Hiking MacDonald Peak near Chilliwack
Contents
MacDonald Peak Hike Information
Difficulty: Very Difficult
Distance: 25.70Km
Elevation Gain: 1,900m
Highest Elevation: 2,247m
Average Gradient: 14.79%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Very High / Very High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 10 – 12 Hours
– Moderate: 9 – 10 Hours
– Fast: 8 – 9 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Summer
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: Class 2 with some short sections of 3. Mild exposure.
MacDonald Peak Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°05’26.2″N 121°27’13.4″W
MacDonald Peak Overview
MacDonald Peak is a prominent mountain situated on the eastern fringes of Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park, visible from most summits in the Chilliwack River Valley and requiring a demanding hike and some moderate scrambling in order to reach the summit. Fit parties will often combine MacDonald Peak with the nearby Mount Webb, which only adds another 2km and 200m elevation gain to the day. Webb is much easier and requires no scrambling in order to reach the summit.
The hike begins from the day use parking lot of the Chilliwack Lake Campground, before beginning a long, arduous slog in the forest to Radium Lake. From here the trail continues out of the forest and up to a saddle between the two peaks. From the saddle hikers can follow an intermittent trail leading towards MacDonald Peak, before scrambling up to the summit. The scramble is mostly class 2, with some low class 3 sections with mild exposure. Route finding is generally the biggest challenge for MacDonald, so a downloaded GPX is recommended.
Some parties may consider splitting this hike up over a couple of days, camping at Radium Lake on day 1 before summiting both peaks the next day and hiking back out.
Due to the massive stats and complex terrain of this hike, MacDonald Peak is typically only summited in the summer months, usually between mid-June to mid-October. In the early summer you might still have snow to contend with.
Dogs are permitted in the area, though only the fittest of dogs will be able to complete this hike. There are also obviously some scrambling sections to contend with, though it shouldn’t pose too much of an issue for most dogs that are fit enough to get up there in the first place.
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Is MacDonald Peak worthwhile?
MacDonald Peak is a demanding day hike, but once you eventually break out of the forest and reach the saddle between the peaks, the views are exceptionally good. The scramble up to MacDonald is fairly straightforward and quite fun. The views from the summit are outstanding, especially of the nearby Mount Lindeman. If you combine this with Mount Webb you’ll be in for a tiring day, but it’ll probably be a highlight trip of your year.
How difficult is the hike to MacDonald Peak?
Obviously the stats for this one are fairly substantial, particularly if you add on Mount Webb. At the time of writing this was the second highest amount of elevation gain I’d completed in one day, only behind Mount Weart. That being said, much of the elevation gain is easy and efficient, climbing quickly through the forest. Unfortunately the hike begins and ends with ~3km of almost flat trail, which is nothing but an annoyance. This also means the average gradient of the ascent portion of the hike is closer to 20% in reality.
Technically speaking MacDonald Peak is a straightforward hike up until the saddle between Webb and MacDonald. From there you follow an intermittent trail up to the northern ridge of MacDonald Peak, at which point the trail gives way to rock. You may be able to self navigate along the scramble, though a map may come in handy as some sections of route finding aren’t always obvious. There are likely a few ways to work up the ridge, but you should never be exposed to any significant fall and the scrambling should remain mostly class 2 with the odd short class 3 section here and there.
MacDonald Peak Route Information
Hikers will want to park at the day use area of Chilliwack Lake Campground before hiking through the campground and joining up with the Trans Canada Trail. Campgrounds can be confusing to navigate, so a map here may prove useful as well.
Once you’ve joined the Trans Canada Trail you will follow it as it descends down and crosses a bridge over the western outlet of Chilliwack Lake. On the other side of the bridge the Trans Canada Trail will run parallel to the Chilliwack River for around 1.5km, descending slightly in the process to a low point of 590m. Make the most of it as it’s all uphill from here.
You’ll soon begin a series of switchbacks as you climb in the forest, and shortly ahead you’ll reach a junction where you depart from the Trans Canada Trail and begin following the Radium Lake Trail. These should be well signposted at this stage. Once you’re on the Radium Lake trail it’s merely a case of following it, as there are no decision points until you reach the saddle between the peaks.
After following the trail for another kilometer you’ll cross an interesting suspension bridge over Radium Creek before continuing to climb on the other side. Another kilometer ahead you’ll cross back over Radium Creek, this time on a steel bridge. At around 1,100m, after crossing back over the creek once again, the trail will pass through a couple of stretches of dense foliage that can often be overgrown.
Eventually you will reach Radium Lake, around 10km into the hike, at the 1,500m mark. This is a nice place to stop and enjoy the first view of the day, though the lake is nowhere near as nice as many other lakes in the Chilliwack Valley. There are a couple of tent pads here, as well as a basic pit toilet.
The “officially” maintained trail ceases at the lake, but the quality of trail remains exactly the same thereafter nonetheless. You’ll now begin following the Saddle trail, and after 200m more of climbing you’ll finally break out of the treeline and get your first visuals on MacDonald Peak. The Saddle trail continues to climb up, eventually reaching a boulder section, before following a dusty route up to the saddle between the peaks. The views from the saddle are excellent, with sweeping views to the east of Chilliwack Lake and countless peaks behind. This is another good place for a rest before continuing on.
From here you’ll want to turn to your right and begin following the trail towards MacDonald Peak. At first there will be an obvious trail through the heather, however you’ll have to pick your route up to the northern ridge. There is plenty of choice here and any way will work fine.
Once on the ridge you’ll find an obvious trail once again, so continue to follow it wherever possible. Any semblance of trail will give way to rock in short order, at which point you’ll be scrambling towards the peak. There should be cairns here and there to confirm you’re on track, but the scramble generally goes at class 2 with the odd section of class 3 here and there. At no point should you be exposed to any fall of significance, if you are then you should look around for an easier route as there is usually one available. Refer to your map if in doubt.
Generally speaking you want to stay climbers right of the ridge as all the exposure is climbers left. By remaining lower you stay in mostly mellow terrain. There will be one or two spots along the scramble where you drop down to a notch before climbing back up the other side. In total it’ll probably take around an hour from the saddle to reach the summit.
The views for much of the scramble have already been fantastic, but the summit provides a 360 degree panorama with breathtaking views of Mount Lindeman, Mount Rexford, Mount Baker, Slesse Mountain, Mount Webb, Williams Peak, Mount Redoubt, Mount Spickard, the Cheam range and more.
After a break at the summit you scramble back down the way you came. It can be easy to get of course on the scramble back down, so make sure to check before you commit to a long descent down any chimney. Once you’re back at the saddle you can either return to the trailhead the same way you came, or optionally add on Mount Webb. It’s around 30 minutes to the top of Mount Webb, or an hour return depending on how long you rest at the summit for. It’s a simple addition that is just hiking on loose sandy rock.
When should I hike MacDonald Peak?
Most people will want to do this hike in peak summer without any snow, which usually means July to October. A few weeks either side might be fine as well depending on the season, but try to confirm the snow conditions during these periods.
Top Tip
You’ll want to start this hike early in the day, especially if you are adding Mount Webb. A map is also highly recommended as route finding along the scramble is usually the trickiest part. If you find any serious exposure on the scramble, you’ve gone the wrong way. Look around for an easier route as there should be one available.
