There are a TON of hikes near Squamish that will take your breath away. You can turn some hike into multi-day camping trips, day hikes or just a stroll in the park. Whatever your fitness level there is something for you. Here are some amazing must-do hikes near Squamish when you visit.
THE CHIEF
The Chief is probably the most famous of the hikes near Squamish. The base of the hike is easily accessible from highway 99 just south of Squamish. The hike is very steep and takes you straight up to an incredible lookout over all of Squamish and the Howe Sound. There are three peaks- the first two have a similar lookout (peak 1 is slightly lower) and peak 3 looks over the back side. I would recommend doing the 2nd and 3rd peak as the connect without having to go down and back up again. If you have time to do only one, the 2nd peak is the best.
GARIBALDI LAKE
Garibaldi Lake is a beautiful turquoise alpine lake located in the Garibaldi Provincial Park between Squamish and Whistler. This is another popular hike near Squamish. This hike is longer than the Chief but not as steep. The trail does sharp switchbacks as you ascend the mountain where you will eventually reach this breathtaking lake. You can adventure further up the lake all the way to the top of the Black Tusk- this is a much harder and higher climb and experience with scrambling and climbing are very helpful. You can also access Panorama Ridge to get an even better view of the lake.
All these hikes are doable in one day but they are full day hikes. There is a campground at the lake, so if you wish to spread the hike over a couple of days you can always bring up your camping gear and spend a night in the meadows.
HIGH FALLS
If you are looking for hikes near Squamish that are often missed by tourists with amazing views of the Squamish River and Squamish Valley then this is the hike for you. You can access the trail head from the Squamish Valley Road. You need to take the road all the way to the end. Just after it turns to gravel you will see a bridge that crosses the river and another road that continues to the right. Continue to the right until you pass the mining base. You will soon pass over a small bridge and just to the right is the trail head.
This is an incredible hike that runs very steep up beside High Falls. You will encounter amazing views of the falls as well as a lookout over the Squamish Valley and River. This is definitely one of the best, not well known hikes near Squamish.
ECHO FALLS
Echo Falls is another quite hike which follows up next to Echo Falls box canyon. The hike is very steep and continues along the falls for almost the entire hike. The falls pool in different places and it is possible to cliff jump and swim in some of them. If you like you can continue all the way to the top where you will find Echo Lake. Here you have views over Squamish and the Howe Sound as well as places to camp and chillout.
The trailhead is located on the other side of the Squamish River so you need to have some sort of vessel to cross over. You can contact us for Echo Falls boat shuttles.
There are a ton of other amazing hikes near Squamish, you won’t go wrong with any hike you choose!