Hiking Mount Baldwin near Squamish
Contents
Mount Baldwin Hike Information
Difficulty: Difficult
Distance: 5.50Km
Elevation Gain: 770m
Highest Elevation: 1,495m
Average Gradient: 28.00%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 5 – 6 Hours
– Moderate: 4 – 5 Hours
– Fast: 3 – 4 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Summer
4×4 / High Clearance Required? Yes – An SUV should usually be okay
Scrambling / Exposure: No exposure, some bushwhack scrambling might be needed. Short scramble at the end.
Mount Baldwin Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°38’50.0″N 123°02’27.1″W
Mount Baldwin Overview
Mount Baldwin is a very infrequently hiked peak near Squamish, accessed via the Indian River Forest Service Road off of Mamquam FSR. There is no trail or markers to the summit, with hikers having to self-navigate through dense underbrush initially, before the forest thins out, giving way to a more pleasant hike to the summit. This hike should only be attempted by hikers experienced in self-navigated backcountry hikes.
Due to the lack of trail and dense underbrush, Mount Baldwin is significantly easier when there is a snowpack to cover the rugged terrain. Timing is key for this as the trailhead is not accessible in the middle of winter when snow covers the FSR. Spring is ideal when hikers can drive to the start (around 800m elevation) once the snowline recedes, yet still benefit from snow covering the rough terrain to the summit. There is likely only a short window for these conditions in any given year, so hikers will need to pay attention to the snowline to try and time it for optimal conditions. If left to the summer this hike will be challenging, with a significant amount of bushwhacking.
Accessing the “trailhead” for Mount Baldwin requires driving along the Mamquam FSR before turning onto the Indian River FSR and following the road to around 800m elevation where you’ll begin. Obviously there will be no indicator for where you need to park and start hiking, so you’ll need to download the GPX and park when you reach the start of the downloaded trail, at around 800m elevation. Mamquam FSR is perfectly driveable in any vehicle, but Indian River FSR will require an SUV. It’s a fairly tame FSR, never that steep and there are no cross ditches of note, but there are some sizable potholes and some rocky stretches.
The majority of the hike offers no views, it’s just a forest grind. Once you reach the base of the summit the views will start to open up, and from the summit itself the views are 360 degrees and unobstructed. For a peak of this elevation I was actually very impressed with the views, they’re comparable to the nearby Anif Peak and better than Mount Mulligan.
While this hike is technically dog friendly, the bushwhacking is heinous without a healthy snowpack and I’m not sure your dog will be very thankful for what you’d be putting them through on this hike. Unless you’re confident of having a snowpack for the entire hike I’d leave the dog at home.
Maintaining this website requires a significant investment of both time and money, if you find this website a useful resource, please consider making a donation using this button.
Is Mount Baldwin worthwhile?
Mount Baldwin is a lowly summit in the area yet it offers impressive views despite that status. If you can time this hike for a decent snowpack and avoid the worst of the bushwhacking, Mount Baldwin will be a decent outing. If your timing is off and the snowpack has risen above the worst of the bushwhacking (the first 200m elevation), you’ll certainly be tested and likely be questioning your own decisions. Either way the views make this hike worthwhile, but your experience on the way to the summit will be decided by whether you have a snowpack or not.
How difficult is the hike to Mount Baldwin?
The average gradient for this hike of 28% is very high, in fact it’s pretty much the same as hiking up and down the Grouse Grind in terms of distance and elevation. That being said, at just 5.50km it’s a short outing, and the technical terrain will slow you down to the point you’re not as tired as you might expect. The initial 200m elevation gain is very steep, before easing off once the trees thin. The final climb up to the summit is also very steep.
Technically speaking this hike has its challenges no doubt. If you don’t have a healthy snowpack covering the underbrush the first 200m will be heinous bushwhacking through dense underbrush, all on very steep terrain. You’ll certainly be using your hands to pull yourself up through bushes and branches while navigating around some bluffs and deadfall. A snowpack would help here immeasurably. Once you reach 1,050m the bushwhacking eases off, as does the gradient of the terrain. The final climb up to the summit is a very steep slope that, with snow, required an ice axe. Without snow you can expect to be scrambling up the final 20m or so of this hike. There is no real exposure anywhere along this hike.
Mount Baldwin Route Information
This hike begins on the Indian River FSR at around 800m elevation. You’ll want to refer to the GPX when you’re driving to verify you are in the right place as there are no indications on the road. As noted the FSR is rugged and pothole riddled, but you should be fine in an SUV if you drive carefully. I wouldn’t try and drive up here in a low clearance vehicle. The views from the parking spot are actually pretty nice already, offering an up close view from the base of Mount Habrich.
