Taylor Meadows Hike RatingTaylor Meadows is a very scenic campsite and great alternative to the much busier and more well known, Garibaldi Lake campsite. Located in Garibaldi Provincial Park between Garibaldi Lake and Black Tusk, Taylor Meadows is best hiked to from the same trailhead as Garibaldi Lake at Rubble Creek. There are 40 tent platforms, toilets, a good water source and food cache, all in the lush forest of Taylor Meadows with great views of Black Tusk

  • Idyllic, flower filled valley below Black Tusk
  • Well organized campground in deep wilderness
  • Multiple hikes can be done from the meadows
  • Deluxe tent pads & frequent maintenance
  • Elevation gain flattens at the meadows
  • Black Tusk looms beautifully very near
  • More of a crossroads than a destination
  • No glacier views like you get at Garibaldi Lake
  • No convenient lake to swim in
  • Crowded campsite, fills up quickly

Whistler & Garibaldi Hiking

Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerAlexander Falls  Moderate Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyAncient Cedars  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerBlack Tusk  Pay Use Hiking Trail WhistlerBlackcomb Mountain  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerBrandywine Falls  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyBrandywine Meadows  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyBrew Lake  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerCallaghan Lake  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerCheakamus Lake  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyCheakamus River  Whistler Hiking Trail HardCirque Lake  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyFlank Trail  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerGaribaldi Lake  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerGaribaldi Park  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerHelm Creek  Moderate Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyJane Lakes  Joffre Lakes Hike in Whistler in SeptemberJoffre Lakes  Moderate Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyKeyhole Hot Springs  Hiking Trail Hard Dog FriendlyLogger’s Lake  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyMadeley Lake  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyMeager Hot Springs Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerNairn Falls  Whistler Hiking Trail HardNewt Lake  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerPanorama Ridge  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyParkhurst Ghost Town  Hiking Trail Hard Dog FriendlyRainbow Falls  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerRainbow Lake  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyRing Lake  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerRusset Lake  Whistler Hiking Trail EasySea to Sky Trail  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerSkookumchuck Hot Springs  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerSloquet Hot Springs  Sproatt East  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerSproatt West  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerTaylor Meadows  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyTrain Wreck  Hiking Trail Hard - Whistler TrailsWedgemount Lake  Pay Use Hiking Trail WhistlerWhistler Mountain

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Generally Taylor Meadows is not a destination on its own, but part of a circle route to the spectacular Garibaldi Provincial Park sights in the area.  For example, hiking from the Black Tusk(Garibaldi) Rubble Creek trailhead to Taylor Meadows, Taylor Meadows to Black Tusk or Panorama Ridge, then return via Garibaldi Lake and back down to Rubble Creek.  This makes for a long hike at 30 kilometres(19 miles), which is why tenting at this perfectly beautiful, and perfectly located Taylor Meadows campsite is a great idea.  The trail to Taylor Meadows from Rubble Creek is well marked, well used and with plenty of signs and mapboards.  Expect to take well over two hours to reach Taylor Meadows from the trailhead/parking at Rubble Creek. Taylor Meadows gets very busy at times as well with 40 campsites with full service (water, security, etc). There are some small rivers close by but no swimming. The draw for Taylor Meadows camping is the wonderful location. It lays in a beautiful forested meadow full of hills and flowers and views of the towering Black Tusk. It has a less crowded feel than Garibaldi Lake does, though bear in mind that even when crowded these campsites don't feel crowded - they are just that organized and thick with trees and hills.

