Kids under 6 are free. Elfin Lakes trail – the start. Elfin Lake is a popular camping destination located in Garibaldi Provincial Park just north of the town of Squamish. 72 Reviews of Elfin Lakes "Went up on the 24th 25th to the shelter. This is just one of many million dollar view tent sites to be found in this year-round, mountain paradise. Not long after you pass the university the road narrows and turns from pavement to gravel. Lancer had no problems going up. www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/garibaldi/. There are several eligibility requirements you must adhere to. The serenity and vastness of this part of the world are magnificent. Recent Trail Reports Along Route You may be able to drive to the trailhead, then return from your hike a day or two later to a metre of snow on the access road. In the winter months, these tent platforms with be hidden under metres of snow and you can put up a tent nearly anywhere you want. Elfin Lakes Campground Despite the difficulties of the trail, we made it back to Elfin lakes in about an hour, so we got to have another peek at the idyllic camp ground with those amazing views! The Elfin Lakes Shelter is a comfortable 33-bed hut that provides an excellent base for attempting the routes described in this guidebook and beyond. Elfin Lakes (Diamondhead) is a 12.5 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Squamish, British Columbia, Canada that features a lake and is rated as moderate. Most push on to the ever more scenic trail that quickly ascends to Paul Ridge. The Elfin Lakes shelter ( pictured above) is the largest shelter and has the most amenities, but there are two more small huts in the park – one at Wedgemount Lake, and another at Russet Lake. This trailhead is fairly popular year-round. The park is an outdoor adventurer's playground. Year-round visitors enjoyed the breathtaking scenery and rugged hospitality. If you can pull yourself away from the luxurious warmth of the Red Heather Hut you will find the trail quickly becomes more challenging. One of them is off limit because it is a water reserve and the second one is there for hiker's pleasure, if you don't mind swimming in cold water. The valley is huge with stunning mountain peaks all around. You don’t need to make reservations for these smaller huts, but you do need a camping … The name Elfin Lakes is suspected to have come much later. There’s a full-time ranger station, outhouses that usually have toilet paper, bear-proof food caches, a lovely cooking shelter with an amazing view, two We ended up having a lot of fun and knew we wanted to try something a little more adventurous this year. This is a small warming hut equipped with a wood stove complete with a stack of wood free to use, though sleeping here is for emergencies only. There are no garbage facilities at Elfin Lake and you must pack out what you pack in. You have the option of camping on designated tent pads, or staying in the shelter on bunk beds. The campsite area at Elfin Lakes is quite large and well organized. Fees Per Night: $10 Adult - $5 Kids(6-15)  Campsite fees must be paid online in advance at the BC Parks Garibaldi Provincial Park reservations page. The Elfin Lakes campground is located in an incredibly beautiful area of distant, enormous, jagged mountains and beautiful rolling hills and valleys. Always remember when encountering bears, calmly back away and wait for them to leave the trail. As this trail is within Garibaldi Park, dogs are not allowed. Camping at the Elfin Lakes shelter opens up the opportunity to other nearby hikes like Gargoyles, Opal Cone and Mamquam Lake. be sent by Email through the Contact Us The Elfin Lakes Cabin is just beyond the campground and is a fully equipped hut with cooking utensils, stove and can sleep up … Hike to Elfin Lakes. Tantalus Provincial Park lays across the valley to the west and the beautiful and desolate, by comparison, Callaghan Valley to the north. Your camp must be at least 30 metres from water sources such as a lake, stream or wetland. You need to start at the Diamond Head trailhead (on googlemaps, this is called the Elfin Lakes trailhead) From there, you follow a wide, easy to follow trail up through the forest towards Round Mountain.The 105 Hikes book said this first part would be a chore, so I was expecting something really steep like the Grouse Grind or the Chief. These may or may not be marked for winter routes, but regardless, you will need to take all the