Once parked you’ll notice a steep hill on the north side of the FSR. The initial section of the hill will be an open boulder/heather slope leading up to a forested bluff. You’ll begin by climbing steeply up this slope towards the bluff, before hiking to the right of the bluff into a dense treeline. After some brief bushwhacking through these trees you’ll reach another open boulder field which you’ll need to climb up.
At the top of this boulder field you’ll again be bushwhacking through some dense underbrush, likely having to pull yourself up some steep embankments utilizing the branches you’ll be engulfed by. It’s really now a case of picking your own line through the dense foliage, using the GPX as a general guideline for the direction you want to be heading in. Without a snowpack progress will no doubt be slow and frustrating, but rest assured it gets easier once you reach around 1,000m elevation.
Once you reach 1,000m elevation the gradient of the terrain eases off and the trees begin to thin out. This is approximately where I hit the snowline, so any bushwhacking for me was over at this point, but if you’re going when there is no snow around you’ll likely be whacking the entire hike, though I’m sure it gets a lot easier at this point regardless.
The steep terrain now gives way to a more gradual, albeit still ascending route. Navigating becomes easy at this point as the trees thin out and you can easily pick your route through the forest however you please, ensuring to reference the map for general direction. The next kilometer will be straightforward through the sparse forest, and once you reach approximately 1,350m you’ll note the trail differs on both the ascent and descent route. Around this point you need to traverse east beneath the south summit of Mount Baldwin to gain the ridge, as you cannot climb straight up the south face. Unfortunately on the ascent I began this traverse too early and ended up in some unnecessarily steep, technical terrain. Upon descending I found a far simpler route and as such you should take the descending (left) route in both directions.
Therefore, rather than traversing east at 1,330m you should keep climbing up to around 1,390m before beginning the traverse. This section will again be steep but manageable, climbing up to the base of the second summit of Mount Baldwin. This second summit is practically the same height as the true summit, and you’re more than welcome to climb it while you’re there, but the views will be largely the same regardless.
Assuming you’re just going for the official summit you’ll now follow the east ridge of Mount Baldwin to a col between to the two summits, with a nice view of the Garibaldi massif to enjoy. From the col the route to the summit is obvious, straight up a very steep slope between some trees. With snow on the ground you might well need an ice axe here, I certainly found it useful, but some people might manage without. I didn’t need crampons as the snow was soft and easy to kick steps into, but in icy conditions they might be nice to have. It’s a short climb, perhaps around 20m, after which you’ll be on the summit of Mount Baldwin.
The views will now be expansive and unobstructed, with stunning views of Sky Pilot, Mount Habrich, Red Mountain, Ben Lomond, Mount Sheer, Garibaldi, Mamquam Mountain, Meslilloet Mountain, the Black Tush, Anif Peak, Mount Mulligan, Alpen Mountain and the Tantalus range.
After resting up at the top, soaking in the views and enjoying some snacks, you can return via the same route you ascended. For the most part the return is simple all the way back to the last 200m where the steep bushwhacking will once again slow you down.
When should I hike Mount Baldwin?
As noted, timing for Mount Baldwin is key to whether you suffer in the bushes or glide along snow the entire hike. Mid to late spring is the ideal time to go, when the snowline has risen high enough to provide access to enable driving to the start, but not so high that the route is no longer snow covered. You could even go a little early, if say the snowline is around 600m, and hike along the FSR to the start. This will obviously make the hike longer, but it will guarantee the bushy terrain is snow covered.
Usually May is when the snow thaws to the elevation necessary to be able to drive to the start of this hike, but this is very dependent on that particular year’s weather. A general rule of thumb is likely May and June are the best times to go, perhaps late April if you don’t mind the potential of having to park earlier on the FSR and hiking further. By July most of the snow will be thawed and you’ll have to deal with the bushwhacking for the rest of the year. Winter is generally not an option as the Indian River FSR is entirely snow covered, leaving this region inaccessible.
Top Tip
Keep an eye on the snowline and ask some of the local hiking groups to get an understanding of whether you can expect a nasty bushwhack or a smooth snowy ascent. If you really want to avoid bushwhacking, go a little earlier in the year when the snowline is slightly below 800m and hike the FSR to the start of the mapped route. This will guarantee a snowpack covering the dense underbrush.
If you are resigned to accepting bushwhacking, be aware this hike will likely take longer than you’d expect of these stats. My roundtrip time was 4 hours, which is very slow for a 5.50km hike.
