Hiking Garibaldi Lake in Garibaldi Provincial Park
Contents
Garibaldi Lake Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 18Km
Elevation Gain: 850m
Highest Elevation: 1,501m
Average Gradient: 9.4%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 6 – 8 Hours
– Moderate: 5 – 6 Hours
– Fast: 4 – 5 Hours
Dog Friendly?: No
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Garibaldi Lake Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°57’26.6″N 123°07’10.9″W
Garibaldi Lake Overview
Garibaldi Lake is a vibrant turquoise lake located in Garibaldi Provincial Park between Squamish and Whistler. It lies almost 1,500m above sea level and is over 250m deep. The turquoise color of the lake is thanks to two nearby glaciers feeding glacial flour into the lake as they melt, the Sphinx Glacier to the east and the Sentinel Glacier to the south.
The lake is surrounded almost entirely by mountains, many of which are scalable for the more adventurous, as well as alpine meadows and various other bodies of water and volcanic structures. Some popular extensions to this hike are the nearby Panorama Ridge and the Black Tusk, with more adventurous parties potentially summiting Mount Price.
Camping is also available at the lake, with 50 reservable campsites through Discover Camping. Many people choose to camp at the lake in order to provide the ability to explore more of the area, notably the extended hikes mentioned above.
Garibaldi Lake is accessible year-round, with many opting to visit in the winter to see the lake covered in snow. Most people do not continue to Panorama Ridge in winter, and the Black Tusk would be a mountaineering objective at this time of year.
The trailhead is accessible for all vehicles as the road is paved, and as with anywhere in Garibaldi Provincial Park, dogs are not allowed on this hike.
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Is Garibaldi Lake worthwhile?
Garibaldi Lake is a worthwhile hike, however it is strongly recommended to extend the hike to either Panorama Ridge or the Black Tusk, both of which are far more fulfilling outings. Unfortunately, just hiking to the lake is mostly a slog in the forest, which somewhat diminishes the overall hike.
How difficult is the hike to Garibaldi Lake ?
At 18km and 850m elevation this is a moderately difficult hike. With an average gradient of 9.40%, most of which is a gradual incline on the switchbacks at the start, this hike is never exceedingly steep. The 7km of switchbacks at the start can be tiring for many but if you take your time and have rests when needed, it’s pretty fine.
Technically this hike could not be any easier, with a very well maintained trail the entire time and largely excellent footing. At certain times of year there may be snow and overflowing creeks crossing the trail, but usually it’s easy to navigate around.
Garibaldi Lake Route Information
The hike begins at Rubble Creek parking lot, which is accessible for any vehicle since it is paved. There is only one way to go, up the endless switchbacks. There will be absolutely nothing to see or do for the first ~7km of this hike, just plod along the switchbacks and try not to think about how much longer you have to go, it’s always longer than you imagine.
Eventually you’ll reach a sign and a fork in the trail where it splits between the Garibaldi Lake trail and the Taylor Meadows trail. Almost everyone has a rest here to get over the climb they just faced. The good news is you’ve done most of the ascent and the rest of the hike is a lot more pleasant.
After a quick break, take the Garibaldi Lake trail. You’ll soon pass a small offshoot trail where you get a worthwhile viewpoint of the Barrier, a huge wall that holds back the lake from cascading down the mountain. Continuing on the relatively flat trail you’ll pass Barrier Lake and shortly thereafter Lesser Garibaldi Lake. These are pretty lakes but nothing compared to the main event so I wouldn’t hang around for too long.
The trail keeps meandering in the forest without ever getting steep, until you reach another fork in the path where you can either continue to the Black Tusk/Cinder Flats trail, or head down to the lake. Heading down to the lake you’ll have to cross a bridge over a creek at the east end of the lake. This is a nice spot for a photo, as is the small beach area just before the bridge.
After the bridge the trail hugs the shoreline, with some sections going over the rocks. It’s simple though, kids do it all the time. Soon you will reach a small rocky shore area with some picnic tables and washrooms. If you’re lucky, grab a table, they’re usually taken though as this hike is so popular. You can continue the trail around the edge of the lake where you will see some small islands near the shore, the Battleship Islands. These are usually accessible (depending on the water level) and many people like to set up their spot on the islands and have lunch/go for a swim in the ice cold water.
The views here will be the best you get, with Battleship Island providing a nice foreground to the massive Sphinx glacier on the other side of the lake. If you choose to keep going along the trail you will find a small dock that is usually full of people laying in the sun, jumping in the lake etc. This is pretty much as far as you can go on the maintained trail, any further and you’ll be heading up Mount Price, which is another worthy addition to this hike if you intend for it!
After you finish relaxing at the lake, it’s time to head back the way you came. The return leg of this hike is not the most exciting, and that’s being generous. The descent of the switchbacks, while faster, is nothing but a relentless and tedious pain that might make you question coming back.
When should I hike Garibaldi Lake ?
A great time to do this hike would be in late September / early October, just after the summer crowds have left and just before the snow reaches these elevations. Before the summer might also be a good time, perhaps in mid-June, but you’ll have to check on the snow level to ensure it has melted. Peak summer will of course be nice, but very busy.
You can technically snowshoe to the lake in the winter as well, and many people do, as long as the road to Rubble Creek is being plowed.
Top Tip
After you have completed all of the switchbacks at the beginning of the hike there are two options to reach the lake, via the Taylor Meadows trail or the Garibaldi Lake Trail. I strongly encourage you to take the Taylor Meadows trail at least in one direction if going in the summer. This adds a marginal amount of elevation gain/distance but gives you some beautiful alpine meadows to explore, which mixes up the monotony of walking in the forest with little to see. These meadows are beautiful in the summer when the alpine flowers are in bloom.