requisite snow travel safety precautions if you carry on to any of these other destinations from Elfin Lakes. We thought this was a good place to try for our second trip because we’d From the outside, buried in snow it looks tiny. This amazing hut sleeps 33 and is solar powered and propane heated. The walk-in campgrounds have anywhere from 6 sites at the Singing Creek campground, to 50 sites at the Garibaldi Lake Campground. The Red Heather campground also has 15 reservable spots. The roof is often a metre deep with snow and unable to slide off, builds up around the edges, making the hut often invisible from the side. Elfin Lakes in Garibaldi Park is an absolutely phenomenal, though long, hiking, biking, snowshoeing and skiing trail that begins at the Diamond Head area in Squamish. The Diamond Head/Elfin Lakes trailhead to Garibaldi Provincial Park is located in Squamish near the southern end of the park. Your camp must be at least 2 kilometres from any established trail or campground and your group size must be 10 or less. Mamquam Lake campground is permanently closed for overnight use. Amazing. Elfin Lakes Camping Trip Epic panoramic mountain views and an unforgettable sunrise await you at Elfin Lakes! Camping at Elfin Lakes is an amazingly beautiful experience. The small trail winds through the meadows and eventually leads to … Children 6-16 years old pay $5 per person, per night and kids under 6 years old are free. The Elfin Lakes Trail requires a free Day Use Pass to be reserved the day of starting at 6am from the Discover Camping reservation system. Hiking (snowshoeing) to Elfin Lake in winter is spectacular. In the past camping was allowed only in the designated BC Parks campsites. The new campground has 12 tent platforms, an outhouse and food storage facilities. The incline is pretty gentle and the trail is well maintained. Day hiking is free and there is no charge for parking. The well laid out 11 kilometre route to Elfin Lakes is well marked in the winter and popular with skiers and snowshoers. Elfin Lakes trail The actual trail to Elfin lakes is really easy to follow. To snowshoe to this hut is quite something. On the inside you find two floors complete with kitchen, lots of seating areas and tables... and bunk beds to accommodate 33 people! Elfin Lakes Shelter has bunks for about 33 people and equipment for cooking, including propane burners, sinks, and a heater. The Brandvold's continued to operate the lodge until their retirement in 1972. In the south, this line roughly dissects The Fissile and Overlord Glacier east of the Russet Lake campground. Elfin Lakes is probably BC’s most comprehensive backcountry camping area. Two sturdy picnic tables and a sink, propane stove top burner and large pot make the shelter an effective place to picnic and warm up. At the parking area you will find a nice information board and an outhouse. The hike to Elfin Lakes might be 11km each way, but it is not very steep and is quite scenic, so it doesn't feel like work at all. If you are lucky enough to be here on a clear night, the stars will shine like diamonds this far from the bright lights of civilisation. The park is an outdoor adventurer's playground. Elfin Lakes is probably BC’s most comprehensive backcountry camping area. There’s a full-time ranger station, outhouses that usually have toilet paper, bear-proof food caches, a lovely cooking shelter with an amazing view, two I must say that the Elfin Lakes campground was one of the most quiet and peaceful campgrounds I’ve ever been to. Popular hikes include Opal Cone and Mamquam Lake. Elfin Lakes (Diamondhead) is a 12.5 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Squamish, British Columbia, Canada that features a lake and is rated as moderate. It is located before the last steep and if snow covered, potentially dangerous final section of road. The Elfin Lakes campground is located in an incredibly beautiful area of distant, enormous, jagged mountains and beautiful rolling hills and valleys. Check out the Garibaldi Provincial Park website as you must book online. Eventually after a long and sensationally beautiful 11 kilometres, the Elfin Lakes hut comes into view. Though black bears are potentially dangerous, there has never been an unprovoked bear attack in Garibaldi Provincial Park, Squamish or Whistler. Whistler has an absurd number of wonderful and free hiking trails and. Not only can it sleep 33, but it does so in style. I must say that the Elfin Lakes