Taylor Meadows View of Black Tusk

Taylor Meadows Zoom View of Black Tusk

Rubble Creek Trail to Taylor Meadows

The Rubble Creek trail to Taylor Meadows is a 7.5 kilometre(4.6 mile), steadily ascending hike that gains 1050 metres(3445 feet) of elevation.  Almost all of that elevation gain is done in the first 5 kilometres, which is a series of relentlessly steep switchbacks.  After the switchbacks the trail flattens out considerably and at 5.5 kilometres you come to a crossroads.  Left to Taylor Meadows and right to Garibaldi Lake.  A continuing trail leads to Black Tusk and further along another trail extends to Panorama Ridge.  These are two amazing and challenging destinations for this area of the park. Black Tusk is 13.5 kilometres from the Rubble Creek trailhead and Panorama Ridge is 15 kilometres.  So tackling both in a day hike is not realistic for most hikers.  Even hiking to one of these in a day hike is too much for most hikers.  Therefore an overnight base camp at Taylor Meadows or Garibaldi Lake are the usual alternative.  Though a day hike is a good endurance test, taking your time allows you to appreciate the view from the summit of Black Tusk, or the stunning panorama from Panorama Ridge, or the flower filled valleys along the way.  This Black Tusk area of Garibaldi Park is marvelous for a lot of geological features besides Black Tusk, but Black Tusk is quite a marvel that outshines all the rest in the park.

Rubble Creek Trail to Taylor Meadows

Rubble Creek Trail to Taylor Meadows

Rubble Creek Trail Crossroads Sign to Taylor Meadows

Taylor Meadows Campsite

Taylor Meadows Campsite

Taylor Meadows Campsite

Taylor Meadows Camp Tent Pad

Taylor Meadows Tent

Black Tusk from Taylor Meadows

Black Tusk is the descriptively named stark black mountain that can be seen from almost everywhere in Whistler.  The massive black spire of crumbling rock juts out of the earth in an incredibly distinct way that appears like an enormous Black Tusk plunging out of the earth.  Whether you spot it kilometres away, from the top of Whistler Mountain or from dozens of vantage points along the Sea to Sky Highway, its unmistakable appearance is breathtaking.  Seeing Black Tusk from closer vantage points such as Taylor Meadows, Helm CreekPanorama Ridge or Garibaldi Lake, all views make climbing to the top look impossible.  In fact, Black Tusk seems to look more impossible to climb the closer you get to it.  Even when you are close enough to touch its vertical, black and crumbling sides, you wonder in amazement how anyone can ever reach the top. Panorama Ridge is easily one of the most amazing and rewarding hikes in Garibaldi Park.

Taylor Meadows and Black Tusk in the Distance

Taylor Meadows Fresh Water

Taylor Meadows Trail Sign

Taylor Meadows Flowers

Taylor Meadows Area Hiking Map

Cell coverage is somewhat reliable on much of the trail to Taylor Meadows and Garibaldi Lake so you will be able to access the internet if you have a data plan, however saving this map may be a good idea.  Driving from Whistler Village, from Village Gate Boulevard, drive south on the Sea to Sky Highway(99), toward Vancouver. The well marked turn off to the Rubble Creek trailhead is shown by the highway sign: Black Tusk(Garibaldi).  You will see this highway sign 25 kilometres south of Village Gate Blvd.  The sign indicates a left turn and you will see a long left turn lane to take to get off the highway.  A nice, paved 2 kilometre road takes you up to the Rubble Creek trailhead parking lot.  From this trailhead, hiking is a constant, fairly steep ascent that most hikers find unexpectedly challenging(exhausting). This exhausting section of trail is just for the first 5.5 kilometres where you come to a fork in the trail, left to Taylor Meadows, right to Garibaldi Lake. Either direction, you will notice, is considerably easier to hike and much more scenic. From the fork in the trail at 5.5k, Taylor Meadows is just another 20 minutes away. As with all Garibaldi Park trails, dogs are not welcome. Neither are bikes (Cheakamus Lake is bike friendly).

