Beautiful Overnight Hikes Near Vancouver
Vancouver is an absolute gold mine for overnight hikes! Some of the best overnight hikes we have EVER done are right on our doorstep which is a big reason we chose to live here!
This guide rounds up the the best overnight backpacking trips near Vancouver, that range from easy to challenging. While a few of these trips can be stretch into two or three nights, most work perfectly as a one night backcountry camping trip and some can even be done as long day hikes.
Several of the hikes on this list are extremely popular and require advance camping permits, while others are less well known and easier to get a campsite at the last minute.
Most of these backcountry camping spots are within a couple of hours drive from Vancouver with the exception of three, one of which is on the Sunshine Coast and the other two on Vancouver Island.
In this guide, I’m breaking down the best overnight hikes near Vancouver, including trail stats, permit info, and what to expect in terms of difficulty so you can choose the right trip for your next adventure.
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Quick Tips for Overnight Hikes Near Vancouver
Where to stay in Vancouver: Budget – Best Western
Moderate – My favourite
Best time of the year for hiking: Summer or early Fall
Do I need a car for to get to the trails: If you are looking at doing lots of hiking I definitely recommend booking a car. I always use DiscoverCars to find the best prices.
Our top favourite overnight hikes near Vancouver:
– Panorama Ridge
– Golden Ears Summit
– Wedgemount Lake
Things to Know About Backpacking in British Columbia
🌲 Leave No Trace
Before heading out into Beautiful British Columbia’s backcountry, please remind yourself of the Leave No Trace Principles. Take everything back out that you take in, take only photos and respect the wildlife and other people. You can read more on the 7 LNT principles here.
⛺ Backpacking Gear Essentials
Backpacking can be a little expensive to get into but once you have all the gear, it’s like having a super cheap adventure holiday getaway every weekend!
🎒 For a full list of all of our backcountry camping gear, check out our gear list here!
Best Backpacking Trips Near Vancouver
Panorama Ridge
Distance: 31.4km / 19.5 miles | Elevation gain: 1,525 m / 4,991 ft | Time: 9 -12 hours | Difficulty: Challenging | Nights: 1-2 | Reservation required: Yes
Panorama Ridge in Garibaldi Provincial Park is known as one of the best views in Canada and it definitely lives up to the hype. Your jaw will drop and your heart will skip a beat when you reach the viewpoint.
The Panorama Ridge viewpoint itself looks out over Garibaldi Lake which is a crazy deep blue in colour from above.
You can do Panorama Ridge as a day hike or you can hike over 1 or 2 nights by camping at one of the campgrounds, Taylor Meadows or Garibaldi Lake.
To camp, you do need to reserve your campsite spot on the BC Parks reservation system.
Wedgemount Lake
Distance: 12.2km / 7.5miles | Elevation gain: 1,200m / 3,937 ft | Time: 6-8 hours | Difficulty: Challenging | Nights: 1 | Reservation required: Yes
Wedgemount Lake is two things: Absolutely STUNNING and an absolute GRIND. The hiking trail is uphill and very steep the entire way and hiking it with a heavy overnight backpack will crush your soul.
In saying that, we have done Wedgemount Lake as a backpacking trip 2 years in a row now and we love it. The campsite is so beautiful, you will feel like you have entered paradise! There are camping spots by the lake and also above the lake. We have camped at both and cannot decide on our favourite.
Wedgemount Lake’s water is a light, milky turquoise and the lake is set against a mountainous backdrop with a glacier.
To camp, you will need to reserve your campsite spot on the BC Parks reservation system.
Pump Peak
Distance: 7.1km / 4.4 miles | Elevation gain: 474m / 1,555 ft | Time: 3-4 hours | Difficulty: Moderate | Nights: 1 | Reservation required: No
Pump Peak is located on Mount Seymour and is a great hike to do in the Winter but also great to do as a backpacking trip in the Summer! There are no official campsite or facilities at the top, but there is plenty of space for wild camping. When looking for a camp spot, make sure you don’t camp on any of the vegetation.
