The Chief Hike in Squamish – Hike to 3 Epic Peaks

The Stawamus Chief Hike or “The Chief” as it is more commonly called, is one of the best hikes in Squamish in the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park with epic views overlooking the town, the Sea to Sky Highway and Howe Sound. It is more technical than the also very popular Grouse Grind, but not as steep for as long, so it’s hard to say which is more difficult.

If you have ever visited Squamish, you will have seen the large granite rockface next to the Sea to Sky Gondola that might make you think of Yosemite National Park in the USA. This is the Stawamus Chief!

We have hiked to the first peak twice now, once during the day and once for sunset. Next I want to hike to second peak for sunset because it was sooo pretty up there! We even saw 2 paragliders while we were up there for sunset and they came SO CLOSE to us! It was a little scary honestly. 😅

The hike takes you up to 3 awesome peaks with equally awesome views! The Chief is a moderate hike with lots of stairs (both natural and man-made) followed by ladders and chains once you reach the peaks rockfaces. Dogs are allowed on the trail on leash only and we saw quite a few when we hiked it, however, we recommend leaving your dog at home. You will need to carry your dog up the ladders and potentially the steeper sections of the peaks. It definitely didn’t look easy and some dogs were actually refusing to go all of the way up the peak. I don’t blame them. 😅

In this guide, I will tell you everything you need to know about hiking the 3 peaks of the Chief including where to park, how technical the hike is, hiking time and trail conditions.

Girl on the first peak of The Chief at sunset with Howe Sound in the background

The sign for Stawamus Chief Provincial Park

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Quick Tips for Planning a Trip to Squamish, BC

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Top things to do in Squamish

Visit the Sea to Sky Gondola
Go hiking
Go mountain biking
Enjoy yourself at the pubs and breweries
Try out rock climbing
Experience Squamish from the turquoise waters of Howe Sound on a sailing trip

Everything You Need to Know About the Stawamus Chief Hike

Table of Contents

Hike Stats

Distance (return): Peak 1: 4km / 2.5 miles, Peak 2: 5km / 3.1 miles, Peak 3: 7km / 4.3 miles
Time: 4-6 hours
Elevation: Peak 1: 535m / 1,755 ft, Peak 2: 580m / 1,902 ft, Peak 3: 627m / 2,057 ft
From Vancouver: 1 hour
Dog Friendly: Yes, but the trail includes ladders and chains so you will have to carry your dog up certain sections.
Toilets: Yes, at the trailhead

What is The Chief in Squamish

The Chief is a famous granite rock in Squamish which is popular amongst rock climbers and hikers. You can see The Chief from Squamish and it is located right next to the Sea to Sky Gondola so you also get great views from the top of the Sea to Sky Gondola.

Girl with hand running through her hair standing on the Chief in Squamish at sunset

girl standing on The Chief at sunset in SQuamish

How Hard is The Chief Hike

The Chief is a moderately rated hike. The trail consists of a lot of stairs both man-made and natural (rocks and roots) so is quite a grind. I would actually say it is the Squamish version of the Grouse Grind. If you are just hiking to the first peak, I think The Chief is a bit easier than the Grouse Grind because it’s not as steep for as long.

We do not recommend this hike for kids. We only saw one kid on the trail, he was probably around 8 years old and complaining that it was too hard.

Once you reach the peaks, the trail turns from being hard due to the steepness to more of a technical difficulty. You will need to climb a few ladders and scramble up rocks using chains to reach the top of the peaks.

We found the way back down the trail especially hard on our knees as it it stairs all the way down.

👉 TIP: One way to make the hike easier, is to bring along a pair of hiking poles. They will help take the load off your legs on the way up, and save your knees on the way down.

Man sitting on the First Peak of the Chief

girl watching paragliders from the Chief in Squamish

Where to Park for The Chief

The Chief parking lot is located just off the Sea to Sky Highway, just South of Squamish. Parking is free but in the Summer you may have to wait for a spot. There are two small carparks available, otherwise alternatively, you could park in the Sea to Sky Gondola carpark. It is around a 15 minute walk from the Gondola carpark to the Chief Trailhead. The location of The Chief Trailhead carpark is shown in the map below.

Click here to open the map in Google Maps

The Chief Hike — *Doggy bags are provided at the trailhead*

⌚ The Chief Hiking Time

It takes around 1.5-3 hours to reach the First Peak, depending on your hiking ability. If you choose to head back down from the first peak, it will take you around 45 minutes to 1 hour. Going down is always faster than going up!