Taylor Meadows Large Map v13

Taylor Meadows Campground in Garibaldi Park

Taylor Meadows Campground in Garibaldi ParkTaylor Meadows lacks the beautiful lake and distant glacier views you get from the campsite at Garibaldi Lake.  You do get a much prettier forest and meadow setting at Taylor Meadows as well as stunning views of the always impressive Black Tusk.  Fresh water is plentiful here as well as there is a pristine, glacier fed creek that runs through the campsites.  As with Garibaldi Lake you have a food storage and preparation hut to use and there is a frequently manned ranger cabin nearby as well.  Taylor Meadows has 40 well-spaced and organized tent pads sprinkled throughout the beautiful forest here.   Though Garibaldi Lake is often considered the better campsite because you can swim in the stunningly beautiful, though frigidly cold lake, Taylor Meadows is beautiful with its lush green and flower filled meadows surrounding the campsite.  Taylor Meadows tends to feel less hectic as Garibaldi Lake tends to draw the majority of visitors to the park.  Both Taylor Meadows and Garibaldi Lake campsites are good if you are hiking to Black Tusk or Panorama Ridge as both connect to the Black Tusk trail and or the Panorama Ridge trail.  If you are hiking Black Tusk or Panorama Ridge in a day from Rubble Creek you can hike one route up and the other down.  So you can hike through Taylor Meadows, up to Black Tusk or Panorama Ridge, then return via Garibaldi Lake for a swim.  It is always nice to avoid retracing your steps in a hike and this way you only duplicate part of the trail in the first or last 5.5 kilometres where the trail forks left to Taylor Meadows or right to Garibaldi Lake.  Fees Per Night: $10 Adult - $5 Kids(6-15)  Campsite fees must be paid online in advance at the BC Parks Garibaldi Provincial Park reservations page.

Taylor Meadows Campground in Garibaldi Provincial Park

Garibaldi Lake Campground in Garibaldi Park

The campground at Garibaldi Lake is the largest and most popular with 50 tent pads.  It is open year-round, although it is only busy in the summer months.  Though you get some skier and snowboarder activity in the winter, the snow and cold weather keeps people away.  Along with the 50 tent pads, you have plenty of outhouses, picnic tables and a bear-proof hut for preparing and storing food.  No sleeping is allowed in the hut.  At the end of the campsites you will find a BC Parks ranger cabin which is often manned in the summer and sporadically the rest of the year.  The campsites at Garibaldi Lake and Taylor Meadows are popular bases for hiking to Black Tusk and/or Panorama Ridge.  The Helm Creek campground on the other side of Black Tusk and Panorama Ridge is another good base for these amazing sights.  Generally Helm Creek is hiked from the Cheakamus Lake trailhead instead of the Rubble Creek trailhead.  Fees Per Night: $10 Adult - $5 Kids(6-15)  Campsite fees must be paid online in advance at the BC Parks Garibaldi Provincial Park reservations page.  There are no well defined hiking trails around the lake.  The Panorama Ridge side of the lake is far to steep and wild to make a trail feasible.  On the other side of the lake, hiking is possible to Mount Price, although the faint trail disappears into the alpine and route-finding can get very difficult.  There are some trail markings that denote the trail past the BC Parks ranger cabin a the far end of the Garibaldi Lake campsite.  Plenty of hikers have hiked around Garibaldi Lake in the past, but you have to know what you are doing and be well equipped, tough and determined to do it.

Garibaldi Lake Campground

Garibaldi Provincial Park Reservations

Garibaldi Provincial Park ReservationsIn 2018 a lot of changes with Garibaldi Provincial Park’s campsite reservations.  The first big change is that overnight camping fees are required at all campgrounds, year-round.  It is still free to day hike in the park, but sleeping in the park requires a reservation and camping fees apply in all areas of Garibaldi Park.  You can’t pay by cash or at the trailheads or at the campgrounds.  Reservations must be made in advance via the BC Parks online reservation service or at the call center.  It is a pretty organized and fair reservation system.  Fairly easy to use online and reasonably priced.  The revenue goes into maintaining trails, access roads, parking lots, park buildings and snow removal.  The second big change this year for Garibaldi Park is that for the first time you can legally register and pay to camp in the backcountry beyond the official campsites.  Wilderness camping permits are available to mountaineers, climbers, ski tourers, and other visitors with advanced skills in wilderness travel and camping, within the wilderness camping zone.  The areas you can wilderness camp is quite restricted in an effort to not overrun the park and maintain some control over the massive numbers of hikers in the park.  Backcountry Camping Permits for Garibaldi Park cost the same as the campsite fees: $10 per person, per night.  Children 6-16 years old pay $5 per person, per night and kids under 6 years old are free. 

