helm Creek Campground – Reservable year round. There are 30 tent pads, an outhouse, and a bear cache.

Cheakamus Lake Campground – Reservable year round. There are 10 tent pads, an outhouse, and a bear cache.

Singing Creek Campground – Reservable year round. There are 6 tent pads, an outhouse, and a bear cache.

Russet Lake Campground – Reservable year round. There are 7 tent pads, an outhouse, and a bear cache.

Kees and Claire Hut – While located in the park, this hut is managed by the Spearhead Huts Society (not BC Parks). Bunks can be booked year round for $60 per night and are most popular for touring in the winter.

Wedgemount Lake Campground – Reserable year round. There are 20 tent pads, a seasonal pit toilet, and an emergency hut that can be used as a bear cache.