The 360 views from the top of Pump Peak are insane! This is one of those Vancouver hikes where you feel like you are truly out in the middle of nowhere because you are surrounding by mountains on one side of the peak but then on the other side, you can see Downtown Vancouver! It’s a crazy feeling!
Tin Hat Mountain
Distance: 4.2km / 2.6 miles | Elevation gain: 296m / 971 ft | Time: 1-2 hours | Difficulty: Easy – Moderate | Nights: 1 | Reservation required: No
Tin Hat Mountain is located in Powell River on the Sunshine Coast, which means you have to catch not one but two ferries to get there. (more on how to get to the trailhead in our guide here). I recommend spending at least 2 nights in Powell River to make the most of long 7 hour journey to get there.
Tin Hat is part of the Sunshine Coast Trail and has its own hut which you can sleep in or you can pack a tent and camp for the night.
There are 360 views from the summit, which is about 10 minutes past the campground area, of Powell River and the surrounding mountains.
5040 Peak
Distance: 6.9km / 4.3 miles | Elevation gain: 928m /3,044 ft | Time: 3.5-5.5 hours | Difficulty: Hard | Nights: 1 | Reservation required: No
5040 Peak is one of the best backpacking trips on Vancouver Island! It is a super steep hike but not too long and the view from the peak are absolutely incredible!
There is a hut at the saddle which you can book to sleep in or you can bring a tent and camp either on the saddle, down the trail a little at Cobalt Lake or the summit of 5040.
The hike itself is a grind. It is extremely steep with lots of root scrambling where you will find that you will need to use your hands.
❗ Note: You will need a 4×4 high clearance vehicle to reach the trailhead.
Tip
5040 Peak is on the way to Tofino so you could add a day or 2 onto your trip and visit Tofino.
Golden Ears Summit
Distance: 26km / 16.1 miles | Elevation gain: 1,627m / 5,337 ft | Time: 12-14 hours | Difficulty: Challenging | Nights: 1 | Reservation required: Yes
Golden Ears Summit is located in Golden Ears Provincial Park, about a 1 hour drive from Vancouver. Apart from the Howe Sound Crest Trail which we have yet to do, Golden Ears Summit is the hardest hike on this list.
The campsite is also the most beautiful campsite we have ever camped at! There are a handful of camping platforms on each side of the ridgeline with absolutely incredible views!
The hike itself is long, steep and totally exhausting. I had a nap when we reach the campground and on the way back down my feet almost dropped off. 😅 There are also some pretty exposed sections which will not be for everyone.
You will need to reserve a backcountry camping pass to spend the night at Golden Ears Summit. You can do so on the BC Parks website.
Joffre Lakes
Distance: 10km / 6.2miles | Elevation gain: 370metres 1,213ft | Time: 3.5-5 hours | Difficulty: Moderate | Nights: 1 | Reservation required: yes
Joffre Lakes, located up near Pemberton, is one of the best beginner backpacking trips near Vancouver! It is about a 2 hour 45 minute drive from Vancouver to the Joffre Lakes trailhead. It is also one of the most popular so it can be hard to obtain a backcountry camping permit on the weekend.
The Joffre Lakes trail takes you to not 1 but 3 beautiful turquoise alpine lakes. The campground is located up at the 3rd lake, on the other side of the lake.
To camp, you will need to reserve your backcountry campsite on the BC Parks reservation system.
Howe Sound Crest Trail
Distance: 29km / 18.01 miles | Elevation gain: 1,800 m / 5,905 ft | Time: 10-15 hours | Difficulty: Super Challenging | Nights: 2-3 | Reservation required: No
The Howe Sound Crest Trail is one of the most challenging hikes in British Columbia and it can also be hard to follow the trail at times. We haven’t actually done this hike yet but Dave is pretty keen so it’s definitely coming!
The trail takes you to some popular viewpoints such as Saint Marks Summit and Mount Brunswick and is a point to point trail so you will need to arrange to leave one car at the end, which is near Porteau Cove or arrange a pick up.
