Hiking Whyte Lake via Nelson Creek in West Vancouver
Contents
Whyte Lake via Nelson Creek Hike Information
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 6.70Km
Elevation Gain: 310m
Highest Elevation: 344m
Average Gradient: 9.25%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Low / Low
Time Needed:
– Slow: 3 – 4 Hours
– Moderate: 2 – 3 Hours
– Fast: 1.5 – 2Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Whyte Lake via Nelson Creek Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°21’39.0″N 123°15’31.8″W
Whyte Lake via Nelson Creek Overview
Whyte Lake is a small and charming lake in West Vancouver which can be accessed from a few different trails. The lake itself isn’t the most inspiring of lakes, and for me the biggest draw of this hike is the incredible section of trail going through Nelson Creek. This is one of the finest examples of Pacific temperate rainforest anywhere near Vancouver, making for a truly colourful and otherworldly experience. It’s hard to imagine this rainforest is so close to the city, but it is!
This is a popular trail with a relatively small parking lot. In the summer it can get very busy with dog walkers and families all enjoying the mellow stroll to the lake, so I advise getting there early. You can swim in the lake itself, but it’s supposedly very chilly and doesn’t look the cleanest of lakes, so I’ll let you decide that one.
I’m not typically one who enjoys a walk in the forest, in fact I’ll usually rush through these sections of hikes as fast as I can, but Nelson Creek is the exception to the rule, providing beautiful, lush scenery throughout, all while running next to the scenic Nelson Creek. It’s a blessing and curse for a photographer, as everything is so picturesque, yet incredibly difficult to capture in the darkness of the forest canopy and the chaotic rainforest background.
As noted there are many routes to Whyte Lake and this one is a little bit more challenging as, rather than doing the typical out and back that most people opt for, this returns via the Old Helipad route. This adds a bit of elevation and distance to those who simply opt for the out and back the same way via Nelson Creek, but does add a bit of an adventure to an otherwise simple trail. If you prefer a very easy outing, just go to the lake via Nelson Creek and return the same way, making for a 5km, 200m gain hike.
Whyte Lake is also one of the best rainy day options near the city and it’ll always be on my mind if rain is in the forecast all weekend.
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Is Whyte Lake via Nelson Creek worthwhile?
Whyte Lake is a great option under a variety of circumstances. It’s great on a rainy day, if you just want something quick near the city, if you enjoy temperate rainforest strolls or if you want a casual walk with your partner/dog/family. For that reason I’d say hiking to Whyte Lake is absolutely worth it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not going to win any awards for having the best views as frankly, there aren’t really any viewpoints at all. If you’re looking for an epic view, look elsewhere.
How difficult is the hike to Whyte Lake via Nelson Creek?
If you do this looped hike via the Old Helipad route the average gradient is 9.25%. If you go for the easier option of coming back via Nelson Creek, the gradient falls to 8%. Either way this is a pretty easy hike.
Technically speaking the only real difficulty is just how muddy this trail gets. There can be significant mud throughout much of the trail basically year round, but especially in spring and early summer. If you are taking the Old Helipad route as described here this section of the trail is much rougher than Nelson Creek, with a few steep, slippery rock face sections. You definitely need hiking boots if you’re doing this route. If you’re sticking to Nelson Creek many people just wear runners, though I’m sure they get pretty ruined in the mud.
Whyte Lake via Nelson Creek Route Information
The trailhead for this hike starts in a small parking lot just off of Westport Road. This can get very busy and might be full, in which case there is no overflow parking nearby. There is an alternative trailhead not too far away at Cranley Drive, with free street parking.
From the trailhead you’ll join the trail and quickly descend slightly as you pass underneath Highway 1. You’ll soon reach a junction with a signpost indicating Whyte Lake is to the right. Whyte Lake is well signposted throughout so it should be easy to follow.
You’ll soon begin climbing up a wide gravel trail at a somewhat moderate gradient, where at around the 500m mark you will enter the forest via a narrow entry. The gradient continues at a modest level as you work your way deeper into the forest. The trail stays well groomed for a while but soon begins to deteriorate into a muddy swamp as you work your way closer to Nelson Creek.
At around the 700m mark you’ll be parallel to Nelson Creek and the vivid colours of the rainforest canopy will now be on full display. Lush green hues will envelope the entire surroundings, and the dense canopy will darken the whole trail. My photos might look somewhat bright, but that’s just because I have a good camera that can handle darkness well.
