Hiking Sootip Peak near Whistler
Contents
Sootip Peak Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 11.50Km
Elevation Gain: 800m
Highest Elevation: 2,055m
Average Gradient: 13.91%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 5 – 6 Hours
– Moderate: 4 – 5 Hours
– Fast: 3 – 4 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: June – October
4×4 / High Clearance Required? Yes
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Sootip Peak Trail
Note: The below coordinates lead to the point where you wil begin the steep drive up the spur road off of the Soo River FSR. You will need to switch to a backroads map to continue mapping at this point
Trailhead Coordinates: 50°13’47.3″N 122°58’15.5″W
Sootip Peak Overview
Sootip Peak is a summit situated slightly north of Whistler and southwest of Pemberton, accessed via the Soo River FSR. Thanks to the ability to park at ~1,360m, despite the fairly high elevation of the summit this hike is a fairly moderate outing that can be completed relatively quickly.
One of the draws to this region is the abundance of alpine lakes and tarns dotted around the area, allowing hikers to explore freely in a beautiful region. Camping here would also be fine, though given the straightforward stats of the hike it’s certainly not necessary. The summit itself is broad, offering nice views of Ipsoot Mountain, Rainbow Mountain, Wedge Mountain, Mount Weart, Mount Currie and lots more.
Sootip Peak is not a particularly popular hiking spot, and while there is a trail for much of the hike, this is primarily created by an active dirt biking community. There is a high chance you will encounter dirt bikes at some point during your trip, especially on a sunny summer weekend, so please ensure to give them space when they’re passing by. Due to this, much of the trail is heavily eroded and extremely dusty.
It’s possible to hike Sootip Peak as an out-and-back hike, but the looped version linked here is preferable for those wanting to see the lakes yet have a more direct descent. While there is a trail for much of the hike, once you reach the alpine meadows you can really explore freely and find your own way to the summit.
Soo River FSR is fine in any vehicle, but driving up the spur road to the trailhead is steep and rocky. While there aren’t any significant cross ditches there is a lot of travel over jagged rocks, so all-terrain tires would be beneficial. SUV’s can and do make it up with a confident driver but ideally you’d have a high clearance vehicle.
Dogs are fine to hike to Sootip Peak, just be careful with them around any dirt bikes.
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Is Sootip Peak worthwhile?
Sootip Peak offers some great views and scenic alpine lakes for a modest amount of effort. If you are wanting an easier yet still rewarding outing this is a fantastic option, with the only drawback being the fairly long and rugged drive out.
How difficult is the hike to Sootip Peak?
Sootip Peak is a relatively straightforward hike with a modest distance, elevation gain and average gradient. Physically speaking it’s not the most challenging hike by any means.
The majority of the hike follows a trail created by dirt bikers and as such much of it is dusty but none of it is technical. Once you reach the lake adorned meadows the trail does continue but you’re able to explore freely. The trail doesn’t go all the way to the summit as the final push is up rocky terrain, but self-navigating to the top is very straightforward with no exposure or scrambling required.
Sootip Peak Route Information
The trailhead for Sootip Peak is at the end of a spur road off of Soo River FSR. While Soo River FSR is mostly flat, well groomed and suitable for any vehicle, once you start up the spur road it quickly steepens and deteriorates. The road here is rugged and rocky but there aren’t any significant cross ditches. An SUV with reasonable clearance and a confident driver should make it up, though the biggest threat would be to your tires thanks to the jagged rocks. A high clearance off-road vehicle would be preferred. The spur road will terminate at a cabin at around 1,360m elevation, park here and the trail into the forest will be very obvious.
The first 2km of the hike will primarily be in the forest following an obvious trail created by the dirt bikers. At times the trail will be chewed up and dusty but for the most part it’s not too bad. After climbing a little over 200m you will reach a fairly large lake that makes for a nice place for a break and some photos.
Continuing to follow the very obvious trail, the gradient now eases off and travel is a lot more pleasant, with no more chewed up, dusty terrain to contend with. The next kilometer will climb another 100m or so. Here you will reach an absolutely stunning lake with the always picturesque Ipsoot Mountain providing a jaw dropping backdrop.
Skirting around the west side of the lake the terrain is now open and you can really go wherever you want. That being said there is still a trail to follow if you please but it might not be the most direct. You’ll pass by several more scenic lakes as you continue wandering through the meadows with little in the way of elevation gain.
At around 1,720m you’ll pass by your final lake and continue to follow the trail up to around 1,850m. This is where the dirt bikes stop ascending as the terrain ahead is beyond what they want to travel on. They will now descend back towards the trailhead via a different route, but you’ll continue forging ahead towards Sootip Peak. You’ll now be navigating your own way towards the summit of Sootip, using the map here as a general guide for the route. Travel will now primarily be on rock and should be simple enough to 1,900m. From here the gradient steepens a lot and the complexity of the terrain will somewhat increase for the final 150m of elevation gain, but at no point should you really need to scramble, nor should there be exposure. You may need to pass over or skirt around some persistent snow towards the summit, but it should be quite straightforward depending on the time of year.
The summit isn’t the most inspiring, more of a broad plateau with little in the way of prominence, so unfortunately you have to walk around quite a bit to soak in the views. That being said, there are some nice peaks on display from up here on a clear day, especially of Ipsoot Mountain, Rainbow Mountain, the Wedgemount peaks, Mount Currie and Whistler/Blackcomb. If you feel like further exploration it is very easy to continue hiking along the west ridge of Sootip.
After finishing up you’ll return the same way down to the 1,900m elevation mark. If you are doing the loop as noted above you can now take a sizable shortcut through the meadows, reconnecting with the dirtbike trail out further down, or you can continue back to the trail that you departed at ~1,850m and follow it out from there.
The descending route is much more direct but far less scenic, offering no lakes or many views of note. This section of the trail also seems to be the more popular route for the dirt bikes as it is extremely chewed up and very, very dusty. If you’re in a group you may want to leave some distance between hikers as the dust is so bad it will potentially affect your eyes and lungs. Eventually you will find yourself back on the spur road, which you will need to hike back to the cabin and your vehicle at the trailhead.
When should I hike Sootip Peak?
Thanks to the abundance of lakes and tarns along this hike mosquitos can be a nightmare in the early to mid summer, with the prime time to hike likely being mid-August to mid-October. While mid-June to mid-August will usually be fine, the bugs will likely be horrific and you can expect to encounter snow at higher elevations, especially the earlier you go.
Assuming the snowline is above the trailhead elevation (1,360m) late spring is another good time to visit for those that are happy in snow and don’t care to see the lakes. This will avoid the worst of the mosquitos, plus the possibility of bears will be reduced. Winter will be out of the question as access to the hike will be impossible.
Top Tip
Keep this hike in your back pocket for a day that you’re not feeling super ambitious but you still want some rewarding alpine views.
Avoid the early to mid-summer as the mosquitos will be horrendous. Fall is a nice time to visit with some fall colors around.
While the sound of dirt bikes will potentially keep most at bay, this is bear country so be prepared for possible encounters.
