Hiking Elk Mountain in the Fraser Valley
Contents
Elk Mountain Hike Information
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
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Elk Mountain Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°06’17.5″N 121°49’14.9″W
Elk Mountain Overview
Elk Mountain is a summit located in Chilliwack, forming a part of the Cascade mountain range. This is the first summit along the Elk – Thurston – Mercer ridge and it’s one of the most popular hikes in the Fraser Valley.
At 8km and 750m elevation gain it has been described as the Fraser Valley’s Grouse Grind, though it has less elevation gained over a longer distance and a more manicured trail. You also actually get nice views on Elk Mountain, unlike the Grouse Grind. Views from Elk Mountain include the Chilliwack River Valley, Slesse Peak, Mount Baker, Mount McGuire, the Border Peaks and the Fraser River.
Due to its relative ease, easy accessibility, quick turnaround and fantastic views, Elk Mountain is a very popular trail, particularly in the summer when the alpine flowers can be seen along the ridge line. Thanks to its fairly low elevation summit and popularity, Elk Mountain is a year round trail with many people summiting in the winter, though microspikes are necessary for this due to the steep gradient and icy conditions.
From Elk Mountain, hikers are able to continue along the ridge to further summits, namely Mount Thurston & Mount Mercer, though far fewer go as far as the latter. The trail network is so expansive up here it is technically even possible to continue trekking all the way to Cheam Peak, though you would require some excellent route finding skills and probable bushwhacking to do so.
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Is Elk Mountain worthwhile?
A hike up to Elk Mountain is short and sweet. You can feasibly be at the summit in just an hour and back at your car in under two. Most people take their time though, and stop for photos once they’ve reached the ridgeline, and many continue on to Mount Thurston. Overall, a hike to Elk Mountain would be a great introduction to hiking for someone new to it, or if you are short for time it’s a great hike with excellent views in itself.
How difficult is the hike to Elk Mountain?
The stats for this hike make it seem a very steep hike. While it is fairly steep I didn’t find it at all difficult and was at the summit in about an hour. The beginning of the hike is moderately steep and the trail is well maintained, so it’s easy to go quickly. As you progress the trail gets steeper and by the end it is very steep though still perfectly manageable.
Technically speaking it’s an easy hike without ever needing to use hands. The trail is largely well maintained and easy to navigate throughout.
Elk Mountain Route Information
This hike begins at the trailhead just off of the Chilliwack Bench Forest Service Road and is accessible to all vehicles. From the parking lot the trail starts at the east end, quickly winding up into the forest before passing a washroom. The trail is wide and well maintained, so if you intend to go fast it’s very easy to do.
As you progress into the forest the gradient climbs slightly before leveling out after around 1km. You’ll cross a stream and then descend slightly before beginning to climb again. At around the 1.5km mark you will start to get views to the left of the Fraser Valley, but these are largely obstructed by trees so don’t bother stopping, the views are much better further up.
The grade will now climb further, reaching around 20% for the next 500m. If you are hiking in the winter like me you might hit the snowline around here. If the trail is well packed and icy make sure to put on your microspikes shortly after you hit the ice as the trail will only get steeper and more slippery. In the summer though, kick on.
From around the 2km mark the gradient will ease off for around 500m, staying at a mellow grade throughout. This is just the calm before the storm though as the final 1.5km is a real grind.
From the 2.5km mark the trail will become far steeper, covering a few switchbacks as you continue through the forest on a ridgeline. The trail here will also be rootier and less maintained, or, if in the winter you’ll now likely be hitting deeper snow. Still, the trail is easy to navigate and well marked with orange markers throughout.
After around 3.3km you will finally break out of the forest and the views will begin opening up over the Fraser Valley. Around 100m later you will reach a breathtaking ridge which you can detour off for some amazing photos over the Fraser Valley and Chilliwack. In the winter it’s difficult to traverse this ridge so be careful with your footing.
After taking some photos on this lookout you are pretty near the top now, just 500m or so ahead and not too much elevation. As you continue to climb up the gradient gets steeper and steeper but again, never so steep you need to use your hands. The views continue to improve as well, particularly over the Fraser River Valley.
Shortly after the lookout you’ll ascend some steep stairs before the gradient will ease off significantly and the final couple of hundred meters will be a nice stroll on the ridge. You might be confused as to where the summit actually is as it’s not very obvious, I was lucky as there was someone there to ask. I’m sure in the summer it is quite evident but in the winter it wasn’t easy to tell with snow covering the whole summit area.
From the summit the views will now be primarily to the south with excellent views of Slesse Mountain, the Border Peaks, Mount MacFarlane, Mount Baker and the Fraser River.
Now you have a choice to make, continue on to Mount Thurston or end it here and return to the car via the way you came up, being careful with your footing as the descent can be tricky, especially if it’s icy!
When should I hike Elk Mountain?
Elk Mountain is a year round objective and I for one think it makes sense to tackle this one in the winter on a sunny day. The views are breathtaking regardless, but even better in the snow. The summer hiking season is so short in BC I tend to save summer hikes for significantly higher peaks than Elk Mountain that are usually inaccessible for most of the year.
That being said I’m told the alpine flowers from the ridgeline are very nice on this hike, so if that interests you perhaps check it out over the summer when they blossom, generally in August.
Top Tip
This is a very popular trail so as always get there early if going on a sunny day, especially in the summer. If going in the winter like me, microspikes are a necessity if you want to be able to descend without slipping all over the place.
You don’t really need snowshoes if you are just doing Elk Mountain as it is such a well traveled trail, but if you are continuing to Mount Thurston snowshoes are worthwhile if not necessary depending on snowfall. I strongly recommend continuing to Mount Thurston as the views along the Elk-Thurston ridge are amazing, plus you get incredible views of the Cheam range, which Elk Mountain alone doesn’t offer. Continuing on to Mount Mercer is also possible though few people go this far, especially in winter when conditions slow you down considerably.