There are two ways to book a reservation to camp in Garibaldi Provincial Park.  You can book online here.  For mobile devices, scroll to bottom of page and click “Switch to Full Site”.  Or via the Call Centre (an additional $5 surcharge applies): 1-800-689-9025 (toll free Canada) +1-519-826-6850 (International) 7:00 am-7:00 pm seven days a week.  Some of the Garibaldi Park trailheads don’t have reliable cell coverage, so don’t forget to book your reservation  before you start hiking!  When you book online or by phone you will need the following information.  Your arrival date, your desired campground, your group size.  Then you have to pick the number of tent pads your party requires.  At tent pad is 10 feet by 10 feet and usually accommodates one tent.  Each tent pad can fit a maximum of 4 people. Choose your itinerary for each night.  Click “reserve”  Fill in the permit holder and camping party information.  Pay for your reservation with your credit card.

All overnight visits to Garibaldi Park require reservations beforehand.  In the past camping was allowed only in the designated BC Parks campsites.  New in 2018, for the first time you can camp in the vast wilderness beyond the campgrounds.  There are several eligibility requirements you must adhere to.  Your camp must be at least 2 kilometres from any established trail or campground and your group size must be 10 or less.  Your camp must be at least 30 metres from water sources such as a lake, stream or wetland.  You and your companions must be experienced wilderness hikers proficient in route finding and preparation.  It is stated on the Garibaldi Provincial Park BC Parks site that you should be an experienced mountaineer, climber, ski tourer or possess advanced wilderness skills.  You must be committed to the “Leave No Trace” ethos of camping and hiking.

In addition to this there is an overall wilderness camping zone that denotes permissible zones that you can camp in the wilderness.  Consult the wilderness camping map which denotes prohibited camping zones such as the Diamond Head area and approach, Columnar Peak, the Gargoyles, Opal Cone, and Mamquam Lake.  Much of the area around Garibaldi Lake, Black TuskPanorama Ridge and Mount Price.  Cheakamus Lake has a sensitive wetland habitat at the east end of the lake where Cheakamus River flows into the lake.  There is a wonderful and very inviting plateau of land above Wedgemount Lake close to the end of the lake where the pours out via Wedgemount Falls.  Near Russet Lake where the north-south running UTM 511E forms the boundary for both the south and north sections of the Spearhead traverse. Wilderness camping is prohibited west of this line. In the south, this line roughly dissects The Fissile and Overlord Glacier east of Russet Lake campground.  In the North, UTM 511E dissects the Decker glacier. Wilderness camping reservations/fees cost the same as for the campgrounds.  Fees Per Night: $10 Adult - $5 Kids(6-15).  Campsite fees must be paid online in advance at the BC Parks Garibaldi Provincial Park's reservations page.

Hiking Season in Garibaldi Provincial Park

Garibaldi Provincial Park is located in the high alpine of the Coast Mountains that stretches from Alaska, down the coast of British Columbia.  Snow accumulation over the winter months is measured in metres and varies tremendously year to year.  This makes gauging when the snow will recede from the Garibaldi Park trails difficult to know until just weeks before.  In just the last 10 years you could have hiked to Garibaldi Lake in late May while encountering little snow on the trail.  In other years deep snow on the trail persists well into June and even early July!  I once spent a couple nights at Helm Creek over the Canada Day long weekend on July 1st and my tent was on a metre of snow!  The following year the same spot was in a snow free, green meadow in mid June.  There are a couple good ways to find out, or guess how much snow is on the trails.  BC Parks releases trip reports every couple weeks over the spring and summer months and included details of the snow depths along the various trails.  If the trip report is a couple weeks old, you can pretty accurately estimate the current snowpack.

