Hiking Chadsey Lake near Abbotsford
Contents
Chadsey Lake Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 10.60Km
Elevation Gain: 680m
Highest Elevation: 677m
Average Gradient: 12.83%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 4 – 5 Hours
– Moderate: 3 – 4 Hours
– Fast: 2.5 – 3 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Chadsey Lake Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°07’19.9″N 122°11’18.9″W
Chadsey Lake Overview
Chadsey Lake is a picturesque lake situated in Sumas Mountain Regional Park, near Abbotsford in the Fraser Valley.
This is a year-round hike, though the lake will be frozen over in the winter months, typically thawing again in April. The trail can often be muddy for much of the year and in the summer it should be expected for there to be lots of mosquitoes, so bug repellant is strongly recommended in late spring and early summer in particular.
There are a few different routes for getting to Chadsey Lake, but this one beginning on Sumas Mountain Road is the most popular option, as it’s accessible for all types of vehicle. Beginning at the Sumas Mountain Viewpoint on Lost Lake Road reduces the distance and elevation considerably, but the road is rough and a high clearance vehicle is recommended.
Hikers have the option of continuing on to Sumas Mountain once they reach Chadsey Lake, which is strongly recommended and only adds around 6km and 230m elevation to the trip, providing a great view over the Fraser Valley below.
Chadsey Lake is a popular trail, especially in the summer and particularly with dog walkers and families with children. Swimming and fishing at the lake are both fine. At times the trail can be quite rough and ready but overall it is easy to navigate and mostly well marked.
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Is Chadsey Lake worthwhile?
If you are looking for a nice photogenic lake to relax at then Chadsey Lake fits the bill. It’s a great option for families and dog walkers as it’s never exceedingly steep (though it’s consistently challenging). As a hiker though I value more expansive views, and hiking to Chadsey Lake alone provides none other than the lake itself. For just an additional 6km I’d suggest continuing on to Sumas Mountain and making a longer day of it.
How difficult is the hike to Chadsey Lake?
For a hike ending at a lake, not a summit, this is actually a fairly challenging hike with almost 700m of elevation. It’s never that steep so it’s still just a moderate hike, but you can expect some sections to leave you wheezing.
Technically the trail is often quite rugged. A lot of the trail is unmaintained, so it is very rocky and rooty throughout, with lots of muddy patches. There are many slippery sections, especially if you’re going when there will be snow/ice on the ground, and parts of the trail are single file. For the most part though, the trail is easy to follow with good markers.
Chadsey Lake Route Information
The hike begins on Sumas Mountain Road (check the coordinates), with the parking just being on the side of this gravel road. When I arrived I was the first there and it seemed an odd place for a hike to start, but trust me it is there (you’ll see a sign at the trailhead).
The trail starts off narrow and twists and turns, descending down towards Wades Creek. After around 700m you’ll descend steeply towards the creek, with a nice opportunity to get into the creek itself and get some snaps of the water and its mossy surroundings. It’s probably also a nice place for your pup or children to enjoy the water. Soon you’ll cross a bridge over Wades Creek and unfortunately that’s the easy part of the hike over with.
The trail now begins to climb into the dense, damp forest. It starts off as a gradual incline, but soon becomes somewhat steep and consistent. For the next 1.5km or so the trail follows a narrow path through some very dense forest. The trail here is mostly loose rock, so footing isn’t ideal, but at least it’s easy to follow and is mostly just a bit of a grind with little to see (unless you like lots and lots of ferns).
Soon you will reach some sort of access / ATV road where you will want to turn left. Apparently if you follow this access road for a few hundred meters you’ll have a nice view over the Fraser River, but I wasn’t aware so I just stuck to the trail, which turned right, heading back into the forest on the Centennial Trail.
The next section of the hike is quite different, again in the forest but now it’s much more sparse and you actually get some views to the south. For some reason this area seems to struggle with huge amounts of blowdown, but seemingly the general public come and handle it with their chainsaws, as evidenced by a sign thanking them for their voluntary work.
The trail again picks up some gradient here but it’s mostly moderate without getting too steep. Soon enough you’ll be back in the thick of the forest with little to see. You will pass one or two seriously green areas, and there was a small, ill-defined trail going off into the forest that ended up at a little pond. It was actually surprisingly nice as absolutely everything in the area was just covered in moss. It was hard to photograph so you may just have to trust me.
Shortly ahead you’ll get a bit of a respite as the trail levels off and traverses a steep slope. The drop to your left will be quite high but it’s perfectly comfortable and you’re unlikely to feel uneasy, just be careful with your footing and keep an eye on any children if you have them. In 500m or so you’ll pass a junction where the other trail from Lost Lake Road will join with the Centennial Trail, and shortly after this you’ll cross a bridge over a fairly large creek.
After a brief climb and a short flat section you’ll reach the west end of Chadsey Lake. The views here are negligible, so just continue around on the north side of the lake where you will get some much nicer views. You should see a large opening with a good view of the lake, as well as a rope swing. I was alone and was not confident I would be able to get off the rope swing without falling into the lake, so I skipped it. I’m sure in the summer this particular spot is very popular with kids swinging and jumping into the water, but in the spring with a half frozen lake I didn’t see anybody doing that.
How far around the lake you go is up to you. This hike completes the entire loop around the lake, so just continue along the trail if that is your intention. At the east end of the lake once you pass the junction that goes up to Sumas Mountain the trail will deteriorate quite rapidly. I had intended to complete the full loop after summiting Sumas Mountain but when I attempted to go this way the trail was indecipherable due to significant blowdown. I opted to just head back in the north side of the lake. Unfortunately I was told I missed a few nice viewpoints of the lake but my main ambition was Sumas Mountain so I didn’t mind too much.
Once you’ve completed the full loop of the lake you simply head back the way you came to the trailhead, which is mostly downhill until the very end when you’ll need to climb back up after crossing Wades Creek.
When should I hike Chadsey Lake?
While this is a year-round option, if you are wanting to see the lake in all its glory I’d avoid winter when it’ll be mostly frozen. I went in early April and it was mostly thawed then but still partially frozen. I would still lean towards early spring or late summer/fall though as, from what I’ve read, the mosquitoes here can be ridiculous in late spring to mid-summer. If your goal is to swim in the lake though, of course a hot summer’s day would be best.
Top Tip
You’re likely to get muddy on this hike so make sure to prepare for that. If you’re going in the summer you absolutely want bug spray, and in the winter you’ll probably want micro spikes as it can get icy around the lake.
It might be worthwhile bringing an offline map as there are many trails within the park so a wrong turn is quite easy. I did have cell service the entire time I was in the park, though that depends on your provider.
I do suggest continuing on to Sumas Mountain if you want some good views.
