Hiking Golden Ears Peak in Golden Ears Provincial Park
Contents
Golden Ears Peak Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 26Km
Elevation Gain: 1,780m
Highest Elevation: 1,716m
Average Gradient: 13.70%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 12 – 14 Hours
– Moderate: 10 – 12 Hours
– Fast: 8 – 10 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: July – October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: Sustained scrambling for the last 250m elevation gain. Little exposure if you stay on the correct route.
Golden Ears Peak Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°19’38.6″N 122°27’45.8″W
Golden Ears Peak Overview
The Golden Ears are a duo of peaks in Golden Ears Provincial Park. Recognizable throughout Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, the Golden Ears and the surrounding peaks make for an iconic massif, similar in recognition to the Lions on the North Shore and the Black Tusk in Garibaldi. Many hikers aspire to summit Golden Ears peak, but it’s no mean feat and should be left to confident and capable hikers and scramblers.
While there is a maintained trail for much of the hike, the final 250m of elevation is more of a route than a trail, involving class 3 scrambling. While most of the scramble has limited exposure, route finding is a necessity and a wrong turn could end up in some precarious spots.
Due to the above many people do not summit the peak itself, instead content with stopping on a ridge below called Panorama Ridge (not to be confused with the one in Garibaldi). Here there are several tent pads, which are very popular in the summer, and an emergency shelter (which, as the name implies, is for emergencies only). The ridge offers fantastic views in itself, especially at sunrise and sunset.
Thanks to the noted tent pads, many people opt to tackle Golden Ears peak as an overnight, camping on the ridge and summiting the next morning. While spreading the hike out over two days might be beneficial for some, hauling up overnight gear all the way to Panorama Ridge is a significant challenge in itself. In my opinion it is actually easier to complete this as a day trip, packing light and moving quickly. The hike times noted above are for day hikers, you will no doubt move slower with overnight packs.
Unfortunately Golden Ears Provincial Park is a gated park with opening and closing hours. This means you will need to begin your hike as early as possible in order to be out of the park before the gate closes. You can find the park hours on the BC Parks website.
Due to snow at the summit for much of the year, and the fact this hike culminates in a scramble, Golden Ears peak has a fairly short season. July to September are typically the safest months to go to avoid snow, but some people might go a little earlier and, depending on the year, October can sometimes work as well. If you are attempting when snow is on the ground, crampons and an ice axe are recommended.
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Is Golden Ears Peak worthwhile?
The views from the summit of Golden Ears are some of the best views from any summit you will likely ever see. The adjacent Edge Peak and Blanshard Peak are jaw-dropping, as well as the nearby Mount Robie Reid and Judge Howay. Thanks to the significant prominence of Golden Ears you will be able to see for miles and miles in every direction on a clear day.
Unfortunately the main drawback to this hike is the dull approach it requires before you reach the alpine. A full 20km of the hike is in the treeline, and while there are the odd viewpoints here and there, most of the time there is little of interest. Furthermore, much of the trail beyond Alder Flats is extremely rough and very slow going. This hike takes longer than hikes of similar length due to this.
How difficult is the hike to Golden Ears Peak?
As noted this hike has a drawn out approach, which also impacts the difficulty of the hike. The average gradient of 13.70% is actually fairly moderate, but when you consider how this is split up it becomes more challenging. The first half of the hike to Alder Flats is around 6km, but only climbs 300m (an average gradient of just 5%). The second half of the hike from Alder Flats to the summit is about 7km, but climbs around 1,300m (an average gradient of almost 19%). As such the beginning of the hike is frustratingly long and easy, while the second half is steep and challenging. Combine this with the fact the second half of the hike is far more technical, you will be spending much more time between Alder Flats and the summit than from the trailhead to Alder Flats. Overall, while this is a physically difficult hike, I’d be hard pressed to consider it “very difficult”.
Technically the hike has a number of challenges. Up to Alder Flats is simple enough, but the terrain between Alder Flats and Panorama Ridge is very rugged, with large, loose, slippery rocks on much of the trail. There are several sections of trail with climbing up roots and branches, some steep rocky sections, as well as a few staircases and a ladder to navigate. At certain times of year you may be hiking up a rocky, flowing creek.
All of this is before the scramble itself, which is the final 250 vertical meters. Here you will be consistently required to use hands to climb a combination of rock and bushes. There is one roped section, though you can perhaps get away without using it. Assuming you go the correct way, at no point should you ever be exposed to a significant fall, if you are, have a look around as in all likelihood you took a wrong turn.
The good news is most of the scramble is well marked with cairns and flagging tape, so if you take your time you should be able to navigate up quite easily. An offline map is strongly recommended for in case you get lost.
Golden Ears Peak Route Information
The trailhead for this hike can either be at the West Canyon Parking Lot or the Gold Creek Parking Lot. The route linked above is the standard West Canyon route on AllTrails, but having hiked here a few times I’d actually suggest taking the East Canyon trail to Alder Flats. It is a slightly shorter, smoother, less undulating trail than the West Canyon and should be a quicker, less challenging route overall. If you want to go via the East Canyon you’d park at Gold Creek parking lot, follow the East Canyon trail all the way to the East to West Canyon connector trail bridge, and then follow the signs to Alder Flats. The East and West Canyon trails will converge shortly before Alder Flats.