Another good way is to take a look at the many Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain web cams.  The Roundhouse Lodge has a great camera on it every day of the year and it will show the snow levels that you can then compare to comparable elevations in Garibaldi Park.  For the most part, even in very snowy winters, the determined can hike to places like Garibaldi Lake, Taylor Meadows, Black Tusk and Elfin Lakes in late June.  Though you will encounter snow along the trail in the alpine that will make you wish you brought snowshoes and gaiters.  The trail to Wedgemount Lake is much steeper and snow impedes your way a lot more than on other trails.  Prepare to fight the snowy trail into early July!  Another measure of the snowpack is the opening dates from hiking trails on Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain.  The higher elevation trails don’t usually open until early July, though the hiking season officially starts in late May for hiking trails from the Roundhouse on Whistler Mountain.

You need to be well prepared whenever you are hiking in Garibaldi Park, but more so in the early summer weeks.  The alpine weather can change quickly and you should always have warm clothes with you well beyond the temperatures you are anticipating.  It takes little room in your backpack to bring along a toque, gloves and warm pants.  Whistler and Vancouver locals always tend to throw their snowboard/ski pants in their pack even on a sunny August overnight hike.  For many hikers to Garibaldi Provincial Park, the extraordinary flower meadows are a highlight.  Similar to gauging the winter snow lingering on the trails in the spring months, estimating when the flowers bloom is tricky as well.  Most years you will encounter extraordinary meadows of red, yellow and white flowers.  Laying in enormous meadows of bright green, the flowers are amazing to see.  Along the trail to Panorama Ridge via Taylor Meadows you will pass by a continuously varying array of flower fields that seem impossibly beautiful.  Seas of red, yellow and white fill the valleys, giving way to snowy mountains and grey and black mountain peaks.

Facilities at Taylor Meadows

There are outhouses(toilets) at various places in Garibaldi Park along the trail to and from Taylor Meadows. The parking lot/trailheads at Rubble Creek and Cheakamus Lake have outhouses.  The campsites at Taylor Meadows and at Garibaldi Lake have outhouses.  There is also an outhouse at the trail junction where the Black Tusk trail ascends from the main trail, 3.5k from Black Tusk.  These are basic, pit toilets, usually equipped with toilet paper. At the campsites at Taylor Meadows and Garibaldi Lake you will find nice, one room buildings for food preparation and to keep them away from bears. Beware of mice in these places. If you leave anything on the floor with food in it, such as a backpack with a chocolate bar in a pocket. You will find little holes chewed through and your candy bar gone! There are plenty hooks on the wall to hang things from, out of reach of the attacking mice.

Taylor Meadows Foot Hut

Taylor Meadows Foot Hut

Taylor Meadows Foot Hut Inside

Restrictions and Concerns at Taylor Meadows

Not Dog FriendlyNo Campfires AllowedNo Bikes AllowedNo Motorized VehiclesBikes are not allowed in much of Garibaldi Park, including the vast wilderness around Taylor Meadows.  You can bike to Cheakamus Lake, but not up to Helm Creek toward Black Tusk.  Use of motorized vehicles of any kind are restricted to park roads and parking areas.  Fires are prohibited in the park due to the potential forest fire hazard. Arriving or departing the park by aircraft is not allowed, as well as harvesting natural resources such as mushrooms.  Dogs are not permitted on the trail to Taylor Meadows or any other Garibaldi Provincial Park trails out of courtesy to the resident animals.  There are a large number of black bears in the park and encounters with dogs result in unpredictable and potentially dangerous conflicts.  There are quite a few excellent hiking trails in Whistler that are dog friendly.  Whistler's Valley Trail and Lost Lake Trails are dog friendly and run throughout Whistler.  The Sea to Sky Trail, which runs over 30 kilometres through Whistler is a paradise trail for dogs as it runs through numerous parks, beaches and forests. Ancient Cedars is a nice, dog friendly hike that is 5k roundtrip and takes you into a thousand year old forest.  Train Wreck is also dog friendly.  The trailhead, marked Flank Trail is located in Function Junction, just a short drive south of Whistler Village.  Further south you will come to Brandywine Falls, which is a short, 2 kilometre, roundtrip dog friendly hike to the amazing falls.  About 25 minutes north of Whistler, Nairn Falls is another beautiful and dog friendly hiking trail.