campground was one of the most quiet and peaceful campgrounds I’ve ever been to. The wonderful Elfin Lakes hut is a huge draw to this hike in the winter as it is heated and has solar power as well as room for 33 people! Or worse, you may get up to the parking lot without chains, then get snowed in and unable to drive out. Hearing of the wilderness paradise in the Garibaldi region they combed the area for a suitable location to build an alpine lodge. T he scenic alpine trail at Elfin Lakes presents a full day of hiking, or less by bike, without being too strenuous.. Six hours will easily get you to the two small lakes, time for a brief swim and then six hours or less back to the parking lot. The walls are lined with clothing hooks indicating that this shelter sees a lot of traffic. The areas you can wilderness camp is quite restricted in an effort to not overrun the park and maintain some control over the massive numbers of hikers in the park. ELFIN LAKES SQUAMISH Known as the 'outdoor recreation capital of Canada,' Squamish has ski touring options for all skill levels and abilities. Campsite fees must be paid online in advance at the BC Parks Garibaldi Provincial Park reservations page. From Squamish, a short drive takes you up the mountain and into the park where you have what seems like endless terrain for various activities both in summer and winter. All motorized vehicles are not permitted in the park, including motorcycles, ATV's and snowmobiles. The Elfin Lakes hut fee includes your backcountry camping permit, so one adult staying in the hut pays a total of $15. Increasingly steep sections lead to some downhill parts. Just up the Sea-to-Sky Highway from Vancouver is Squamish and Garibaldi Provincial Park. Even in the bitter cold of winter you will see a few tents a few hundred metres from the hut. Length 12.5 miElevation gain 2693 ftRoute type Out & back Garibaldi Lake, Panorama Ridge, Black Tusk and Elfin Lakes are all wonderful hiking destinations is this extraordinary Provincial Park so close to Squamish. Tackle the hike to two stunning lakes, one of which you can take a refreshing dip in, and enjoy Staying at the Elfin Lakes hut costs a bit more at $15 per adult, per night and kids 6-15 pay $10 per person, per night. Stairs lead up to a impressively large sleeping area which can accommodate 33 people. You get amazingly dramatic mountain views in all directions and on a sunny day in the summer it is paradise. Elfin Lakes is a local favourite hiking, snowshoeing, backcountry skiing and snowshoe trail located in Garibaldi Provincial Park just outside of Squamish, B.C. The section of trail from the Red Heather hut to Elfin Lakes is considerably more scenic than the first 5 kilometres of the trail. Staying at the Elfin Lakes hut costs a bit more at $15 per adult, per night and kids 6-15 pay $10 per person, per night. Occasionally in the evening you will find a couple drinking wine by the fire, enjoying this rustic paradise. 3. Adjacent to the hut is a row of outhouses. Better yet would be overnight camping and the … If you hike it during a full moon, the mountains light up all around you in a surreal world trapped between day and night. Elfin Lakes Snow Camping Trip. One for drinking water. It's a 22km return hike to the Elfin shelter and it's not too arduous if you decide to split it over 2 days like we did. Wilderness camping permits are available for mountaineers, climbers, ski tourers, and other visitors with advanced skills in wilderness travel and camping … Parking lot is accessibly by 2WD car! The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until October. The poles are frequent and have reflectors on them making them visible at night if you have a light. Starting January 2, 2018, reservations are required year-round for Elfin Lakes Shelter and Elfin Lakes campground. In 1973 the lodge was permanently closed and in 1974 the Elfin Lakes Hut was built to replace the deteriorating lodge. There is a wonderful and very inviting plateau of land above Wedgemount Lake close to the end of the lake where the pours out via Wedgemount Falls. Writers in need of images for blog posts or web articles can instantly download them and use them in their writings (‘Right-click’ and save the image). Fortunately there are food storage facilities at Elfin Lakes as well as at Rampart Ponds. Elfin Lakes are two lakes in Garibaldi Provincial Park that are popular for hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, and