This park is like a scene out of a movie. It's breathtaking during winter and summer, only with…read morethe water changing to a pretty cool looking aquamarine green during the summer time. Fitzsimmons Fan Park is tucked away on the right side of Green Lake in front of Nicklaus North Golf Course. Its an easy stroll from Table 19 restaurant on the course and if you are not visiting the course, you'll need to park in the parking lot designated for Dream River Park. The main area of this park is a sandy Delta that sticks out quite far into the lake. Its a great area for those that love fishing and this park is very dog friendly. Its almost like a sandy beach in the middle of a lake and my three fur babies love getting their feet wet in the water and digging holes. I have seen many owners allows their dogs to roam around off leash so I think its ok to do that, just make sure to watch your surroundings for bears. There have been many bear sightings by others in this area and I've seen the trail leading up to the sandy delta covered in bear poop. The views behind the lake of mount currie are spectacular and even during the summer time, the peaks up there are still snow capped. It makes for amazing photos and a different contrast between beautiful blue water and sky and the snow of the mountains. It's also nice to set up a few beach chairs, have lunch and watch the seaplanes fly in from Victoria and Vancouver. Overall this is a spectacular spot to take in the lake and mountain beauty of Whistler!

This is a easy and beautiful hike near Whistler…read more An easy 30 minute or so drive North of Whistler Village, best to arrive earlier to secure parking and it's a lovely, easy hike along the water, canopied by trees until you reach a spectacular waterfall at the end. Multiple look out points so everyone can get a great vantage point. The lookout is over rock that can get slick when wet but there are ropes you can hold on to if needed. Absolutely breathtaking scenery and on a mid summer day, it was not too busy on our early morning hike!

My husband and I had one day to spend in this area before returning home from our vacation. After…read morea quick search, we found this spot within a 10 minute drive of our hotel. We arrived at about 3:30pm and there were quite a few parking spots occupied. Luckily, some people were leaving and cleared out as we arrived. The hike itself was more of an easy level of 3km round trip. There are some areas fenced off by the falls where they want guests to stay within the safe boundaries. There are some trails where you can get a closer look/wade into the water. Honestly, not too challenging. You won't want to bring a lot of items (water and proper attire) since it is a relatively quick and short hike. The campground was at max capacity, so we were unable to check it out. We did meet hikers of all ages and abilities on the hike, so you're able to take it at your leisure. The spot is located between Whistler and Pemberton, off the Sea to Sky Highway (#99). If you want some pretty scenery and a relatively quick and easy hike, would definitely recommend. They did have a bear sighting (board said July 18th), so that's at your own risk.

The colour of the water here is absolutely unreal. You have these stunning emerald lakes and that…read moreicy blue glacier in the background, and the whole place honestly looks like something out of a postcard. In my opinion, the water here is even prettier than Lake Louise, which is saying a lot because Lake Louise is gorgeous. Now, don't let the pictures fool you into thinking this is an easy little walk. The hike is definitely not easy, especially with the elevation and all the uphill sections, so come prepared with proper hiking shoes and be ready to put in some work. But the views along the way make it worth it, and seeing the lakes in person is a completely different experience from looking at pictures online. One of my dreams is to actually camp here and get to experience the area for longer rather than just hiking in and back out. I can only imagine how beautiful it would be to wake up surrounded by those mountains and that incredible water. Joffre Lakes is definitely one of those places that shows off just how beautiful BC really is. It's a bit of a workout to get there, but the scenery is beyond worth it.