Trailhead Directions to Rubble Creek

Rubble Creek Access is Paved to the Parking LotRubble Creek is the most popular route to Black Tusk and consequently the most chaotic.  The three big parking areas fill up on busy weekends, however the long access road seems to have enough room to accommodate the busiest long weekends. This road is the only paved(not a heavily potholed, gravel road) to access a trailhead to Black Tusk.  From Village Gate Blvd, drive south toward Vancouver on the Sea to Sky Highway. The well marked turnoff to Black Tusk(Garibaldi) is 24.7 kilometres south of Village Gate Blvd, on your left.  Follow the signs to Rubble Creek trailhead just 2 kilometres up a paved road. This is the trailhead for Garibaldi Lake, Black Tusk, Panorama Ridge as well as Taylor Meadows. This trailhead parking area had a rash of vehicle thefts in 2014 and 2015 so be sure to keep any valuable out of sight and don't be obvious about hiding valuables in your trunk before setting off in case someone is watching you. A common problem in Squamish trailheads, this depressing phenomenon is moving north toward Whistler. The RCMP is taking this problem very seriously and making some effort to curb this recent increase, however taking your own precautions is your most reliable line of defense. Most hotels are happy to keep your luggage for you before or after your stay with them. Don't let this deter you from hiking in Whistler. Of the hundreds(or is it thousands?) of hikes we have done in and around Whistler, we have never had a problem with crime. A little prevention makes a world of difference!

Rubble Creek Trailhead Parking 2019

More Great Hiking Around Taylor Meadows

Black Tusk is the extraordinarily iconic and appropriately named mountain that can be seen from almost everywhere in Whistler.  The massive black spire of crumbling rock juts out of the earth in an incredibly distinct way that appears like an enormous black tusk plunging out of the ground.  Whether you spot it in the distance from the top of Whistler Mountain or from vantage points along the Sea to Sky Highway, its appearance is breathtaking.  Black Tusk, created in the fires of the Garibaldi Volcanic Belt and is one of the most admired and hiked to destinations in Garibaldi Provincial Park.  Every angle you look at it, from far away, to closer vantage points such as Taylor Meadows, Helm Creek, Panorama Ridge or Garibaldi Lake.  All views give you the certain belief that it mus be impossible to hike to the top.  In fact, Black Tusk seems to look more impossible to climb the closer you get to it.  Even when you are close enough to touch its vertical, black and crumbling sides, you wonder in amazement how anyone can possible get up to the peak of this incredible mountain.  Continued here...

Black Tusk Hike in Whistler

Black Tusk View

Black Tusk Map v18

Garibaldi Lake - Hikes Near Taylor Meadows

Garibaldi Lake is the centre and base for much of the hiking in Garibaldi Provincial Park. The Garibaldi Lake campsite is located on the amazing, turquoise shores of this massive and mostly still wild mountain lake. There are no trails around the edge of the lake except the small section leading to the campsites, so your view is an impossibly coloured lake edged by swaths of forest and a magnificent glacier towering in the distance.  Compared to other lakes in the Whistler area and in Garibaldi Provincial Park, Garibaldi Lake is enormous with a surface area of almost 10 square kilometres or 2460 acres.  It is also a very deep lake with its average depth of 119 metres or 390 feet and at its deepest, 258 metres or 849 feet!  What really makes Garibaldi Lake extraordinary is its geography.  It is flanked by volcanoes on three sides and lava flows from Mount Price during the last ice age formed The Barrier which blocked the valley which filled with water, creating Garibaldi Lake.  Vantage points around the lake such as Panorama Ridge and Black Tusk allow relatively easy views of this magnificent lake with Mount Garibaldi and other impressive peaks surrounding it.  At the Garibaldi Lake campsite the water is painfully cold, though plenty of brave hikers swim here as well as camp.  Garibaldi Lake, though beautiful enough as a primary destination, is often a base camp for further hiking. The summit of Black Tusk is just a 2 hour hike from the lake. Panorama Ridge is a bit further at about 3 hours from the lake.  Continued here...