Garibaldi Lake
Distance: 18km / 11.2 miles | Elevation gain: 820m / 2,690 ft | Time: 5-7 hours | Difficulty: Hard | Nights: 1 | Reservation required: Yes
The Garibaldi Lake Campground is one of the possible campgrounds to stay at for hiking Panorama Ridge, however a lot of people choose to just hike to the lake and back.
Garibaldi Lake is beautiful and the campground has some great facilities! The lake is also a really awesome swimming spot and it was surprisingly a lot warmer than we were expecting!
The hike itself mostly consists of gentle switchbacks, however, they do feel like go on FOREVER.
To camp, you will need to reserve your backcountry campsite on the BC Parks reservation system.
Elfin Lakes
Distance: 22km / 13.7 miles | Elevation gain: 600m / 1,968 ft | Time: 6 hours | Difficulty: Moderate | Nights: 1 | Reservation required: Yes
Elfin Lakes in another hike in Garibaldi Provincial Park that lead you up to some gorgeous tent platforms in the mountains next to a couple of small lakes.
Elfin Lakes is a popular overnight trip to do during both Summer and Winter as there is a cabin that you can sleep in. In Winter, the hike turns into a fun snowshoeing trip to the cabin.
To camp, you will need to reserve your backcountry campsite on the BC Parks reservation system.
Watersprite Lake
Distance: 17km / 10.6 miles | Elevation gain: 660m / 2,165 ft | Time: 7 hours | Difficulty: Moderate | Nights: 1 | Reservation required: Yes
Watersprite Lake is a trail in the Squamish area that takes you to a gorgeous turquoise alpine lake. There are tent platforms and other campsites spread out around the lake and the lake is perfect for a cold dip!
This hike is less popular and well known than Garibaldi Lake but just as beautiful.
Dave is obsessed with this trail but I still need to do it. 2026 is my year!
To make campsite reservations, book here!
Mystic Beach
Distance: 4km / 2.5 miles | Elevation gain: 65 metres / 213 ft | Time: 2 hours | Difficulty: Easy | Nights: 1 | Reservation required: Yes
Mystic Beach is located on Vancouver island along the Juan De Fuca Trail which means you need to catch the ferry across from Vancouver.
Mystic Beach is a gorgeous and very wild beach with a waterfall that runs into the ocean! At sunset, the water from the waterfall looks like liquid gold! The best time to visit Mystic Beach is during Spring when the waterfall is at its strongest.
You can camp anywhere along the beach on the sand. If you would like to camp, you need to reserve a spot through BC Parks.
👉 Psst – Are you spending some time in Vancouver before or after your backpacking trip? This 2 Day Vancouver Travel Itinerary will help you plan!
Lindeman Lake
Distance: 3.6km /2.2 miles | Elevation gain: 300 metres / 984 ft | Time: 1.5 hours | Difficulty: Easy | Nights: 1 | Reservation required: Yes
Lindeman Lake, near Chilliwack is the easiest trail on this list and the forest trail takes you up to a bright blue, super dreamy alpine lake. You can do this hike as a day hike or you can camp up at the lake.
It is an extremely popular trail due to how easy it is which means weekend bring crowds. The parking lot fills up pretty early in the morning which means you will then need to park alongside the main road.
We have done this trail many time as a day hike and I absolutely love it! We haven’t done it as an overnight trip yet but I’d definitely like to some day.
If you would like to camp, you need to reserve a spot through BC Parks.
You might also enjoy:
- Beautiful Hikes in Garibaldi Provincial Park
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- Incredible Waterfalls Near Vancouver That You Need to Visit
- Beautiful and Easy Hikes Near Vancouver
- Stunning Winter Hikes in Vancouver
- How to Hike the Beautiful Hunter Trail in Mission
- How to Spend 1 Day in Vancouver
- Where to Stay in Vancouver: Breakdown by Area
- Incredible Chilliwack Hikes With Stunning Views
- Things to do in Vancouver in Summer
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