Wedgemount Lake Hiking and Camping Guide
When I caught my first glimpse of Wedgemount Lake and the glacier above it, I cried because of how beautiful it was after such an intense hike. Since that moment, I have been back to Wedgemount Lake again and come to the conclusion that it is one of my favourite overnight hikes near Vancouver.
Wedgemount Lake is a gorgeous turquoise alpine lake high in the mountains in Garibaldi Provincial Park in British Columbia and is actually one of the lesser known hikes near Whistler. The views from the top are so incredible and you will feel as though you have made it to paradise.
Having said this, Wedgemount is NOT an easy hike. There is a lot of elevation, making it a steep incline majority of the way and I have some friends who say they will never hike it again because it broke their knees on the way down.
I don’t want to scare you off though! If you are keen to hike to Wedgemount Lake either as a day hike or a backpacking trip, I believe in you and hopefully this guide helps you to prepare.
In this hiking guide, I will detail everything you need to know about hiking to Wedgemount Lake, including how to obtain camping permits, hiking time, and trail conditions and difficulty.
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How to Hike to Wedgemount Lake in Garibaldi Provincial Park
Hike Stats
Distance: 12.2km / 7.5miles return
Time: 6-8 hours
Elevation: 1,200m / 3,937 ft
From Vancouver: 2 hours
Dog Friendly: No
Toilets: Yes, in the carpark and at the lake
How hard is the hike to Wedgemount Lake?
This hike is definitely not for the faint hearted. It is an absolute grind to the top but 10000% worth it! We have done this hike twice now as backpacking trips.
The weight of the backpacks make it that much harder, but it is also so amazing to be able to spend the night by the lake and rest properly before making the trek back down in the morning.
The hike is begins with a steady incline with some flat parts. You will walk through the forest, crossing over about 3 bridges. This “flat” section of the hike doesn’t last very long.
The majority of the hike is extremely steep and it feels like it goes on forever with some more technical sections where you will need to scramble up rocks and roots.
The final section of the climb takes you up a steep boulder field. In past years, this section was a free-for-all where you would have to navigate your own way up through the slippery scree, however, this year a trail has been carved around the side of the shale. This section is definitely still the hardest part as it is steep and still extremely slippery despite the trail maintenance.
I recommend using hiking poles for Wedgemount Lake. You will be glad to have them at the scree section and also the way back down.
I’m not going to lie, Wedgemount Lake is that hard that you really need to be determined to reach the top. It is not the sort of hike that you decide to do last minute because you need to be well rested and make sure you have plenty of food and water.
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.
Wedgemount Lake Hiking Time
It will take you a lot longer to hike up to Wedgemount Lake than back down. We recommend allowing for 6-8 hours return. The first time, it took us around 5 hours to hike up including breaks and 3 hours back down with our overnight backs on.
The second time we did Wedgemount Lake as an overnight hike, it only took us 3 hours going up which I’m super happy with! We actually improved which is SUCH a great feeling!
The hike is 12.2km / 7.5 miles return to the lower lake campground with an elevation gain of 1,200 metres / 3,937ft. (These stats were measured by us on the All Trails app).
There is an additional section of the hike that you can do from the campground to Wedgemount Glacier if you have the energy. The lake is encircled by the Wedgemount and Armchair Glaciers which make the views even more spectacular!
When is the best time to visit Wedgemount Lake?
The best time of the year to visit Wedgemount Lake is definitely Summer. In Winter the area becomes extremely icy and snowy so it wouldn’t be a very pleasant or safe hike. We would not recommend doing this hike in Winter.
In Fall and Spring, due to the high elevation there may still be snow on the trail and at the lake so the temperatures may be pretty low and the ground icy. If you are determined to do this hike while it is still icy, bring along some micro spikes as you will definitely need them.
❕WARNING: With the beautiful sunny Summer, comes the bugs! Bring bug spray. The mosquitoes and flies are bad at the lake.
Where to park for the Wedgemount Lake Hike
Wedgemount Lake has its own designated parking lot. The is a drop toilet located in the parking lot but remember to bring along your own toilet paper as BC Parks no longer supplies this. The parking lot is located up the top of a bumpy forest road. There are quite a few potholes and bumps but we made it there fine in our SUV. We also saw a BMW sedan make it there pretty easy.
Click here to open the map in Google Maps!
Tip when finding the parking lot:
Do not use Google Maps to get to the trailhead pinned on Alltrails or google as it will take you the wrong way.
If you are coming from Vancouver, you will want to turn right onto Gravel Pit Road from the Sea to Sky Highway which is about 50 minutes past Squamish.
Once you get onto Gravel Pit Road, you should start to see signs to Wedgemount Lake. Keep left on Gravel Pit Road as it turns into Riverside Drive and then turn right onto Wedge Creek Forest Service Road. Keep following the Forest Service Road all of the way to the parking lot.
Camping at Wedgemount Lake
There are 20 campsites in total. 10 tent pads are located at the top near the emergency hut and drop toilet and another 10 down by the lake. We stayed next to the lake the first time which was super convenient to cool off.
The next time, we were early enough to be able to snag one of the top camping platforms which was an awesome view and I think I prefer slightly compared with the lakeside campsite.