Garibaldi Lake - Hike in Whistler

Garibaldi Lake Large Map v13

Panorama Ridge - Hikes Near Taylor Meadows

Panorama Ridge is easily one of the most amazing hikes in Garibaldi Provincial Park.  The 15 kilometre(9.3 mile) hike from the trailhead at Rubble Creek to Panorama Ridge takes you through beautiful and deep forests, across countless idyllic streams, through meadows filled with flowers, and past dozens of jaw dropping viewpoints.  The amazing views start once you reach Taylor Meadows and get even more spectacular as the trail progresses.  Once you arrive at Panorama Ridge and its phenomenal vantage point, high above Garibaldi Park, you will stare in wonder.  Mesmerized first by Garibaldi Lake, far below you and looking unnaturally blue, the lake looks amazing surrounded by green, untouched wilderness and snow capped mountains.  The Table, the massive and unusual looking mountain with its bizarre flat top lays across the lake with the enormous Mount Garibaldi just beyond.  In the distance, where Garibaldi Lake ends, a massive glacier rises out of the blue and jagged crevasses can be seen even from such a great distance.  Behind you, Black Tusk lays across the valley.  Close to the same elevation as Panorama Ridge, you get this wonderful view of it.  Certainly the best and closest viewpoint to this iconic mountain. Panorama Ridge sits, along with Black Tusk in the midst of some of the most popular and beautiful hiking trails in Garibaldi Provincial ParkContinued here...

Panorama Ridge and Distant Mount Garibaldi

Panorama Ridge Glacier View

Panorama Ridge View of Garibaldi Lake

Panorama Ridge Aerial View

Panorama Ridge Map v13

Helm Creek - Hikes Near Taylor Meadows

Helm Creek is a cute, meandering creek that winds its way from beyond Black Tusk, down the valley to the wonderful campground that takes its name. From the Helm Creek campground, Helm Creek descends further along the Helm Creek trail, until it joins Cheakamus River, not far from where it leaves Cheakamus Lake. The location of Helm Creek campground is pretty amazing for a variety of reasons.  First it is just a great location. About halfway between Cheakamus Lake and Black Tusk it lays in some amazingly scenic areas of Garibaldi Park. Beautiful, climbable mountains all around. Amazing fields of snow that run all the way to the base of Black Tusk well into July.  Rivers, creeks and waterfalls everywhere you look from the idyllic campground. A large, grassy field ringed by trees and Helm Creek.  Continued...

Helm Creek View of Black Tusk

Helm Creek Large Map v14

Cheakamus Lake - Hikes Near Taylor Meadows

Cheakamus Lake is a wonderfully relaxing way to get in the wilderness easily and quickly from Whistler Village. The trail begins on the far side of Whistler Mountain, 8 kilometres from the Sea to Sky Highway at Cheakamus Crossing across from Function Junction.  This 8 kilometre stretch of logging road is fairly bumpy and potholed, but does have the benefit of allowing you to drive the elevation gain instead of hiking it.  You can easily manage this road in a car, however carefully and very slowly in parts. Once you reach the trailhead/parking the entire 7 kilometre hiking trail to the end of the maintained Cheakamus Lake trail has barely any elevation gain. Just plenty of gradual inclines and declines along the winding route. In fact, this makes it one of the few trails in Whistler and Garibaldi Park that can boast that.  The nearby Garibaldi Lake trail and the Wedgemount Lake trail make you work for the views, however, the Cheakamus Lake trail hardly makes you work at all.  The trail to Cheakamus Lake takes you through an amazing forest of giant cedars that fill the forest with their amazing aroma.  This forest is so packed with ancient giants that year to year the trail is adjusted by a monster of a tree fallen across the trail during some winter storm.  Sometimes the trail bends around these behemoths, but more often they are laboriously chainsawed by BC Parks staff.  The more enormous of these remain as fixtures of the trail.  Either edging the trail or as a mighty obstacle to climb over.  Continued here...

