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Garibaldi Lake Hike

The Garibaldi Lake hike in Whistler stands out as one of the best hikes I’ve done recently and I’ve done a lot of incredible hikes this year. There were incredible views on our hikes in Arches National Park and our hike into the Grand Canyon itself.

Yet it’s this hike to Garibaldi Lake that I know I’ll come back to which perhaps isn’t surprising since it’s one of the best hikes near Whistler.

The hike was long and pretty steep but 100% rewarding when you make your way out of the forest and are faced with the views!

This is one hike I would definitely recommend if you’re heading to Vancouver or Whistler! Let me know if you’ve done it too in the comments below and how you found it!

You can also take a Garibaldi Lake guided hike if you don’t have transport.

NEW 2023 UPDATE!
You will need a day pass to access popular BC parks, Garibaldi (from June 14 – Oct 9), Joffre (May 6 – Oct 9) and Golden Ears (June 14 – Sept 4). The passes are free and available from 7 am two days before your visit. All details & information here

Garibaldi Lake

Planning to do the Garibaldi Lake trail? Here is everything you need to know about this hike near Vancouver.

AllTrails is my go-to hiking app for finding, planning, and navigating while I’m out on the trails. With offline maps on AllTrails+ you can be confident you’re still on the right track, even without mobile signal.

Where is Garibaldi Lake?

The Garibaldi Lake hike is in Garibaldi Provincial Park, named after Mount Garibaldi. This provincial park is just north of Squamish and just south of Whistler.

You can actually get here using Park Bus making it a fantastic hike on public transit near Vancouver.

Introduction to hiking Garibaldi Lake

hiking to garibaldi lake

This Garibaldi hike is one of the best hikes in Vancouver.

As with many Whistler lakes, Garibaldi Lake is a beautiful blue colour.

The lake sits at 1,1450m high and is surrounded by snow-capped mountains (even in August when we went!) and alpine meadows.

As with a lot of the lakes near Whistler, this isn’t a body of water you’ll be finding yourself doing sustained swimming in. It’s glacier-fed (aka FREEZING). Although it is nice to jump into quickly after you’ve got pretty hot and sweaty on the hike!

Hiking to Garibaldi Lake is a great day hike and there are plenty of different routes should you want a camping and hiking weekend such as Black Tusk which Thom and a friend did a few weeks later.

Hiking Garibaldi Lake

hiking garibaldi lake

The Garibaldi Lake hike starts at the car park called Rubble Creek. Be warned that you should turn up very early if you want to get a spot in the car park. We turned up in the early afternoon and ended up having to park about 2km away from the start of the trail!

The first 6km of the hike takes you through a forest of Western Red Cedar and Douglas Fir trees and feels like a pretty long slog after a while (especially if you’ve got camping stuff with you!).

Just past the 5km mark you’ll see a sign pointing off to a view of The Barrier. The Barrier Lake hike diversion takes you a short way off the main trail to some great views of how far up you’ve already climbed! The Barrier is actually a lava dam and is 300m thick!

what to do on an adventurous weekend in whistler garibaldi lake

As you reach 6km you can either choose to extend your hike slightly by heading off to Taylor Meadows or head straight to Garibaldi Lake.

Once you’ve reached this part most of the climbing is behind you and you’ll finally see some water in the form of Barrier Lake and Lesser Garibaldi Lake. Both are beautiful colours but are just a tease of what’s to come in a few more kilometres.

Once you leave Lesser Garibaldi Lake you’ll cross a wooden bridge which takes you over Taylor Creek.

Stay on the path for Garibaldi Lake as you head down some more switchbacks to the lake. It’s here you’ll be rewarded with a spectacular view of Garibaldi Lake, and the Sphinx Glacier above it!

In addition, if you’re familiar with Black Tusk trail and the Panorama Ridge trail you’ll be able to see these famous viewpoints.

Garibaldi Lake camping

garibaldi lake and garibaldi provincial park map

You’re in luck if you want to go camping near Whistler. Garibaldi Provincial Park camping can be booked online and includes Garibaldi camping up at the lake or at the Taylor Meadows campsite.

There are 50 camping spots around Garibaldi Lake but they do get booked up early.

Besides the Garibaldi campground, there’s also the Taylor Meadows campground. The meadows are gorgeous, especially in late spring/summer when the wildflowers are out.

Between June 29th and September 30th, you MUST book a spot. At all other times, I’d suggest you do anyway – you won’t want to turn up and find all the spots are gone!

To book your spot at the Garibaldi Lake campground head to the Discover Camping website.

How to get to the Garibaldi Lake trailhead

Here’s how to get to one of the best hikes in Whistler in Garibaldi Provincial Park.

The hike to Garibaldi Lake starts at Rubble Creek Trailhead. You could also hike from Helm Creek but this will be a longer hike.

The Rubble Creek trailhead is 36.5km north of Squamish and just under 28km south of Whistler along BC’s Hwy 99.

It’s well-signposted from both sides.