Whichever canyon you opt to take on the way to Alder Flats there isn’t a lot to see on the way, so just follow the trail all the way to Alder Flats. A few hundred meters before Alder Flats you will pass over several metal bridges over varying creeks. One of these bridges will have a sign saying this is the last drinking source on the way to the summit. I don’t want to speculate on water sources too much, but I hiked this in mid-September and there were several more creeks all the way up to Alder Flats themselves, as well as snowmelt runoff once we reached Panorama Ridge just below the summit. By all means fill up where this sign is located, but in all likelihood there will be more water sources throughout the hike.
From Alder Flats the trail takes a turn to the right and begins to climb. After passing the campground washroom the trail switches back and begins a long, fairly steep climb up a rough boulder gully. The next kilometer or so follows this gully, which might have a fairly fast flowing stream running directly down it, depending on the time of year. As such the rocks can be very slippery, so be careful with your footing.
After a couple more steep switchbacks on the same terrain you’ll come to a couple of viewpoints, providing a clear sight of Edge Peak and Golden Ears. This is a nice spot for a break. Continuing on, the trail now re-enters the treeline up a steep embankment. The next couple of hundred meters will be up several sets of very steep stairs, before the stairs give way to more rugged terrain. For the next kilometer or so the trail becomes extremely rough, with several sections requiring you to climb up steep dirt embankments, using roots and branches to pull yourself up. With an overnight pack this will be a challenge.
Soon enough you’ll be off this turgid part of the trail, finding yourself on a flat ridge. Here you should reach a bit of a viewpoint on a rocky bluff overlooking Mount Robie Reid and Judge Howay to the north, and Golden Ears and Edge Peak to the southwest. From the viewpoint the trail now drops down a steep rocky bluff before continuing in a relatively flat manner for the next couple of hundred meters.
After bending to the left in the direction of Golden Ears the trail picks up its gradient again, but the terrain is now far easier. It does have quite a few muddy patches here, but for the most part it’s simple forest travel. You will have to climb down a steep, albeit short, ladder at one point. Once you reach about 1,250m elevation you will finally break out of the treeline and have a clear visual of your objective ahead. The trail is now quite obvious as it is a well worn path in the ground, but there will be some light scrambling up a rocky bluff before you eventually reach Panorama Ridge at around 1,375m. Here you will see the emergency shelter, and in all likelihood you will see a few campers dotted around the several campsites. You may also note some snowmelt coming down a nearby cliff, so fill up water if you need it! This is a good spot for a break if you need one, the views are already absolutely stunning and I can only imagine what it’d be like to camp here.
From the emergency the shelter the trail ceases to exist for all intents and purposes. The remainder of your trip will be guided by cairns and the map you should have downloaded. Thankfully this is a popular enough trail that it should still be quite easy to navigate thanks to the abundance of cairns and flagging tape. The next 500m or so will be hopping across rocks following the cairns towards the base of the beginning of your scramble, which begins at around 1,470m.
From here the cairns begin to climb up a rocky bluff with some slippery, moss covered rocks in your way. It’s fairly easy to find dry spots to climb up as long as you take your time. After topping out on the first bluff you’ll drop down the other side before crossing over a dried up creek bed to another rocky bluff, where the scramble continues.
It’s much the same here, but now the cairns give way more so to flagging tape. After a bit more scrambling up you should find a fixed rope which you can climb. You’ll be in and out of bushes as you scramble up, and at no time should you ever be exposed to a big fall. After topping out on this second bluff you’ll once again drop down a little, before reaching the third and final climb to the summit.
Unusually the final climb is actually probably the easiest. For the most part you will now be hiking, with the odd use of hands here and there, with no exposed sections whatsoever. It’s really just a case of plodding to the summit. If at any time you feel off course, take a look at your map and it will be evident where the trail is compared to your current position.
Finally you will reach the Golden Ears peak, where the views will be absolutely breathtaking. To the southeast will be the impressive Edge Peak and Blanshard Peak, to the northeast will be Mount Robie Reid and Judge Howay, to the west will be Pitt Lake and all the North Shore mountains, and to the southwest will be all of Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. On a clear day you’ll see Mount Baker way off in the distance, and the silhouettes of a number of peaks in the Fraser Valley.
After taking a good long rest at the summit you simply head back the way you came. Take your time on the scramble as it is fairly easy to take the wrong route at times, but all in all it was pretty easy going down again. Once back at the shelter it’s a straightforward hike out. Unfortunately the terrain is rough enough that it’s not a whole lot faster hiking out as it is in.
When should I hike Golden Ears Peak?
As noted the season for Golden Ears peak is quite short if you want to avoid snow (which you should, in all likelihood). July to September is your prime time to visit, but even in early July you might get some snow. Early October can still be a fine time to go if there is no snow on the peak.
Top Tip
You’ll want good ankle support on this trail as a lot of it is awkward, rocky terrain that can result in a twisted ankle.
You absolutely will want an offline map if you are intending to go all the way to the summit. It comes in very handy on the scramble if you think you may have taken a wrong turn.
If you are day hiking this, start as early as possible. This is a slow moving hike and can often take a few hours longer than you might expect
