20 of the Best Summer Hikes Near Vancouver To Put on Your To-Do List
Vancouver is undoubtedly one of the premiere hiking destinations in the world, with incredible access to some of the most stunning scenery, all within just a couple of hours driving. While the city of Vancouver itself doesn’t offer a whole lot of hiking options, it is central to a plethora of regions for incredible day hikes.
Whether it’s a quick spritz to the North Shore mountains, or a full day trip to Pemberton or Manning Park, the sheer number of options for hiking near Vancouver is seemingly endless. Here we are going to look at the 20 best hikes within driving distance of Vancouver for a day hike.
All of the hikes here are going to be summer appropriate hikes, some of which might also be suitable for winter but many of which won’t.
For more information, click on the title of the hike for a detailed report.
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Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 31Km
Elevation Gain: 1,600m
Highest Elevation: 2,133m
Average Gradient: 10.4%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 10 – 12 Hours
– Moderate: 9 – 10 Hours
– Fast: 7 – 9 Hours
With one of the most iconic and instantly recognizable photo spots in British Columbia, Panorama Ridge is one of the most highly sought prizes in the hiking glossary. At 31km and 1,600m elevation though, it’s also one of the longer day hikes you can do. If you want to do this one in a day, you’d best leave early as at a moderate pace it’ll likely take you 9-10 hours.
While the beginning of this hike leaves much to be desired (think endless switchbacks), once you reach Taylor Meadows the views are breathtaking and endless, with stunning alpine meadows, glaciers galore and iconic peaks like the Black Tusk. All of this culminates with an absolutely stunning view above the glistening Garibaldi Lake. From the summit you’re able to return to the trailhead via the lake itself, where many people choose to go for a welcome (albeit chilly) dip in the glacial waters to rest their legs.
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 8.4Km
Elevation Gain: 670m
Highest Elevation: 2,112m
Average Gradient: 15.95%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 4.5 – 5.5 Hours
– Moderate: 3.5 – 4.5 Hours
– Fast: 2.5 – 3.5 Hours
Cheam Peak is a highly sought after prize in the local hiking community, largely because the views are incredible and the hike is pretty straightforward at just 8.40km. The biggest issue with Cheam Peak is the access. Getting to the trailhead requires a high clearance vehicle (preferably 4×4), and a confident driver. The road is incredibly rough, narrow & with very deep cross ditches once you reach the upper forest service road. Many people get caught out with just how bad the road is, thinking their city SUV will be fine. It is an almost 3 hour drive from Vancouver despite being located in Chilliwack.
Still, for those that can make it the reward will be well worth it. The views from beginning to end are absolutely staggering. More adventurous parties might want to tack on the nearby Lady Peak, which is far more challenging than Cheam, requiring some exposed scrambling, but arguably it’s even better.
Difficulty: Very Difficult
Distance: 15.1Km
Elevation Gain: 1,555m
Highest Elevation: 1,788m
Average Gradient: 20.60%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Very High / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 8 – 10 Hours
– Moderate: 6 – 8 Hours
– Fast: 5 – 6 Hours
Brunswick Mountain is the highest summit in the North Shore mountains, boasting one of the most incredible views of the Howe Sound from anywhere in the region. At just a 30-40 minute drive from the city, accessible in any vehicle, this tends to be very high on most peoples radars. The views from the summit are staggering, not only of the Howe Sound but also all the other North Shore mountains which pale in comparison.
That being said summiting Brunswick Mountain is no mean feat. This is a very challenging hike with massive elevation gain pretty much throughout. The hike culminates with some straightforward scrambling and one, very brief “no fall” zone.
Difficulty: Very Difficult
Distance: 13Km
Elevation Gain: 1,400m
Highest Elevation: 1,953m
Average Gradient: 21.54%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 7 – 8 Hours
– Moderate: 6 – 7 Hours
– Fast: 5 – 6 Hours
Flora Peak is another stunning hike in the Chilliwack River Valley, and one of the few hikes in the region that is accessible in any vehicle. The hike is relentlessly steep, but the views once you break out of the treeline are exceptional, with beautiful views of Chilliwack Lake and the surrounding summits. There are also some alpine flowers to appreciate if you time this one right.
More adventurous parties can continue on the Flora Lake if they choose, even opting to complete the entire Flora Lake loop to include Lindeman Lake in the process, which would make for a long but fulfilling day.
