Hiking Watersprite Lake near Squamish
Contents
Watersprite Lake Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 17.10Km
Elevation Gain: 713m
Highest Elevation: 1,470m
Average Gradient: 8.34%
Effort/Reward Ratio: High / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 6 – 7 Hours
– Moderate: 5 – 6 Hours
– Fast: 4 – 5 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? Yes
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Watersprite Lake Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°45’08.0″N 122°56’04.3″W
Watersprite Lake Overview
Watersprite Lake is a glistening, crystal clear turquoise lake located near Squamish that has become incredibly popular thanks in large part to social media. Back in the day this used to be a bit of a hidden gem, only accessed by those willing to venture out into the backcountry in their capable off road vehicles. Nowadays, thanks to a new and improved trail maintained by the BC Mountaineering Club, designated campsites, a reserveable backcountry cabin and a heavy social media presence, Watersprite Lake has become one of the most popular hikes in SWBC during the summer, despite the fact that you still need a high clearance vehicle to get there.
With a small parking lot at the end of a long spur road coming off of Mamquam FSR, during the summer you’ll often find the access road littered with vehicles on the side of the road having given up along the way after realizing the road is rougher than they expected. Unfortunately the trail is so popular, many parties are desperate to visit and they’re willing to bring inappropriate cars not fit for the drive to try and get there.
In terms of seasonality, most people will visit Watersprite in the peak of summer once the lake is fully melted. This usually means June to October as the peak season. In the early to mid-summer you can be sure mosquitoes will be brutal on this hike.
While summer is by far the most popular time, there is also a winter route for Watersprite Lake, though this takes a different route entirely and isn’t covered on this post. Obviously the lake will be covered in snow for the winter, which is the main draw of the hike. The winter route can be found here. You should avoid attempting the summer route in winter or even spring, as much of the route passes through avalanche terrain. The summer route is only appropriate once the snowline has receded at these elevations. On the flip side, you should not attempt the winter route in summer as there is no trail.
Most parties will stop at the lake, however adventurous parties can continue further to a number of peaks, such as Demon, Dreadnought, Martin, Gibson, Epiphone and Fender. All of these require self navigation in the backcountry and most require an element of scrambling.
Dogs are welcome at Watersprite Lake.
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Is Watersprite Lake worthwhile?
Thanks to Instagram and other social media platforms, Watersprite Lake has become one of those hikes that everybody wants to do similar to Joffre, Garibaldi and Lindeman Lake. As soon as a trail reaches this status, there is no going back and it’s destined to be incredibly busy as long as it remains accessible.
While this popularity is a drawback, there’s a reason Watersprite is popular, because it’s incredibly scenic with a beautiful turquoise lake, and that backdrop of the Watersprite Tower only adds to the appeal. If you want to avoid the crowds you should try to avoid weekends in the summer.
How difficult is the hike to Watersprite Lake?
With an average gradient of 8.34% Watersprite Lake is not a particularly difficult hike. It’s quite long at 17km, but that just makes the elevation gain largely mellow throughout. There aren’t many steep stretches along the trail, the only notable one could be the final climb up to the lake, which is brief.
Technically the trail is also pretty straightforward. You do cross a boulder field at one stage, and the end of the hike has a steep section. At no point do you need to scramble.
Watersprite Lake Route Information
As noted the trailhead for Watersprite Lake is at the end of a long spur road coming off the Mamquam FSR. This is a very rough road and should only be attempted in a high clearance vehicle, preferably a 4×4 but an SUV should make it too if the clearance is sufficient. The biggest issue for this FSR is the rocky terrain. Flat tires are a definite possibility, so all terrain tires are preferred.
The trail starts off with a quick climb up to the right on a wide gravel road. It flattens out almost immediately and soon you’ll enter woodland, crossing multiple creeks in the process. This area of the trail is particularly muddy for most of the year, though the BC Mountaineering Club have kindly built platforms on the worst affected areas to help you out.
The trail is largely flat and uneventful for the majority of the first 3km or so, climbing a meager 140m in the process, and taking an obnoxiously long route if you look at it on a map. This is a newer version of the trail and was created in such a way to reduce any environmental damage.
After crossing a few more creeks you’ll start to get some nice views of Mount Garibaldi and the Tantalus range. Finally, at around the 3.3km mark, you will begin to do some proper climbing, though still tame by most standards. At around the 4km mark the trail takes a sharp turn to the right, where the views now really come into the fore.
The next 1.5km or so will be a scenic ridgeline wander with rewarding views to your right. There are plenty of spots to stop and take photos on ledges overlooking the valley. Continuing along this ridge you’ll soon reach a boulder field where the trail becomes steep. You’ll traverse across this boulder field following a number of markers guiding the way.
After the boulder field you’ll re-enter the treeline and the trail now becomes a bit of a mess, with lots of roots, rocks and generally loose, slippery footing. After working your way through the forest you’ll soon descend towards and cross a bridge over Watersprite Creek. This was pretty straightforward, but the hardest part of this hike is just around the corner.
You’ll now come out at a steep debris chute where you’ll climb steeply up a mixture of dirt and rock. At the top of this chute you are basically at the lake, just follow the trail along and you’ll soon be there.
From the lake you get incredible views of the turquoise lake with the beautiful backdrop of Watersprite Tower and the surrounding ridges. If you’re camping you’ll need to work your way (counterclockwise) around to the eastern side of the lake where you’ll find all of the tent pads. This is also where you’d go if you’re adventuring further to any of the peaks in the region.
If you are stopping here as a day tripper, once you’re finished you simply return to your vehicle the way you came. Unfortunately the return is a bit of a slog.
When should I hike Watersprite Lake?
If you are hoping to see the lake without being decimated by mosquitos, the best time to visit would be mid summer onwards (Mid-August to October). Of course, anytime between June and October will likely work fine, but you may encounter some snow earlier in the summer. If you are intending to go in the winter or spring, make sure to follow the winter route as the summer route is not appropriate in snow.
Top Tip
If you can avoid a summer weekend you will likely find this hike more enjoyable, with far fewer people at the lake. With that said, Watersprite has reached such a popular status that there are usually people camping there throughout the summer, even on weekdays.
Avoid going in July, the mosquitos will be horrific. They usually die down by the middle of summer, and by the end of summer they will be gone entirely. With that said, September is probably the best time to visit.
Hiking beyond the lake generally requires self navigation, though there are plenty of options. Demon Peak, Martin Peak, Gibson Peak and Dreadnought Peak are all possible, with varying degrees of difficulty.