Cheakamus Lake Hike in Whistler

Cheakamus Lake Map v13

Whistler's Best Hiking Trails!

Hiking and biking trails are so abundant in Whistler that many go unnoticed, neglected or taken for granted.  The Flank Trail is one of these.  Most people in Whistler don't even know about it, but the ones ...
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Cheakamus River is a beautiful, crashing, turquoise coloured river that flows from Cheakamus Lake, through Whistler Interpretive Forest, then down past Brandywine Falls to Daisy Lake, then all the way to ...
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Alexander Falls is a very impressive 43 metre/141 foot waterfall just 30 to 40 minutes south of Whistler in the Callaghan Valley. Open year-round and located just before Whistler Olympic Park where several ...
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Garibaldi Lake is the centre and base for much of the hiking in Garibaldi Provincial Park. The Garibaldi Lake campsite is located on the amazing, turquoise shores of this massive and mostly still wild ...
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Whistler & Garibaldi Park Best Hiking by Month!

Hiking in Whistler in October is often unexpectedly stunning.  The days are much shorter and colder but the mountains are alive with colour from the fall ...
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November in Whistler is when the temperatures plummet and the first heavy snow falls in the alpine and often in Whistler Village.  The hiking opportunities become ...
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December hiking in Whistler is mainly done on snowshoes, though not always. If it hasn't snowed much recently then trails such as Whistler Train Wreck and ...
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There are plenty of beautiful and free snowshoe trails in Whistler and Garibaldi Provincial Park.  From the surreal paintings of Whistler Train Wreck to ...
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West Coast Trail Highlights

Explore BC Hiking Destinations!

Whistler Hiking Trails

Hiking in Whistler is spectacular and wonderfully varied. Looking at a map of Whistler you see an extraordinary spider web of hiking trails that are unbelievably numerous. Easy trails, moderate trails and challenging hiking trails are all available. Another marvellous ...
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Squamish Hiking Trails

Squamish is located in the midst of a staggering array of amazing hiking trails. Garibaldi Provincial Park sprawls alongside Squamish and up and beyond Whistler. Tantalus Provincial Park lays across the valley to the west and the wonderfully remote Callaghan Valley ...
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Vancouver Hiking Trails

Vancouver is surrounded by seemingly endless hiking trails and mountains to explore.  Massive parks line up one after another.  Mount Seymour Provincial Park, Lynn Canyon Park, Grouse Mountain, Cypress Park and the enormous Garibaldi Park all contribute to Vancouver ...
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Clayoquot Hiking Trails

Clayoquot Sound has a staggering array of hiking trails within it.  Between Tofino and Ucluelet, Pacific Rim Park has several wilderness and beach trails, each one radically different from the last.  The islands in the area are often Provincial parks on their own with ...
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Victoria Hiking Trails

Victoria has a seemingly endless number of amazing hiking trails.  Most take you to wild and beautiful Pacific Ocean views and others take you to tranquil lakes in beautiful BC Coastal Rainforest wilderness.  Regional Parks and Provincial Parks are everywhere you turn in ...
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The West Coast Trail

The West Coast Trail was created after decades of brutal and costly shipwrecks occurred along the West Coast of Vancouver Island.  One shipwreck in particular was so horrific, tragic and unbelievable that it forced the creation of a trail along the coast, which ...
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