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 12.5Km
Elevation Gain: 500m
Highest Elevation: 692m
Average Gradient: 8.00%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 4.5 – 6 Hours
– Moderate: 3.5 – 4.5 Hours
– Fast: 2.5 – 3.5 Hours
Another hike beginning in Lions Bay, just 30 – 40 minutes from Vancouver. Tunnel Bluffs is one of the easier options for a stunning view over the Howe Sound, and it’s pretty achievable for all hiking abilities.
Parking for the hike is very limited, so an early start is strongly recommended. Most of the trail is very simple, albeit steep initially before leveling off into a mellow stroll. You don’t get any views along the way, but the view from the bluff is absolutely breathtaking. This is a similar hike to the very popular St. Marks Summit, but in my opinion the view is far superior.
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 11Km
Elevation Gain: 940m
Highest Elevation: 2,122m
Average Gradient: 17.10%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 8 – 9 Hours
– Moderate: 7 – 8 Hours
– Fast: 6 – 7 Hours
Tricouni Peak is one of the most breathtaking, high reward hikes near Squamish. With stunning summit views, beautiful alpine flowers and an array of glistening turquoise lakes on route, this hike has it all. That being said, Tricouni Peak is a technical hike culminating with a moderate, low exposure scramble that should be left to confident outdoor enthusiasts.
Accessing the trailhead of Tricouni Peak is also a challenge, requiring a high clearance vehicle and a long drive up a rough FSR. Still, for those that can make it the payoff is enormous.
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 22Km
Elevation Gain: 821m
Highest Elevation: 1,602m
Average Gradient: 5.45%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 7 – 9 Hours
– Moderate: 6 – 7 Hours
– Fast: 5 – 6 Hours
Elfin Lakes is a very popular hike in Garibaldi Provincial Park to a duo of lakes in a stunning alpine region. Camping is available at the lakes, and it’s possible to explore deeper into the park should you want to. I strongly suggest adding on the Gargoyles for a full day excursion.
While Elfin Lakes is a fairly long hike, it’s also a fairly straightforward hike. The trail is never particularly steep, making this an accessible hike for most parties. This is also a year-round destination, making for a very popular ski touring and snowshoe destination in the winter as well. The road up is a little rough but most vehicles usually make it. Tire chains are required in the winter.
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 13.50Km
Elevation Gain: 1,480m
Highest Elevation: 1,541m
Average Gradient: 21.93%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 7 – 9 Hours
– Moderate: 6 – 7 Hours
– Fast: 5 – 6 Hours
Mount Burwell is another hike in the North Shore mountains offering fantastic views, right on your doorstep just 30 minutes from Vancouver. There are a couple of popular routes to summit Mount Burwell, either a bike and hike from the Seymour Valley, or a longer hike from Lynn Headwaters.
Both routes are similarly difficult with some very steep forest terrain, but the payoff is worth the effort with some beautiful views from the top. You’ll get to summit Coliseum Mountain on the way, and if you come from the Seymour Valley you’ll also summit Paton Peak for a 3-in-1 day.
It should be noted that the Lynn Headwaters backcountry is closed for much of the season, only opening in the summer when it is deemed safe (snow free).
Difficulty: Difficult (Lower Lot) Moderate (Upper Lot)
Distance: 14.5km (Lower Lot) 9.5km (Upper Lot)
Elevation Gain: 1,465m (Lower Lot) 800m (Upper Lot)
Highest Elevation: 2,213m
Average Gradient: 20.21% (Lower Lot) 16.84% (Upper Lot)
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 8 – 10 Hours (Lower Lot) 5 – 6 Hours (Upper Lot)
– Moderate: 7 – 8 Hours (Lower Lot) 4 – 5 Hours (Upper Lot)
– Fast: 5 – 7 Hours (Lower Lot) 3 – 4 Hours (Upper Lot)
Brandywine Mountain is a gem of a hike near Whistler, offering stunning alpine meadows and dramatic summit vistas. The difficulty of this hike depends largely on the capability of your vehicle. 4×4’s with high clearance can drive to an upper parking lot, reducing the distance of the hike significantly, and low clearance vehicles will have to park at a lower lot, beginning the hike with a steep forest grind.
Brandywine Meadows is a beautiful hike in itself if you want to keep things simple, and once you reach this the views are endless throughout. The hike culminates with some simple, low exposure scrambling that most parties should be comfortable with. Some people opt to camp at the meadows and summit the mountain over a full weekend, but it’s more than possible to complete as a day trip.