mountain bicycling trail located east of Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. This hut requires a reservation, and the shelter fee ($15 per adult, $10 per child) includes a camping The trail is 21km return. The sheer distance of this snowshoeing trail ranks it as difficult, though overall you will just be doing a moderately steady ascending trail. The two cute little lakes lay next to the amazing Elfin Lakes hut. There are also propane stoves and very unexpectedly, working lights. Six hours will easily get you to the two small lakes, time for a brief swim and then six hours or less back to the parking lot. 72 Reviews of Elfin Lakes "Went up on the 24th 25th to the shelter. So getting up there in the winter usually requires tire chains. Driving to the Elfin Lakes trailhead is quite fun as you emerge from the tacky strip mall along the Sea to Sky Highway and quickly ascend into the wilderness. You often see, with some shock, skiers trudging up the trail, not far from the trailhead after the sun has set. There are frequent animal sightings on the trail and beyond Elfin Lakes. It is located 10 kilometres from Elfin Lakes on the trail to Mamquam Lake. You can reach it by car from Vancouver by driving 90 minutes up the Sea to Sky Highway. For the 2020 camping season, reservations can be made up to 2 weeks in advance of your arrival date. Joined by Ottar's future wife, Joan Mathews of West Vancouver, they decided on Diamond Head, next to the two small lakes to build their dream lodge. If you are camping overnight in Garibaldi Park you will have to pay a campsite fee. An unexpectedly idyllic little hut that for much of the year is consumed by snow. Children 6-16 years old pay $5 per person, per night and kids under 6 years old are free. Located around the Elfin Lakes, the shelter is open for reservations throughout the year. All overnight visits to Garibaldi Park require reservations beforehand. There is a shelter located at Elfin Lakes that has enough sleeping spaces for 33 people and facilities including picnic tables, propane stoves, a propane heater, and pit toilets. Backcountry Camping Permits for Garibaldi Park cost $10 per person, per night. Elfin Lakes are two lakes in Garibaldi Provincial Park that are popular for hiking, snowshoeing ... which gains approximately 600 metres (2,000 ft) of elevation from the trailhead. There are several great place to hike with your dog in and around Squamish and Whistler. The Elfin Lakes hike is located within Garibaldi Provincial Park, which is a great home base for accessing surrounding hiking destinations. The 11 kilometre(7 mile) hike to Eflin Lakes is a constant and steady ascent that begins with several switchbacks. Fees Per Night: $10 Adult - $5 Kids(6-15)  Campsite fees must be paid online in advance at the BC Parks Garibaldi Provincial Park reservations page. The Red Heather hut is a survival shelter/warming hut, that is not to be used as an overnight shelter, except of course when absolutely necessary. Elfin Lakes shelter and camping. A short drive from the Sea to Sky Highway in Squamish, British Columbia, is Garibaldi Provincial Park. If you are motivating and competent hiking after dark, the Elfin Lakes trail is pretty easy to follow. The hiking/snowshoeing possibilities seem endless. Check out the Garibaldi Provincial Park website as you must book online. The Elfin Lakes trail is very well marked and maintained and leads to the wonderful, Elfin Lakes hut. Parking lot is accessibly by 2WD car! Fees Per Night: $10 Adult - $5 Kids(6-15)  Campsite fees must be paid online in advance at the BC Parks Garibaldi Provincial Park reservations page. They are all now reservable year-round, with the exception of the Red Heather campsite near Elfin Lakes which is only open for winter camping. Vancouver Trails about local hiking information, events, deals on In the 1930's Ottar and Emil Brandvold immigrated to Canada from Norway. Hardcore winter campers often shovel out snow caves to sleep in. The small trail winds through the meadows and eventually leads to a saddle where you then cross a steep slope of rocks. Elfin Lakes campground. An overnight snowshoeing trip to Elfin Lakes (Garibaldi Provincial Park), British Columbia in December 2010. It starts at 950m elevation and climbs to the ridge high point at 1,600m and then down to Elfin Lakes at 1,500m. Views in all directions and on a typical summer weekend, you can it. 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