Flawless Joffre Lakes Provincial Park! Recommended to me by…read morefriendly hikers I met at Glacier National Park of Canada and again bumping into them while at Mount Revelstoke NP. JOFFRE LAKES = BEST ACTIVITY I did on my 2023 journey throughout Canada! To access Joffre Lakes Park, you must make a reservation online at least 2 days prior to your visit. The website is - bcparks.ca. And conveniently, when I pulled up Joffre Lakes on Google Maps, I was immediately directed to the website with zero hassles in booking a pass for the day. Booking a reservation starts at 7am - Pacific Time. Surprisingly, I had my choice of a Thursday or Friday at the end of June. I couldn't believe there were available passes for both days in peak summertime. Usually when a landmark destination now has to be limited to a certain number of visitors per day (think Zion, Yosemite and Glacier NP's) that usually means the popularity of the park is so great that passes sell out the moment they're available! So, when I logged onto bcparks.ca at 7am, there were passes to be had and it's absolutely free to book! There are 3 lakes to explore at Joffre. They are the Lower, Middle and Upper Lakes. After passing through the Ranger Station at 8am and displaying my day pass - QR Code, I immediately approached Lower Joffre Lake within 5 minutes. For morning time, the lake had a glowing reflection with a light yellow, green and gold coloring to the water. It wasn't turquoise blue, but the Middle and Upper Lakes are pristine blue!! Now here's where the hiking and elevation come into play. For the Middle and Upper Lakes, you will be climbing hard for almost 3 - 4 kilometers. And that should take 2 - 2.5 hours in first arriving at Middle Lake. Middle Lake was gorgeous. It is the prized centerfold piece to Joffre! It took my breath away! It was peaceful and colorfully blue. I had this out of body moment where I felt like I was running around with my head cut off trying to photograph the best aspects of it! Simply put, I was in awe! There's a clearing of trees and bushes beside the middle part of Middle Joffre Lake. Everyone who was hiking was now sitting down, eating lunch and enjoying the views. I grabbed as many pics as I optimistically could before hiking 1 more kilometer to Upper Joffre Lake. On the way to Upper Joffre Lake, you pass by a terrific waterfall called Holloway Falls. It's definitely worthy of a photo or video. Holloway Falls gushes down the mountainside without a hindrance. It's a beautiful thing to see in nature. Now finally at Upper Joffre Lake, it is very picturesque with blue reflections illuminating the lake. I will admit, and I don't know why, but Middle Lake was just better and more colorful. Upper Joffre Lake was great, but I was on a natural high from the Middle Lake. There are plenty of giant boulders to sit down on and enjoy the views at Upper Joffre. Again, hikers were resting after the difficult hike to get here. What I did was hike around Upper Joffre Lake because...in morning time, the sun from the trail looked me straight in the face. So, I thought if I could reach the opposite side of the lake, I'd reap the rewards of having the sun at my back and poetically reflecting onto Upper Joffre. For hiking around Upper Joffre, just follow the Campground Pathway around the lake and then the exploring is at your own accord, choose your own adventure and enjoy. Best thing about the Campground Path (which, btw, is 1 kilometer long), is it steers you clear from the hectic crowds and people taking too many selfies and family photos. At the other side of Upper Joffre Lake, I was able to climb on top of the rocks making my way towards a wonderful splashing waterfall off the side of a cliff! The moment certainly reminded me of one of Yosemite's grand waterfalls. I also noticed other adventurous hikers climbing to the "toe" of a glacier far in the distance. Then finally, from this opposite side of Upper Joffre Lake, I was able to grab a panoramic perspective of the entire lake in one snapshot. Only problem was that some clouds set in, and the lake was no longer colorful. Oh well, in that moment, I was humbled by the experience and felt ready to return back down the mountain. Lastly, on the return hike I was able to capture any last-minute pictures I may have missed upon first starting out. But, when it's not sunny and the lakes aren't glistening, the aura and invincibility of Joffre Lakes dissipates. Just saying, lol, from my Pov. The hike back down wasn't difficult only taking 90 minutes. When I finally returned to the trailhead, I had been gone for 7 hours or half the day. In the end, I was grateful to have discovered Joffre Lakes Provincial Park on a whim through talking with random friendly hikers. This was a really memorable day and who doesn't love turquoise blue lakes!!!

This trail is a fairly easy one from town and really pays off with this ridiculously beautiful…read morelake. The lake seems to also be a sanctuary for Western toads and there is a lovely underpass built for them to travel safely. It has really worked because there are little toads everywhere on this underpass. The trail around the lake is easy to take on by bike, walking, or even a stroller. The lake has great bathing platforms in various spots and must be fun for swimming for those who have not been weakened by sunny California. We did see two bears on the hill maybe 100 yards above the path and very close to Whistler Village and a lone mountain biker who wisely paused and gave it space to cross the biking path in the woods.

A short hike from Whistler Village. Try the many trails. Lovely. Perfect summer day. Bring your…read moresunscreen

Came to Rainbow Park on a Friday at around 12:30. There is paid street parking in the area. This…read morewas my first experience swimming in a lake, and it was just okay. I guess I had a different image in my head. Some grass areas were wet/muddy due to sprinklers, and most of the good sitting areas were already taken. The water is cold and just doesn't look too clean - but maybe this is normal for lakes? I probably only stayed in the water for 5 minutes before I started wondering if I would catch something. If swimming in the lake is not for you, I think there is also a hiking trail nearby.