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 22Km
Elevation Gain: 1,220m
Highest Elevation: 2,409m
Average Gradient: 11.10%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 8 – 10 Hours
– Moderate: 6 – 7 Hours
– Fast: 5 – 6 Hours
Frosty Mountain is a popular hike in Manning Park, around a 2.5 hour drive from Vancouver. This hike explodes in popularity in late-September to early-October when the larches along the trail turn golden, but it’s still a fairly popular hike earlier in the summer.
You are able to complete this peak as either an out-and-back hike or a loop, with the loop much longer but offering some different scenery along the way. Most people opt for the out-and-back.
Due to its high elevation the season for Frosty Mountain is fairly short lived, snow typically arrives shortly after the larches turn golden in October, not melting again until July.
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 10.30Km
Elevation Gain: 820m
Highest Elevation: 2,090m
Average Gradient: 15.92%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 6 – 7 Hours
– Moderate: 5 – 6 Hours
– Fast: 4 – 5 Hours
Needle Peak is a stunning hike in the Coquihalla Recreation Area, about 2 hours from Vancouver. This whole region is absolutely beautiful, with a number of fantastic hikes, but Needle Peak tends to be the preferred choice.
To summit the peak you do need to be comfortable with some scrambling and a bit of exposure, so if that’s not your thing I would instead hike up the nearby Flatiron, which still offers fantastic views and is much simpler. Adventurous parties can summit both of these in one day quite comfortably. Some people opt to camp near the lake below the Flatiron and make it a two day affair.
While the Flatiron is a reasonably safe winter objective for prepared parties, Needle Peak is a summer only hike.
Difficulty: Very Difficult
Distance: 18.5Km
Elevation Gain: 1,900m
Highest Elevation: 2,090m
Average Gradient: 20.54%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Very High / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 9 – 11 Hours
– Moderate: 8 – 9 Hours
– Fast: 7 – 8 Hours
Mount MacFarlane is a very difficult hike in the Chilliwack River Valley, with a relentlessly steep ascent to the summit. For those capable enough to make it you’ll be richly rewarded with stunning 360 degree views, as well as passing by two pristine turquoise lakes in Upper and Lower Pierce Lake.
This is one of the rare hikes in the valley that is accessible in any vehicle, and many people opt to overnight at one of the lakes, summiting the peak the next day. Still, it’s more than feasible as a day trip for fit parties, but make sure to bring poles as this one is a leg (and knee) burner!
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 8Km
Elevation Gain: 750m
Highest Elevation: 1,432m
Average Gradient: 18.75%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 4 – 5 Hours
– Moderate: 3 – 4 Hours
– Fast: 2 – 3 Hours
Elk Mountain is one of the most popular hikes in the Fraser Valley, about 1.5 hours from Vancouver. This is a short, steep hike to a beautiful viewpoint over the Chilliwack River Valley, with Mount Baker, Slesse Mountain and the Border Peaks in the distance.
Elk Mountain is a year-round objective, offering beautiful alpine flowers in the summer and magical snowy vistas in the winter. If you intend to go in the winter please take microspikes as the trail is steep and icy.
More adventurous parties can continue on to Mount Thurston and even Mount Mercer if you want to make a full day of it.
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 16Km
Elevation Gain: 1,325m
Highest Elevation: 702m
Average Gradient: 16.56%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 7 – 8 Hours
– Moderate: 6 – 7 Hours
– Fast: 5 – 6 Hours
Slhanay Peak and the Stawamus Chief are both great day hikes, just an hour from Vancouver, that can be combined into one outing via a traverse between the summits. This involves the use of ropes and iron bars to climb vertical cliffs, but they are short and brief.
If you are not confident with this you can always hike each of the Chief and Slhanay Peak separately, avoiding the roped sections between the peaks altogether. This would be two separate hikes though.
When combined this is a fantastic, adventurous day hike with almost constant views. It’s also a relatively low elevation hike, meaning this is accessible most of the year when other, far higher summits are buried in snow. Given the nature of the hike though, it’s certainly not one to try in rain, snow or ice.
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 3.20Km
Elevation Gain: 180m
Highest Elevation: 293m
Average Gradient: 11.25%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 1.5 – 2 Hours
– Moderate: 1 – 1.5 Hours
– Fast: 0.75 – 1 Hours
Jurassic Ridge is located near Squamish, less than an hour from Vancouver. This trail is sort of like a miniature Stawamus Chief, involving some steep terrain and light scrambling up and down rocks. This is a very short, steep, fun outing with some nice views over the Howe Sound. For the low effort it takes the views are actually pretty nice.
You’ll want to arrive early to Murrin Park as the lot fills up very quickly on a hot summer day. I’d save this one for the shoulder season, but avoid any rain as the rocks will be slippery if wet.
