Squamish sits in the midst of some amazing places to hike. Garibaldi Provincial Park sprawls from Squamish up and beyond Whistler. Tantalus Provincial Park lays across the valley to the west and the beautiful and desolate, by comparison, Callaghan Valley to the north.
GaribaldiProvincialPark
Garibaldi Provincial Park wraps around Squamish and is home to some amazing hiking trails. Garibaldi Lake, Panorama Ridge, Black Tusk and Elfin Lakes are all wonderful hiking destinations in this extraordinary Provincial Park so close to Squamish.
Mystery Lake is an easy, well marked trail that leads to a cute mountain lake that is perfect for relaxing, swimming or having a picnic. It is just 1.5k to the lake and like the rest of Seymour Park, dogs are welcome. The trailhead is easy to find once you have reached the main parking lot to Mount Seymour Resort. Just look for the signs for Mystery Lake on the frequent trail signs.
The trail starts off by ascending up the ski slopes of Seymour for a few hundred metres. This section is fairly steep, though not terribly difficult. This trail takes you under the Mystery Chairlift and into the trees, away from the ski runs. The trail then winds through the forest and out to another ski run where you get your first great view of Vancouver far below. If you arrive to Mystery Lake on a nice day with no wind or rain you will be amazed at the reflection off the lake. It is wonderfully sheltered by cliffs and trees, making the water mirror-like on most days. If you brought kids with you, they will be in paradise. Shallow, ever changing shoreline with crystal clear water and tadpoles lurking in the water just out of reach. There is a fantastic, rocky island that you have to hop from rock to rock to get to. This little island always seems to escape the shade that falls on most other parts of the lake. If you brought a picnic or are looking to just relax, this is the spot to aim for first. You will notice two trails branch off from near this island. One continues further up to another fork in the trail. Left goes to Mystery Peak and right takes you to Goldie Lake via a somewhat challenging trail that seems to get little use. The other trail that branches off from near the little island takes you back to the Mystery Lake trail via another ski run. This also connects to the Mount Seymour trail that you can either take to Mount Seymour or back to your car at the trailhead. Mystery Lake is about as idyllic as possible for a small mountain lake.
Sheltered from the wind the water is always mirror-like, reflecting the forest perfectly. The lake is surrounded by rock outcrops, cliffs and trails ensuring that you can find a quiet corner to relax. The trail, though steep, is just a short 1.5 kilometres from the parking lot at Seymour. The challenging trail that runs past Mystery Lake then descends to Goldie Lake then back to the Seymour parking lot is well worth doing though the trail is hard to follow when the daylight fades in the evening.
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Mystery Lake is an easy, well marked trail that leads to a cute mountain lake that is perfect for relaxing, swimming or having a picnic. It is just 1.5k to the lake and like the rest of Seymour Park, dogs are welcome. The trailhead is easy to find once you have reached the main parking lot to Mount Seymour Resort. Just look for the signs for Mystery Lake on the frequent trail signs.
Easy, family friendly trail
Some find the short hike very steep
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