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.
Keyhole Hot Springs(sometimes called Pebble Creek Hot Springs) is located 100 kilometres from Whistler(Village Gate Blvd). Though most of the 100 kilometres is on logging roads, it is driveable by most cars without any trouble. The massive Innergex hydroelectric project has turned this once quiet wilderness into a war-zone. On the plus side, the old logging roads near Keyhole Hot Springs are now well maintained and smooth.
2014 saw the permanent closing of the old hot springs trail and a new trail built. Another benefit of the construction is the year-round maintenance of the access road which allows access to the springs even in the winter. The spectacular Keyhole Falls is located just a couple kilometres upriver from the hot springs and very close to ground zero of the Innergex mammoth construction effort. If you are brave enough to drive to the Keyhole Falls trail, just continue driving past the Lillooet River trail. You will see a large, unmarked parking area and hard to find trail just before the km 50. If you have doubts that you are parking in the right spot, just get out of your vehicle and listen for a moment. The deep rumbling of Keyhole Falls can be faintly heard from where you park. Climb the gravel embankment(don't cross the vehicle bridge) and look for the faint trail, then follow the faint rumbling from the falls as it soon becomes a thundering echo far below. The trail is just a couple hundred metres long from the parking area. The reason you have to be brave to get to Keyhole Falls is because of the colossal war zone you have to drive through to get to it. It is a bit daunting, however, access to the area is still allowed. You just have to be very aware of being considerate to the massive construction vehicles scrambling to get the job done. There are large signs indicated where you cannot go, which makes navigating to the falls more manageable. Back at the Lillooet River trail, you will find a trailhead parking area, a small sign and permanent outhouse. A new sign now marks the start of the route to Keyhole Hot Springs.
This new trail is 2 kilometres long and moderately challenging as it skirts the rugged terrain along the Upper Lillooet River. A couple of sections are very steep, and it is easy to stray from the trail. Along the trail there are at least two fantastic and inviting areas along the trail (beside the river) perfect for camping. Closer to Keyhole Hot Springs, the very nice camping area high up, overlooking the river is still as it has always been. Nice, rustic, wild and of course, unmaintained. The new Lillooet River trail is well marked with flagging tape and tree reflectors as well as the occasional bench to sit on. Just like the old trail, this new trail is often challenging to navigate. Though it is rarely steep, as the old trail mostly is, this one is a zig-zag through a thick forest and occasional scramble through truck sized boulders. The trail, at a moderate pace should take about a half an hour from your car to the springs. If you have any interest in geology, however, the trail may take you hours. The crumbing cliffs reveal an astounding array of recent volcanic activity and you find yourself staring in amazement at the extraordinarily beautiful rocks.
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