As you continue the terrain will be largely undulating and you will barely notice that you are climbing higher as it is so gradual. At around the 1km mark you will reach a section of the trail which is fenced off, with a chasm over the creek and a log bridge that seemingly many people choose to cross over for a photo. This is actually fairly high, very slippery and above the creek, so I’d be very careful about going over it! The fence is there for a reason.
Continuing along the trail you’ll stay next to Nelson Creek for some time and there will be a few (safe) opportunities to go down to the creek itself, as well a bench to sit and enjoy the surroundings. I went down and took some photos of the creek, but it’d also be good for dogs to get a drink or kids to splash around.
At around the 1.5km mark you will cross a bridge that passes over Nelson Creek and you’ll now be parallel to another creek, Whyte Creek, flowing from Whyte Lake. The terrain will be much the same as before, muddy and undulating. I actually started to hit snow at this point, which was surprising given this is only 275m elevation. Still, it wasn’t much and didn’t warrant spikes or anything particular.
At around 2.2km you’ll cross another bridge, this time going over Whyte Creek, at which point you will be just a few hundred meters from the lake. This part of the trail was easily the muddiest and it was actually pretty difficult to avoid stepping in it at times.
Once at the lake you’ll come to a junction where going right will take you onto the Whyte Lake wharf. This is essentially the best viewpoint of the lake, and at busy times groups may be hanging around here and perhaps even going in for a swim.
Returning to the trail you can keep going along a boardwalk around the east edge of the lake, and work your way to the north to another viewpoint. Sadly there are remnants of another wharf that has long been destroyed, so the views here aren’t as good but it’s likely quieter.
At this stage, if you want to keep things easy you can just go back the way you came via Nelson Creek, but if you want a bit more adventure you can take the Old Helipad route back to the trailhead. I probably wouldn’t advise this route with kids.
Old Helipad Route
After finishing up at the north viewpoint of the lake begin walking back to the wharf, you’ll soon pass a trail going off to the right, which leads to the Old Helipad trail. After taking this right you’ll quickly come to another junction at which point you want to go left. You’ll pass a tree with a little sign on it saying “Old Helipad Route (Rough)”.
The sign doesn’t lie, the trail immediately becomes far more rugged than the Nelson Creek trail as it climbs up and away from Whyte Lake. Still, while rugged, for anyone who has spent any time hiking anywhere, it’s simple and not steep.
There isn’t a whole lot to say about the Old Helipad route other than it’s messy without a whole lot to see. There’s no real reason to take it other than adding a bit of a climb and an adventure to your outing. Just keep following the trail, being careful with your footing, and you’ll pass by a few ponds. After a long trudge, at around the 5km mark on the trail you’ll come to a junction. Going right will take you past the old helipad (not worth even looking at) and going left will keep you on the right path.
This next 500m is the trickiest of the day. The descent is actually quite steep at about a 30% gradient, and much of it is on incredibly slippery rock. I almost slipped over after mistakenly thinking it had more grip. Thankfully I caught the fall and stayed on my feet, and from then on I avoided stepping on any rocks where possible. At times I had to scoot on my butt down a rock face to avoid slipping. Eventually you’ll be spat out onto a bridge where you’ll want to go left. Soon you will be back on the gravel road that joins the Nelson Creek trail and you’ll just follow this back to your car.
When should I hike Whyte Lake via Nelson Creek?
I love to save this hike for a rainy day. There is no real reason to go on a sunny day as the entire hike is in dense forest with little daylight breaking through and there are no viewpoints of any kind. This is a year round hiking option as well, so there’s no reason to go in summer if there are better options.
Top Tip
Wear footwear that you don’t mind getting muddy. If you’re taking the Old Helipad Route back, make sure you have good grip for the slippery rock section. It might be easier to do the route clockwise than counter clockwise to avoid descending these slippery rocks.
Optionally you can extend the hike even further by continuing north from the lake and joining the Baden Powell trail. You could go to West Knob, Donut Rock, Eagle Bluffs, Black Mountain and even all the way to Cypress Bowl. Other than West Knob (moderate) these would all be difficult and very steep hikes and I would absolutely not suggest them in winter (I’ve done it, brutal!) due to the snow and gradient. In the summer though, if you want a real challenge, have at it!
