Hiking the Four Lakes Trail near Squamish
Contents
Four Lakes Trail Hike Information
Difficulty: Very Easy
Distance: 7.5Km
Elevation Gain: 164m
Highest Elevation: 313m
Average Gradient: 4.37%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Low / Low
Time Needed:
– Slow: 2.5 – 3 Hours
– Moderate: 2 – 2.5 Hours
– Fast: 1.5 – 2 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Four Lakes Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°47’02.2″N 123°07’17.6″W
Four Lakes Trail Overview
The Four Lakes trail is a short hike in Alice Lake Provincial Park near Squamish, hitting all of the main sights in the park within just a few hours. This is a very easy hike with minimal elevation, only just scraping through my requirements of a hike. The entire trail is simple, well groomed, easy to follow and never steep.
The hike begins in a small parking lot on Alice Lake Road, and proceeds in a clockwise loop to four different lakes within the park, Stump Lake, Fawn Lake, Edith Lake and Alice Lake. The whole trail is a typical BC forest with lush green moss draped over trees throughout. It reminded me a lot of hiking in Golden Ears Provincial Park.
Alice Lake Provincial Park is a small park that is open year-round. This trail pretty much covers everything in the park so if you want to see everything Alice Lake has to offer this is a great way to do so. Alice Lake is a very popular park for camping and can be incredibly busy in the summer with families enjoying picnics and the beaches around the lake. For this reason I prefer to do this hike in the shoulder season when the park isn’t so busy. This also makes for a great rainy day hike as much of the trail is forested and the views are all lakes, which don’t require sun to enjoy.
The Four Lakes trail is a year-round option for all abilities, and it’s also family friendly and pet friendly. It’s a very popular trail running circuit as well, since the terrain is quite straightforward and never very steep.
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Is the Four Lakes Trail worthwhile?
I was pleasantly surprised with how nice Alice Lakes Provincial Park was. I went on an overcast day and frankly wasn’t expecting a whole lot, but the general scenery along the trails is really nice, just as nice as Golden Ears to be honest. While most of the lakes aren’t anything to get too excited about, they make for frequent nice stops along the way. This isn’t one of those hikes that’s ever going to wow you, but it will keep your interest the entire time, with constant small delights throughout.
How difficult is the Four Lakes Trail?
This is a very easy hike both physically and technically. The whole hike is a flat trail with the odd mild climb throughout. I went with my wife and small dog who basically never hike and even they found it easy (yes my dog speaks to me). At about a 4% average gradient, this is about as close as a hike will ever get to being considered a walk on this website.
Four Lakes Trail Route Information
The Four Lakes trail begins at a side of the road parking lot on Alice Lake Road (see coordinates). Staying on the north side of the road the trail drops into the forest, which immediately becomes a green wonderland.
After just 200m of a flat trail you’ll reach the southern tip of Stump Lake. The trail hugs the western border of this lake for the next kilometer and continues to be completely flat the entire time. You get a few viewpoints of the lake along the way but for the most part views of the lake are obstructed by trees.
Once you reach the north end of the lake the trail splits, going right will continue around the east side of the lake, and going left continues on the Four Lakes trail. The next couple of hundred meters remains flat and hugs the Cheekye River, with a couple of opportunities to reach the rocky shores of the river, which provides for an excellent viewpoint of the pointed Alpha Mountain off in the distance.
Back on the trail you’ll now begin the “big” climb of the hike. Most of the elevation gain on this hike is between Stump Lake and Fawn Lake, with the remainder either flat or downhill. The trail proceeds to climb towards Fawn Lake, with a few viewpoints above the Cheekye River but for the most part just a pleasant forest stroll.
Eventually you’ll reach a junction where you’ll want to head right down a small detor towards Fawn Lake. This is a small but scenic lake that makes for a nice photo or two. Heading back to the trail you’ll now come out onto a wide open trail that looks to have been an FSR or fire access road of sorts. You’ll want to go right when you reach this.
The trail remains wide open, flat and spacious for the next kilometer, which my wife informs me was her favourite part of this hike. You’ll pass by a few bathrooms but soon enough you’ll reach the third lake, Edith Lake. There’s a couple of nice viewpoints of this lake from a few unofficial trails leading towards its shore, and you can even loop around the entire lake if you so choose.
The trail quickly leaves Edith Lake after very briefly hugging its shore, turning right back up a narrow trail. This is now much the same as the start of the trail, typical BC forest. You’ll soon hit a few steep switchbacks that descend towards Alice Lake. At the bottom of the switchbacks you’ll follow a trail the weaves next to a creek, with some beautifully lush terrain around and a few small waterfalls that make for a nice photo opportunity.
After following the creek for a few hundred meters you’ll come out at Alice Lake. The official trail calls to go clockwise around the lake, which is fine without a dog, but we had our pooch with us and found many signs saying no dogs are allowed in either the picnic area nor beach area around the lake. The only way to access the trail going clockwise was to cut through a beach area, so we did that, but if you want to avoid this you’ll have to go counter clockwise and follow the road next to the lake, rather than the trail.
Assuming you go clockwise like us, the trail follows the west side of the lake with a few viewpoints along the way but honestly, Alice Lake isn’t the prettiest of lakes in my opinion. Soon enough you’ll reach the north end of the lake, where again you’ll have to cut across the beach area where dogs aren’t allowed. Luckily in the off season there was no one around, but in the summer you’ll want to be careful where you bring your pup.
The trail now follows the north side of the lake through the picnic and beach area, which will be packed in the summer no doubt but was quiet when we were there. You’ll soon reach the road that leads towards the campsites, which you’ll want to turn left on. Follow this road for a couple of hundred meters past all the campsites and you’ll be back at the parking lot on Alice Lake Road where this hike began.
When should I hike the Four Lakes Trail?
I found this was a great rainy/overcast day option when there won’t be any views from any summits. You don’t really need sun for this hike since all of the views are of lakes and forest, so I wouldn’t go in the summer when Alice Lake is extremely busy with families and campers. With that said, a shoulder season visit is ideal.
Top Tip
I liked doing this hike with my wife, who isn’t a keen hiker and only really enjoys simple trails we can do with our pup. If you have anyone like that in your family/friends this is a great trail to enjoy with them while also filling your urge for exploration.
I also liked adding another hike to the day since this one was over with in a couple of hours. I hiked Jurassic Ridge on the same day I hiked the Four Lakes trail.
