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.
Lighthouse Park is an extraordinarily little know piece of paradise, so close to to Vancouver as to see its tall buildings, yet immersed into a dramatically beautiful coastal rainforest. A wonderful network of trails winds throughout massive Douglas-fir trees and Western Red Cedars as well as golden Arbutus trees stretching toward the ocean.
It is surprisingly convenient on the drive from Vancouver to Whistler. The detour will only add an hour to your trip but the drive alone is well worth doing. Marine Drive runs parallel to the Sea to Sky Highway to or from Whistler, and is a wonderfully beautiful ocean hugging road that is alive with the beauty of Vancouver. If you are driving to Whistler from downtown Vancouver, finding Marine Drive is easy. After you cross the Lions Gate Bridge, continue straight as if going to Whistler(Highway 99) and you will almost immediately be on Marine Drive. Instead of making the right turn to keep on 99, continue straight as you will be on your way to Lighthouse Park via the very scenic Marine Drive. Wildly overgrown with all kinds of plants and trees, the narrow, Marine Drive hugs the coast in the midst of this evidently wealthy part of Vancouver. You will have amazing views across to Vancouver as you drive this beautiful road. After stopping at Lighthouse Park, Marine Drive continues parallel to the Sea to Sky for a few kilometres before signs show you where to rejoin Highway 99 to Whistler. The driveways you pass are windy and steep, and alarmingly close to the road. Oncoming cars you pass slow down, Marine Drive is that narrow. You are now in the real Vancouver. The houses are old and beautifully immersed in the deep, dark rainforest that once blanketed the land where skyscrapers of the city now stand. This is where you can look across to the high rise building crammed metropolis of Vancouver and feel in another world. Quiet, serene, immersed in deep forest, and contrast beautifully to the beauty across the water. Lighthouse Park is located at a beautiful piece of land in the edge of this.
Lighthouse Park is a beautiful Vancouver park, nestled inside a wonderful example of British Columbia's coastal rainforest. The trees are huge, the forest thick and the ocean views are amazing. Rain or shine, this park is a must see on any drive between Vancouver and Whistler. Marine Drive is another aspect that makes this a beautiful detour. This part of Vancouver is a great representation of Vancouver. Deep forest, beautiful ocean and rugged coastline. The first lighthouse was built at Point Atkinson in 1874. The land around it that was to become Lighthouse Park was set aside to provide a dark backdrop for the new lighthouse. The lighthouse you now see was built in 1912. During World War II, search lights and gun emplacements were installed at Point Atkinson to watch over Burrard Inlet. Some buildings from that ere remain along with interesting photos depicting the area during that time.
Lighthouse Park is an extraordinarily little know piece of paradise, so close to to Vancouver as to see its tall buildings, yet immersed into a dramatically beautiful coastal rainforest. A wonderful network of ...
Pacific Spirit Park surrounds the University of British Columbia on the shores of Georgia Straight. The park has a beautiful array of trails, 73 kilometres in total, that run along beaches, some old growth ...
Goat Mountain is a beautiful mountain to hike from Grouse Mountain. It is challenging at times but fairly relaxing overall. It is just 4k from the Grouse Mountain Chalet and should only take 3-4 hours ...
Unnecessary Mountain gets its peculiar name from the fact it once was part of the route to reach The Lions whereas now the route avoids it. This now, unnecessary mountain, no longer needs to be climbed to ...
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 ...
The Lions or Twin Sisters lie in North Vancouver, south of Squamish. The two distinct, rocky peaks are visible from downtown Vancouver. The one on the left, the one pictured above, can be climbed. You don't ...
Stawamus Chief is the mammoth rock face that towers over Squamish. Though hardly believable from looking at, the summit is a fairly easy, though very steep hike. In fact there are three peaks, South (First), ...
Ring Lake is a fantastically beautiful and wonderfully remote lake similar to Cirque Lake but considerably farther to hike to reach it. The 10 kilometre hike takes you through a tranquil forest, then to a ...