From the First Peak to the Second Peak it will take most people around an hour extra and third peak will take another 1.5 to 2 hours return.

*The view of the Second Peak from the First Peak*

⛺ The Chief Campsite

There is a campsite located a couple of hundred metres from the trailhead which is a really convenient place to stay if you are looking at doing a few hikes in Squamish and the surrounding area. The campsite has a total of 62 sites. The sites are on a first-come first-serve basis and you will need to register and pay upon arrival.

Looking for more hikes in Squamish – read this guide next!

Drive in Sites

There are 15 vehicle-accessible sites available on a first-come first-serve basis throughout the April to October camping season. These sites are quite small and may not fit a larger RV, however would be find for a small campervan.

Walk-in Tent Site

There are 47 campsites located about a 5 minute walk for the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park parking lot. This campsite is also available on a first-come first-serve basis and includes a food storage locker and a cooking area with sink.

The First Peak

Most of the elevation gain is from the trailhead to the first peak. After walking past the campsites from the trailhead sign, it is all up. The hike starts with some extremely steep wooden stairs and then slowly changes to natural rock stairs. Although the natural stairs aren’t quite as steep as the man-made ones, they are still exhausting to hike up.

Stairs on The Chief Hike — *The wooden stairs*

After what feels like an eternity of hiking uphill, you will eventually reach your first ladder. There are two ladders that you will need to climb to reach the top of the First Peak. The first ladder is wide and easy to climb but the second is much narrow and a bit awkward. After the ladders you will need to scramble of the rockface a little, but don’t worry as there are chains to help you up and down. As there is only one chain, you will need to give way to people coming back down. This may take a while on busier days such as weekends in Summer.

Girl climbing Ladder on The Chief Hike — *The first Ladder on the way to the First Peak* (this has now been replaced by stairs)

The First Peak the most popular peak, as a lot of people choose to hike back down to the carpark after completing the First Peak. Alternatively you could skip the First Peak altogether and head straight to the Second and Third Peaks to try to avoid some of the crowds.

girl hiking up the first peak of the Chief in Squamish with Howe Sound behind her

The Second Peak

The Second Peak is the tallest peak. To reach the second peak from the first, you will need to head back down to where the trail intersects and turns left to reach Peak 1. Once you reach the intersection, you will see a sign showing you that continue on up towards the Second Peak. The hike to Second Peak includes some more ladders and chains.

The trail to the first Peak of the Chief — *View of the trail up to First Peak at the intersection*

The Third Peak

Peak 3 is located across the Peak 2 Summit so you won’t need to backtrack this time to continue on. Look for the orange markers in the trees. Once you have located the markers, follow the trail down into the North Gully before climbing back up and reaching another chain section. This chain will help you scramble up the rock surface of the Third Peak.

Tips for Hiking The Chief

Make sure you bring snacks and lots of water (at least 1 litre per person for the 1st Peak). We came across 2 girls on their way back down with absolutely no water bottles who were desperate! The is a tap next to the parking lot where you can fill up your bottles.
Start slow. The start is the steepest.
Bring your sense of adventure for the chains and ladders.
Wear the correct footwear (hiking boots or trail runners with grip)
If you are hiking for sunset, make sure someone knows where you are going, bring a headlamp and get down the chain section before it gets too dark. The parking lot closes at 11pm.

frequently asked questions

Even though The Chief is extremely popular, it is a hike that consists of a lot of stairs, both man-made and natural so you will definitely find yourself stopping to catch your breath at times throughout the hike.

As the Chief takes you up onto rocks, it is not recommended to hike after rain or during rain as the rocks will become slippery and dangerous.

Both Dave and I chose to wear hiking boots which were fine but not necessary. Alternatively, you could wear trail runners or hiking shoes rather than boots.

🥾 These are my all time favourite hiking boots which I used the first time I hiked The Chief. The second time, I wore these trail runners.

Our Thoughts

We hiked to the First Peak and found the hardest part of the hike was the pressure on our knees on the way back down. We would consider taking hiking poles with us next time, however we would also make sure that there was somewhere to stow them for the scrambles.

The first time we hiked the Chief, I actually hated it and said I wasn’t going to go back but recently when we hiked up for sunset, I fell in love with the views and and lack of crowds really made it feel much more special.

Overall, The Chief is great exercise and the views from the top are absolutely epic. Even if you only want to hike to the First Peak, it is so worth the effort!

For an easier hike along the Sea to Sky Highway near Squamish check out the Murrin Loop Trail!

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