Hiking Carnival Peak in the Squamish River Valley
Contents
Carnival Peak Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 14.00Km
Elevation Gain: 955m
Highest Elevation: 2,008m
Average Gradient: 13.64%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 7 – 8 Hours
– Moderate: 5 – 7 Hours
– Fast: 4.5 – 5 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: ~April to October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Carnival Peak Trail
Below coordinates lead to the end of Google Map’ navigable section of Squamish Valley Road. You will need to switch to Gaia/AllTrails and navigate to Dipper Creek FSR, then up the S426 spur road leading to the trailhead.
Trailhead Coordinates: 50°06’24.1″N 123°22’27.6″W
Disclaimer: Winter hiking (snowshoeing) involves significantly more risk than summer hiking. Hikers should be prepared with appropriate education, training and equipment for all possibilities, including but not limited to avalanches. A mistake such as going off trail, getting lost or injured can be far more dangerous in winter than summer. You are responsible for your own safety, and while I am happy to give my opinion on this website as to the avalanche risk of a specific hike, do not take this as fact and please do your own research. Everybody has different risk tolerances and mine might be different to yours.
Carnival Peak Overview
Carnival Peak is an unofficially named summit located in the Upper Squamish Valley, slightly northeast of the better known Blanca Lake/Peak. It can be accessed via a long drive down Squamish Valley Road, before turning onto Dipper Creek FSR, then following a spur road to an elevation of around 1,100m, leaving a fairly short and simple ascent to the summit.
There is obviously no trail to this peak, so spring tends to be the preferred time to visit, once the snowline has melted enough to be able to reach the trailhead, but still allow a snowpack to cover the bush on the approach. This typically means the May / June period is best, however people do complete this hike in summer, just expect a bushier time. Winter will be out of the question as access will be impractical.
There are actually a few peaks in this region that could feasibly be linked together, with the nearby Circus, Festival and Fringe Peak all within striking distance, especially for parties on skis. You could quite possibly link them all together, and even make an overnight trip of it if you prefer, with water sources likely available from alpine tarns nearby.
The views for much of this hike are quite rewarding, with the nearby Little Ring, Ring and Mount Callaghan all offering a pleasing backdrop. From the summit you will also get a good sightline into the Pemberton Icefield, with numerous dramatic glaciers i
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Is Carnival Peak worthwhile?
Carnival Peak is a short and rewarding trip, especially if you time it well for a good spring snowpack. Travel will be seamless at this time of year, and the whole area looks stunning when blanketed in snow. Summer will be a bit more involved with a bushier approach, but it should still work okay. Overall Carnival Peak is well worth the effort, offering fairly unique views into the Pemberton Icefield from the summit.
How difficult is the hike to Carnival Peak?
If you time it well this is a straightforward hike that can be completed pretty quickly thanks to its manageable stats. From a technical standpoint it’s also largely straightforward, with only one short, steep slope at the very end to gain the summit. We managed fine with just snowshoes, no need for crampons or an ice axe. In the summer it’s probably not even a scramble, or at most it would have a short Class 2 slope to gain the summit.
Carnival Peak Route Information
As noted, the standard access to Carnival Peak is via the S426 spur road off of Dipper Creek FSR, itself off of Squamish Valley Road. At the time of writing, all of these roads were in good condition and were suitable for any SUV to drive to roads end, with no cross ditches of note. If you are going in the spring, you may want to confirm the snowline via satellite imagery or better yet via a recent trip report. All in, the drive to the trailhead from Downtown Vancouver would likely take around 3 – 3.5 hours without traffic and depending on how fast you drive.
From the end of the S426 spur you’ll immediately enter the forest, at which point you’ll be navigating yourself to the summit given there is no trail and likely no markers. The general direction will be to gain the south ridge and continually follow it towards the summit.
With a snowpack the forest travel was extremely simple as it’s largely open and bushwhacking was basically nonexistent. This is why the summer will likely also work out fine, though of course you will no doubt have some bush to contend with. There’s not a lot of note in the initial stretches, so just follow the GPX as best possible as you gradually gain elevation.
At around 1,570m you’ll note the linked GPX differs on the route up vs the route down. The up route involved a short, steep and isothermal roll that would have been very unpleasant on the descent, so we found a much easier bypass when we returned. I’d suggest taking the downtrack at this point if you want to keep it simple. It’s also around here that the views begin to open up, with some very nice views of Little Ring, Ring and Mount Callaghan on the other side of the valley.
Once the two tracks rejoin at 1,670m the remainder of the route to the summit is a scenic and simple affair. The trees will now rapidly thin out, and soon enough you’ll reach the alpine. It’s now just a matter of ensuring to stay high on the south ridge, following it along to the summit. It’s likely a little easier to remain climbers left (west) of the ridgeline proper to avoid the unnecessary undulation of remaining on the high ground. This involves a bit of side hilling, but it shouldn’t be too problematic.
As you continue climbing the views will increasingly improve, particularly of Exodus Peak to the west. As you approach the summit block you might initially wonder how to get up it as it looks cliffed on the southern face. Thankfully from the east the terrain is friendlier, and while still steep you should be just fine to climb it in snowshoes. Some people may prefer crampons / ice axe if you’re particularly cautious, but any run out is short regardless.
The summit itself is a broad one, but you’ll now have great views of the Pemberton Icefield, notably Torah and Famine Peak, with the dramatic glaciers below. Ring, Little Ring and Callaghan will all be impressive from this vantage point as well.
Assuming you’re only bagging Carnival, you’ll now simply return back the way you came. If you’re planning for more, you’d now drop off Carnival and start working over towards Circus Peak.
When should I hike Carnival Peak?
Spring is the best time for Carnival Peak, with May and early June likely the best time to go as the snowpack should still be deep but the road should be driveable (you’ll want to confirm this). Summer works as well, you’ll just have to deal with the bush. Once winter returns (likely in late October / November) this peak will be out again.
Top Tip
Were I a bigger fan of overnights I’d have probably contemplated linking Carnival with Circus, Festival and Fringe, so if that’s your thing then definitely consider it. Carnival is the 2nd highest of the four (Festival the highest but also the furthest).
I fully suspect going in spring will be both easier and more scenic than in the summer, so I would suggest doing so if you can.