It is quite a walk from the top campground to the bottom and after a long hike you probably won’t feel like making this trek more than once. You are only allowed to camp in the designated camping spots.
Reserving a Campground
To camp at Wedgemount Lake, you will need to reserve a campground 3 months out from your booking date on the BC Parks website. You will need to go to the backcountry camping section and pick Garibaldi Provincial Park to find the Wedgemount Lake campground. The reservation system opens up at 7am exactly 3 months before each booking date. Bring along a screenshot or print out of your reservation in case BC Parks staff ask.
Storing your food
There are a couple of man-made bear hangs at Wedgemount Lake at each of the campground spots. All you need to bring is a dry bag that you can attach to the hang.
Water Source
When it comes to finding water to filter and drink, there is no shortage. There are plenty of streams running off the mountains into the lake. You will need to bring a water filter with you and filter the water prior to drinking.
Facilities
There are two drop toilets in total. One is located at the upper campground. This is a proper drop toilet. The other is located at the lakeside campground but this one is a smaller drop toilet with material walls and a zip to open and close the door. Not the nicest but it’s still better than nothing. Again, as a reminder, BC Parks do not supply toilet paper so you will need to bring your own.
There are no garbage facilities, so always pack out what you pack in!
There is a small hut available as an emergency shelter in case weather is really bad . This is located at the top campground which is where you arrive when the lake first comes into view.
Wildlife in Garibaldi Provincial Park
There are mainly black bears but also some grizzlies in Garibaldi Provincial Park as well as chipmunks, marmots, mountain goats, deer, squirrels and more. We actually saw a couple of groundhogs while we were up at Wedgemount Lake which was exciting! Other than the groundhog, we only saw a chipmunk. Please never feed the wildlife and leave them alone to do their thing.
You are unlikely to see any bears on your hike, as it is quite a popular trail, however you should always bring along bear spray when hiking in Garibaldi Provincial Park.
What to wear
We took all of our layers on our hike to Wedgemount including our puffer jackets and beanies. We only almost needed our puffer jackets right before bed after the sun had gone down. As soon as the sun goes down, the temperatures drop and it gets quite chilly. If you want a full breakdown of what we packed, including layers, footwear, and overnight essentials, you can check out our backpacking gear packing list for a detailed guide.
You may want to also bring along some swimmers to cool off in the lake when you get there. Beware though, the lake is absolutely freezing the water is coming directly from snow and glacier run off.
The Wedgemount Lake Trail Description
The beginning
The majority of the hike takes you through the forest up rocks and roots on a pretty steep trail. Most of the trail is at a steep incline, however, there are a couple of spots near the middle of the hike that are flatter and will give your legs a bit of relief. One of these flat sections actually goes for about 700 metres which is amazing!
The trailhead is located from the upper carpark. Walk up to the pit toilet and go past it. You will see a bridge crossing a river. Cross over the bridge and continue down the fire trail. Enjoy the beautiful wildflowers on your way and shortly you will come to the start of the trail sign on your right. The trail takes you up through a denser forest path. There is a small incline on this section but the trail stays relatively flat for a while.
Keep going up!
Soon you will notice that the incline becomes progressively steeper and you will start feeling relieved that you brought along your hiking poles. We stopped every few kms for breaks and snacks along the trail and also brought along electrolytes to help keep us hydrated.
There are a couple of sections along the trail where the markers are harder to find but there should be plenty of people around to see where to go. We also found that although there were a lot of different trails at times, they all lead to the same place in the end.
Once you come out of the forest, you will walk across a small creek next to a boulder field on your left. This is similar to what you will be climbing up at the end of the hike, however, the boulder fielder that you will be hiking up has been newly maintained and a path formed to make it easier to navigate and less dangerous.
Cross the lower part of the boulder field and head back into the forest. From here, the hike through the forest continues for a little longer, before you exit and begin walking directly up a stream.
The Last Climb – The Boulder Field
The last and hardest part of the hike should now come into view, the boulder field which you will be hiking up. In the past, you would have to navigate your own way up the slippery shale, however there is now a bit of a path that has been built up the side of the boulder field to make it easier and safer for hikers.
Be extra careful on this section of the trail as it is still very slippery and steep. Going back down is even tougher than going up.
Finally, once you reach the top, you will be greeted by a view of the glacier. Congratulations! You have made it to Wedgemount Lake! This is where I almost cried because it was just so unreal to believe that we were in such a beautiful place!
The trail from Wedgemount Lake to Wedgemount Glacier
We haven’t done this one yet! We are usually way too tired once we get to Wedgemount Lake and just want to chill out.
To get to the glacier, walk from the hut down to the lakeside campsites. Follow the trail around Wedgemount Lake, and scramble up the ridge on the far side. From here you will see the glacier and above the glacier you will see the top of Wedge Mountain.
frequently asked questions
Photos of Wedgemount Lake
Our Thoughts
This is an absolutely insane hike and one that we will never forget! It is our on our of favourite backpacking trips that we have ever done because of the wild beauty of the lake and the mountains.
Even hiking to Wedgemount Lake a second time a year later, the entire experience was incredible! We happened to be there while there was a meteor shower and so we stayed up cozied up in our sleeping bags watch the sky. It was truly magical.
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- Joffre Lakes – Hiking and Camping Guide
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