Extend your Garibaldi Lake hike

There are so many hiking trails in Garibaldi Provincial Park and it’s super easy to extend your hike, there are lots of campsites as well as backcountry camping available too.

The most popular hikes in Garibaldi Park are the Black Tusk Hike and the Panorama Ridge Hike. These are some of our favourite local hikes.

How to find Garibaldi trail conditions

panorama ridge hike garibaldi provincial park

It’s important to check the trail conditions for all hikes near Vancouver, especially the Whistler hiking trails which tend to see snow earlier than The North Shore.

Remember to check the Garibaldi weather before you go but remember that this doesn’t mean the trail is safe just because the Garibaldi Lake weather is sunny. There could be lots of snow or ice on the trail.

Also, remember that the Garibaldi weather differs from what we get here in Vancouver, it’s a pretty long way away after all!

Here are some tips for finding the Garibaldi Lake trail conditions.

  • Check Instagram for hikes around Whistler. But make sure you’re not looking at someone’s ‘throwback Thursday’ post
  • Check reviews on hiking websites such as All Trails and Vancouver Trails to see what people have said
  • Ask in Facebook groups: there are lots of Facebook groups for hiking in Vancouver. These are good places to ask about trail conditions for all hikes, especially for Lake Garibaldi conditions.

What to pack for the Garibaldi Lake hike

What to pack for this hike depends on what season you’re hiking in.

Garibaldi Lake trail Stats

  • Garibaldi lake hiking difficulty: Moderate
  • Distance: 18km round trip
  • Elevation Gain: 810m
  • Time needed: 5-6 hours (plus an extra 1-2 hours to explore & enjoy the lake!)
  • Vancouver to Garibaldi Lake trailhead: 90 minutes

Garibaldi Provincial Park map

The Garibaldi Lake hike trail map can be seen below as it’s a very basic map of the whole of the Garibaldi Provincial Park; home to some of the best hikes near Whistler. I use AllTrails for my Garibaldi Lake trail map!

AllTrails is my go-to hiking app for finding, planning, and navigating while I’m out on the trails. With offline maps on AllTrails+ you can be confident you’re still on the right track, even without mobile signal.

FAQS about the Garibaldi Lake hike

How to get to Garibaldi Lake?

Drive up the Sea to Sky highway from Vancouver until you get to Rubble Creek. Park up in the parking lot and from there the rest of the trip is a hike!

How long is the hike to Garibaldi Lake?

The Garibaldi Lake hike is an 18 km return hike.

How long does Garibaldi hike take?

You should allow around 6-8 hours for completing the Garibaldi Lake hike (out and back)

How to get to Garibaldi lake from Vancouver?

Head north on the Sea to Sky highway, pass Squaish and continue towards Whistler. Take the Rubble Creek junction to the parking lot. You will need a day pass to be permitted to park here.

How to get to Garibaldi Lake from Whistler

Coming from Whistler, head south on Highway 99 towards Vancouver. You can either start the Garibaldi Lake hike from Cheakamus which is a longer route, or head to the Rubble Creek turnoff and start the hike form there as most people do.

How hard is Garibaldi Lake hike?

The Garibaldi Lake hike is rated moderate to difficult. The first few kilometres are a series of switchbacks through the forest at an incline but after that, the rest of the trail is relatively flat to the lake and the campgrounds. There is no scrambling involved.

Final thoughts on one of the best Garibaldi Provincial Park hikes

Garibaldi Lake is one of the best hikes in the Garibaldi Provincial Park boundary. It’s popular for a reason and this beautiful glacial lake is stunning once the snow and ice have melted.

Whether you’re taking a Garibaldi Lake guided tour from Vancouver or using this hiking guide to do the hike on your own. Be sure to always folow leave no trace principles and let someone know where you’re going.

You’ll also need to make sure you have a day-use pass for this hike if you’re doing it in summer!

If you enjoy hiking near Vancouver (or elsewhere), be sure to check out over 100 hiking guides I have from around the world.

Last Updated on June 16, 2023 by Hannah

Leave a comment

  1. Rimli says:

    The pictures are so on point..it gave me the chills & you’re bare feet! Everything’s so crystal clear..absolutely beautiful. Glad I came across this one today..will look forward for more..Cheers! 🙂

  2. Hi, Hannah! This trail looks amazing! Photos are beautiful. You provide some very useful tips also, which makes it even more interesting. How will you advice one to pack for this trip?

    • I went during the summer so I didn’t really need too much – I hiked it there and back in an afternoon with just some good trainers, a coat (in case it rained!) and a jumper and plenty of water and snacks! If you’re going in fall/winter you’d probably need some warmer clothing and would be best to check the weather as it has been snowing a lot in Whistler recently already and there might be some snow on this trail!

  3. Juli says:

    I just want to tell how much I appreciate and love your authenticity and being genuine about those trips

  4. Clark says:

    Stunning views at the top, took me 7.5 hrs at a leisurely pace stopping for lunch in taylor Meadows. Id recommend a thin jacket like a wind breaker or rain coat as the top is definitely a couple degrees cooler

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