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 22.5Km
Elevation Gain: 1,390m
Highest Elevation: 2,083m
Average Gradient: 12.36%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 8 – 10 Hours
– Moderate: 7 – 8 Hours
– Fast: 6 – 7 Hours
Zupjok, Llama and Alpaca Peaks are a trio of summits in the Coquihalla Recreation area, about 2 hours from Vancouver, connected via a long, spacious undulating ridge. The hike up to Zupjok Peak is very steep, but from there on the views are constant as you wander the ridgeline between all three peaks.
You’ll have stunning views for most of the hike and there is nothing technically challenging about it. This is an extremely scenic alpine stroll in an absolutely breathtaking part of BC.
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 12Km
Elevation Gain: 940m
Highest Elevation: 2,010m
Average Gradient: 15.66%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 6 – 8 Hours
– Moderate: 5 – 6 Hours
– Fast: 4 – 5 Hours
Seed Peak is a lesser traveled summit in Pinecone Burke Provincial Park, accessed via Mamquam Main FSR near Squamish. The drive is around 2 hours from Vancouver, including an hour on a rugged FSR. An SUV with decent clearance should make it just fine.
From the trailhead you are out of the trees and into the alpine within the first kilometer, and from then on the views are breathless and constant. The trail is fairly easy to follow, but culminates with a self-guided boulder hop ascent to the summit. There’s no scrambling or exposure, and the views from the summit of Pinecone Lake below are stunning.
Some people opt to camp in the area and combine this with Mount Gillespie or Pinecone Peak, both of which are technical scrambles that should be left to experienced and confident parties. Stick to Seed Peak and you’ll be fine, the payoff is enormous for the relative effort.
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 20.4Km
Elevation Gain: 830m
Highest Elevation: 2,272m
Average Gradient: 8.14%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Medium / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 7 – 9 Hours
– Moderate: 6 – 7 Hours
– Fast: 5 – 6 Hours
Three Brothers Mountain is another popular hike in Manning Park, especially in the summer when wildflowers fill the trail with colorful flora and fauna. Indeed, the journey itself is as nice as the destination on this hike, with constant views and rolling meadows throughout.
A nice thing about this hike is the ability to drive high into the alpine even in a 2WD car, a rarity in BC. Thanks to this, Three Brothers Mountain is a moderate hike that is rarely exceedingly steep.
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 26.20Km
Elevation Gain: 800m
Highest Elevation: 2,181m
Average Gradient: 6.11%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 10+ Hours
– Moderate: 8 – 10 Hours
– Fast: 7 – 8 Hours
Russet Lake is a popular overnight spot in Garibaldi Provincial Park near Whistler, about 2 hours from Vancouver. While this hike is doable as a day trip, most choose to complete it as an overnight to enjoy the lake and the alpine views. The views from the lake are stunning, with glaciers and peaks as far as the eye can see.
There is more than one way to reach the lake, but the most scenic route is to take the Whistler Village Gondola and hike the High Note / Musical Bumps trail, which provide endless views throughout. From the lake, adventurous parties can climb up the nearby Whirlwind Peak, and confident and capable scramblers are able to continue on to Overlord Mountain. With all of these combined this is a fantastic way to spend a couple of days in the alpine.
Difficulty: Very Difficult
Distance: 17.4Km
Elevation Gain: 1,660m
Highest Elevation: 1,504m
Average Gradient: 19.08%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Very High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 9 – 11 Hours
– Moderate: 7 – 9 Hours
– Fast: 6 – 7 Hour
Crown Mountain is a very steep hike on the North Shore, just 30 minutes from Vancouver. it is possible to take the Grouse Gondola up to reduce the difficulty significantly, but for those starting from the bottom, this is a steep and arduous climb. Still, Crown Mountain is a popular peak that can be seen throughout Vancouver, and it offers beautiful views from the top.
The end of the hike involves some scrambling with a little exposure, but most people are comfortable to summit it as the scrambling is very simple and very brief. Adventurous parties looking for a significant challenge can combine Crown Mountain with Hanes Valley to make for a very demanding day. Keep in mind this would be a one way hike though.
Like Mount Burwell above, Crown Mountain is located in the Lynn Headwaters backcountry and is closed for much of the year due to dangerous conditions, only opening in summer.
While these are some the best hikes that I’ve hand selected within driving distance of Vancouver, there are many, many more options I could have chosen. Feel free to take a look through the hiking database for inspiration on other hikes in SWBC that might tickle your fancy! You’ll also find some winter hike recommendations there if that’s what you’re looking for.