16+ of the Best Hiking Trails in British Columbia

1. St. Mark’s Summit

2. Brandywine Falls

Brandywine Falls is just south of Whistler with an easy walk to the viewing platform, but way sicker is working your way to the pool below the falls. The hike down to the canyon involves some serious bushwhacking, but it’s worth it. I’ve never been doused by such a strong current of mist before in my life. It was a challenge to take a good photo since we didn’t go equipped with the right gear to get soaking wet.

3. Stawamus Chief Provincial Park

4. Joffre Lakes

Joffre Lakes are some of the most popular and reachable alpine lakes in BC; you’re able to drive most of the elevation, and the hike to the upper lake is a short and sweet (by “sweet” I mean the most miserable uphill climb you definitely weren’t expecting) six kilometres. There are three lakes in total. The second is the one most people obsess over as there’s a log you’re able to climb out onto for a photo that offers a stunning backdrop of Mt. Currie and a pristine, glacial blue lake. The hike’s extremely popular due to the fact that it’s so short and available as well as dog friendly. I’d suggest camping overnight. Camping changes everything. It allows you to have those quiet life reflections while you watch the sunrise. Most importantly it allows you to connect with nature without strangers in your space or stealing the photo you’d been dreaming about.

5. Kokanee Creek Provincial Park

6. Garibaldi Lake

This is one of the most accessible alpine lakes that we have here in BC. It’s only 10 kilometres to the lake from the parking lot near Whistler, and it’s a healthy, consistent incline. The view is definitely worth the hike. The colour of the water changes as the seasons pass, and by the end of August it’s a kind of blue you can’t capture or describe to anyone unless they’ve made the trek and swum in it themselves. I came to this lake for the first time with my dad for my 20th birthday, and I have been coming ever since.

I made it to this lake seven times this year alone, and it never gets old, as every experience is unique with each group that accompanies me when I go. Because Garibaldi Lake is so easily accessible, there are always heaps of people that come up for a day trip. To fully appreciate the place you need to camp overnight and drink it in when the crowds have passed.

7. Black Tusk

8. Panorama Ridge

This is where I’d live if it were acceptable to set up lean-tos in provincial parks. The ridge is located in Garibaldi Provincial Park, and walking from the lake it’s about an extra four hours, depending how skilled you are scaling rocks. I’ve visited the ridge just as many times as I have the lake, for obvious reasons — the view’s mind-blowing. It’s the kind of view that makes you drop your mouth and open your eyes as wide as you can because you can’t take it in fast enough. I’ve watched sunsets, sunrises, the falcons fly beside us, and the snow melt off of the surrounding mountains as the seasons changed from every visit.

People who question why I’ve done the hike so many times haven’t done the hike themselves to understand my obsession with it. Every visit’s been unique, and the only time I ever regretted my choice to hike it was in the snow with my favourite adventure pal, who has the patience of a monk and the spirit of adventure equivalent to Indiana Jones. We had to blaze our own trail in waist-deep snow, and, although I was unable to feel my feet for the majority of it, the view we were rewarded with was the best of all of my visits. We were able to experience something not many people had, and we worked the hardest we ever had to get it. Anyone can hike the ridge in the summer, but it takes a certain mental discipline to do it in the snow.

9. Elfin Lakes

10. Christie Falls

11. Mt. Seymour

This is the place that got me into outdoor gear and obsessed with taking pictures in nature. Every sunset, every sunrise, every snowfall, every day was perfection. I spent my winter working in the resort and my summer catching sunsets on the lift towers. I’m so in love with the mountain’s every aspect. Plus it offers the best view of Vancouver without having to go far.

12. Idaho Peak

13. Cheam Peak

14. Brandywine Meadows

15. Wedgemount Lake

16. Hilda Peak