Whistler Hiking

There is a Whistler hiking trail for everyone from short and easy hikes to all-day epic adventures. There are waterfalls, river canyons, historical ruins, lakes, viewpoints, glaciers, and mountain summits. So if you're looking to explore the area, let us organize a Whistler Hiking trip for you! Just let us know a bit about your goals and fitness and we'll put together a package.

Hiking Season in Whistler:

Whistler sits high up in the Coast Mountains. That means it has a short summer hiking season from June to September. Generally, the valley bottom trails start to be snow-free in April or May with higher elevation trails staying snowy into July. By mid October, it has started to snow again in the mountains.

Trail Options:

Some of the more popular trips that are part of the Whistler Hiking program include:

Singing Pass Trail into Whirlwind / Russet Lake:

This trail is long and not particularly scenic, but it provides free access into the gorgeous alpine between Whistler and Blackcomb Peaks in Garibaldi Provincial Park. The trail climbs first on an old road, then on a deteriorating trail up the Fitzsimmons Creek valley. The trail is rugged and has several washouts and unbridged creeks so its best for experienced hikers only. But at Singing Pass, you emerge into the alpine with amazing views and numerous hiking options. A short hike up will land you at the Kees & Claire hut, a little further  and the trail will take you down to Russet Lake, surrounded by glaciated peaks. A bit further still and you can walk along the toe of the glacier and touch the ice. Alternatively climb up a bit more and summit the scenic Whirlwind peak.

• Difficulty: Very Challenging
• Distance: 31km round trip
• Elevation gain: 1280m
• Time Needed: 10-11 hours
• Best Time to Go: July to September

Musical Bumps:

The Musical Bumps is one of the most beautiful hikes in Whistler. It travels along the top of a ridge, passing Harmony Lake, Symphony Lake, Piccolo Summit, Flute Summit, and Oboe Summit. Now do you understand why it’s called the Musical Bumps Trail? To get there, pay for the gondola and take it all the way up to Roundhouse Lodge on Whistler Mountain. The trail ends at Singing Pass. From there, you can retrace your steps back to the Roundhouse, continue upward to Russet Lake, make a loop by using the High Note Trail, or walk all the way back down to Whistler Village on the Singing Pass Trail. Time your visit for mid-summer to see the wildflowers.

• Difficulty: Challenging
• Distance: 19km round trip
• Elevation gain: 305m
• Time Needed: 8-9 hours
• Best Time to Go: July-September

High Note Trail:

The High Note Trail is one of the newest trails in Whistler, and also one of the most spectacular. You ascend to the very top of Whistler Peak, then make a descending loop. Along the way, there are gorgeous views of Cheakamus Lake below and Black Tusk across the valley. The trail ends at a junction with the Musical Bumps Trail, which you can use to continue descending to the Roundhouse Lodge. Or continue along the Bumps to Singing Pass and out the Singing Pass trail for a great circuit.

• Difficulty: Moderate
• Distance: 9.4km one-way
• Elevation gain: -400m
• Time Needed: 3-4 hours
• Best Time to Go: July to September

Rainbow Lake:

The trail to Rainbow Lake climbs through the forest on the west side of the Whistler Valley, passing Rainbow Falls along the way. It emerges into the alpine on the shores of beautiful Rainbow Lake, nestled beneath the rocky bulk of Rainbow Mountain. The entire hike is within the Whistler watershed that supplies drinking water to the town so swimming isn’t allowed and you should use the three toilets along the trail.

• Difficulty: Challenging
• Distance: 16km round trip
• Elevation gain: 850m
• Time Needed: 6-7 hours
• Best Time to Go: July-September

Wedgemount Lake:

The hike to Wedgemount Lake is the steepest and most challenging hike in Whistler. Your legs will certainly feel the effort. At the top you’ll arrive at a beautiful blue lake, surrounded by mountains. Follow the trail to the far end of the lake, then uphill through the rocks for a few minutes to the toe of a glacier. A few decades ago, this glacier ended at the lakeshore – it’s sad to see how far it has retreated in such a short time!

• Difficulty: Very Challenging
• Distance: 14km round trip
• Elevation gain: 1200m
• Time Needed: 8-9 hours
• Best Time to Go: July-September

Cheakamus Lake:

This is one of the best easy hikes in Whistler. It heads through old-growth forest to the shores of Cheakamus Lake. The lake has beautiful turquoise blue water thanks to glacial runoff. You can take a shorter 7km round trip hike to the west end of the lake, or continue along the trail until it ends at Singing Creek, for a 14km round trip hike. While the water looks beautiful, it’s bitterly cold so swim at your own risk.

• Difficulty: Easy
• Distance: 7-14km round trip
• Elevation gain: 50m
• Time Needed: 2-4 hours
• Best Time to Go: May to November

Helm Pass:

This challenging trail starts from the same trailhead as Cheakamus Lake. It crosses a bridge over the Cheakamus River then ascends forested slopes into the heart of Garibaldi Provincial Park. After passing the Helm Creek campground, you’ll arrive at the surreal volcanic landscape of Helm Pass. The pass has several beautiful light blue alpine lakes as well as a fascinating flat plain covered in lava rocks called the Cinder Flats. If you have the energy to continue onwards, you can connect to the Panorama Ridge, Garibaldi Lake and Black Tusk trails from Helm Pass.

• Difficulty: Challenging
• Distance: 25km round trip
• Elevation gain: 930m
• Time Needed: 8-9 hours
• Best Time to Go: July-September

Waiver & Risk Management:

As you know, outdoor activities involve numerous hazards including, but not limited to, avalanches, crevasses, rockfall, slips and falls, equipment failure, poor weather, etc. And while we do our best to anticipate and mitigate these hazards we cannot completely eliminate them. So, as with anything fun, you will be required to sign our Participant Release to take part in one of our courses or trips.