Hiking DeBeck's Hill in Alice Lake Provincial Park near Squamish
Contents
DeBeck's Hill Hike Information
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 4.30Km
Elevation Gain: 280m
Highest Elevation: 470m
Average Gradient: 13.02%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Low / Low
Time Needed:
– Slow: 2 – 3 Hours
– Moderate: 1 – 2 Hours
– Fast: 1 Hour
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
DeBeck's Hill Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°46’34.9″N 123°07’11.8″W
DeBeck's Hill Overview
DeBeck’s Hill is a lowly summit located in Alice Lake Provincial Park in Squamish. Named after Dennis DeBeck, a logger who operated a sawmill in the area between 1946 and 1966, DeBeck’s Hill is a short, straightforward hike up a forest service road, culminating with a viewpoint above Brackendale, with a number of mountains visible on a clear day.
There are a number of routes to the top of DeBeck’s Hill, with the most straightforward one following a wide open FSR the whole way to the summit. More adventurous folks can take the north ridge route, which has several steep sections and is far more rugged. Some people opt to create a loop by taking one route up and another down. This blog is going to cover the forest service road approach, which is the most popular approach by far.
DeBeck’s Hill is a year-round objective thanks to its low elevation and simple approach. For much of the year this trail can be muddy, with several streams running down the FSR from nearby waterfalls. In the winter you might encounter ice and possibly some snow if the temperatures are low enough, so microspikes would be recommended just in case.
This is not a particularly popular trail in the hiking community, with the nearby Four Lakes Trail far more popular in Alice Lake Provincial Park. Still, if you’re looking to get the heart pumping to a simple viewpoint in a short period of time, DeBeck’s Hill might fit the bill nicely. You’ll get some decent views of the Tantalus range from the summit, but it’s a bit of a one dimensional viewpoint. This is also a pet friendly hike.
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Is DeBeck's Hill worthwhile?
Don’t expect any breathtaking scenery or a jaw dropping viewpoint from DeBeck’s Hill, in fact there are similar hikes nearby that are better, such as Jurassic Ridge or Mount Crumpit. That being said, if you go in with the knowledge that this is a short, simple logging road hike to a modest viewpoint, you shouldn’t be too disappointed. It’s not a very big commitment at 1 – 2 hours. I certainly would not dedicate a beautiful summer day to this hike, but as a simple outing for some fresh air and a forest walk DeBeck’s Hill shouldn’t disappoint.
How difficult is the hike to DeBeck's Hill?
This is a pretty straightforward hike any way you look at it. At just 4.30km and 280m elevation gain most people will manage just fine. That’s not to say you won’t be out of breath as the average gradient of 13% is reasonably high, so if you push at a decent pace you could be surprised how tiring it is.
Technically speaking this is as straightforward as it gets, with the entire hike following a forest service road to the radio tower on the summit. The biggest issue you might face is mud, water or ice covering the trail, which is a common theme here. If you want a more adventurous outing I would suggest taking the north ridge approach, which you should see on the map from the Alice Lake Provincial Park entrance.
DeBeck's Hill Route Information
The trailhead for this route to DeBeck’s Hill is from a parking lot at the southern tip of Alice Lake. This lot may not always be accessible if the park has closed the road network through the campgrounds (common in winter), in which case you will have to park along Alice Lake Road where the Four Lakes Trail begins, and hike to the trailhead from there. This will add another 3km or so to your hike if so.
From the trailhead you will follow the logging road briefly before reaching a signpost, which should state the DeBeck’s Hill trail on it. Make sure to avoid joining Jack’s trail which starts in the same area. The trail begins flat but after a switchback you’ll start to climb, and you pretty much won’t stop climbing until you reach the top.
After around 800m of grinding up the forest service road you will reach a junction with an offshoot trail called Crouching Squirrel Hidden Monkey. The fun name might be enticing, but just keep chugging along. By now you’ve likely already hit several muddy patches and potentially some creeks running down the trail, but there’s still more to come.
After another switchback the FSR narrows somewhat, but remains very straightforward to follow. The terrain here becomes more muddy as the trail levels off to a flat section, giving water nowhere to run off. Shortly ahead you’ll pass by a large cliff to your left, which will likely have several waterfalls running off, which is the source of all the streams along the trail.
Shortly ahead you’ll run into a defunct donkey engine from the old logging operations, and you might see some other hauling cables and relics of the logging operations if you keep your eyes peeled throughout the hike.
You’re not far from the summit now, after another 500m or so of forest grinding you will pop out at a set of radio towers and satellite dishes. Just beyond the satellite dish a small trail leads to the viewpoint above the community of Brackendale. On a clear day you will have some decent views of Omega Mountain, Serratus Mountain, Alpha Mountain, Mount Tantalus, Pelion Mountain and Zenith Mountain. Unfortunately this is a very one dimensional viewpoint with little opportunity to explore around for any other views.
After a rest at the top you can either head back down the way you came or you can take one of the other routes back down. One popular extension is to follow the Rigs In Zen trail down to the Crouching Squirrel Hidden Monkey trail, before turning left and ultimately rejoining the DeBeck’s Hill Grind. Alternatively, if you’re particularly adventurous, you could follow the North Ridge Trail which is much more rugged and ultimately ends up on Alice Lake Road at the entrance to the park. You would then have to hike along Alice Lake Road back to the trailhead, which would make for a much longer day.
Once you’re back at the trailhead, if you want to extend your hike further you can always hike around Alice Lake or even follow the Four Lakes Trail, either partly or entirely.
When should I hike DeBeck's Hill?
DeBeck’s Hill is a year-round hike that is suitable for pretty much all conditions. The only time care will be needed is in particularly cold weather (ice on the trail) or in fresh snow. Due to the modest views and relative ease of this hike I would suggest tackling this on a day when you either don’t have a lot of time or when the weather isn’t very favorable. I wouldn’t dedicate a glorious sunny day to DeBeck’s Hill personally.
Top Tip
Prepare for mud and water along the trail, especially if it has recently rained (spring and fall in particular). In the winter it might be worthwhile to throw a pair of microspikes in your pack if the temperatures are at or around zero degrees. If there is ice on the trail it could be quite slow going.
There are lots of ways to increase the challenge for this hike, either by forming a loop with Rigs in Zen or the North Ridge Trail, or adding another hike like the Four Lakes Trail to make for a full day outing.