All the happiest pups say rainbow!!!!!!…read more Finding this place was such a happy coincidence. And I am so glad. We were staying in the Four Seasons Whistler this week. Decided to drive out of our hotel and it was worth the trek. Wish I found this spot sooner. It's a gorgeous, open, clean, fresh and stunning park. Both for human and your fur babies. The human side is first. Tiny little ice cream truck, volley ball court, roped off shallow swim area and the whole entire gorgeous lake with the glaciers! Brrrr! The doggy park/ rainbow park/ barking bay is right inside here as well and just covered by a tiny, short door. Which is also open! And the fun begins. Baci hasn't swam in such big or open lake before so I was worried. But as soon as we entered into such lush green grass area full of people sunbathing with their dogs, kids diving off the docks, dogs jumping in, Baci went wild! So happy! They even had a puppy ramp for the dogs to come back up!! Baci didn't jump off, he was actually worried for all the dogs that did and barking at them. Pretty sure he thought they were drowning :D But the dog owners are also super chill, nice and fun! They tried to help Baci jump. Even the kids tried to get him to jump. First day he didn't jump but he went in the water! Followed few other doggos and oh hey!! Doggy paddle!!! So proud! Such happy moment. The doggos had a ton of fun chasing balls and sticks from the water! And running to and from that long dock! Such a good spot for them to run. We came back the next morning and it was even better. Only one other dog was here. We had a blast! Baci used the ramp! Met so many locals and their doggos. Only wish they have something like this back home. Such lucky dogs!! Till then, we'll have to come back just for this!! :)

This is a super easy trail that quickly leads to the plummeting falls! The park contains a violent…read moregeological past, and its volcano left signs of eruptions along the trail. Formerly hot lava, basalt columns surrounded the entrance sign. After crossing a wooden bridge, we walked next to a steep slope of large volcanic boulders. Then we hobbled over train tracks towards a wooden deck overlooking Brandywine Falls. The water that pooled at the bottom of the waterfall had a gorgeous turquoise color. The only downside here was the large crowd. Other things to do at Brandywine Falls: - Restroom break by the parking lot! - Walk your dog (on a leash) - Walk past Brandywine Falls to view Daisy Lake and surrounding mountains - Hike to Cal-Cheak Suspension Bridge - Picnic - Mountain bike to Cal-Cheak Forest Recreation Site Brandywine Falls had the easiest walk towards a scenic body of water along our Sea to Sky Highway road trip. (Part 5)

Brandywine Falls is located about a 15-minute drive south of Whistler. We stopped by on a Sunday at…read morearound 2:30 on the drive back to Vancouver. They have a parking lot, and we had no issues with finding a spot at that time. It's a short, easy trail to the falls - maybe about 10 minutes. The falls are big but is unfortunately partially blocked by foliage and rocks. If you keep going, you'll get some views of the mountains and a greenish blue lake. It's a nice and quick stop if you're driving on the way to something else, but probably not something worth making a stop specifically for.

Yes watch out for the bears but keep an eye out for bear poop! You're more likely to step in it…read morethan run into them! Seriously the bears come down here to $hit on the roads and valley trail, its like a toilet for them. I don't blame the bears, we built up a recreational park in their back yard so its only fair they get back at us with that. Alpha Lake Park has its amazing moments during spring and summer but mother nature does need to get a grip on her meds to keep her mood swings in check. One day its cold and rainy then it will be that way for a week and all of a sudden it'll be sunny and humid, then switch again. So if you're planning a trip up here, look up the weather forecast. Its no fun being here in the rain, it gets swampy and buggy. We love this park for the enclosed off leash dog park with a separate deck/dock that extends out into the lake for your fur baby to jump in. We have been told that it's ok to go into. I personally would not go into that water. It is shallow and you can see all types of green algae slimy nastiness in there. The park provides free bio degradable dog bags for poop, so there is no excuse not to pick up after your pet and the municipality collects that stuff in bins for compost. This is a nice place to spend the afternoon, if you have kids, there is a playground, awesomely placed picnic tables and benches for great views of the mountains while you picnic, and this park connects to Pine Point Park which you'll see across the lake next to the private bridge that connects to the lake island. Be careful if you go out that way, the train runs in the afternoon around 4:30pm ish and the tracks are in that area. We come here a lot for the tennis courts which are typically busy, but take a walk around if they are, people here are very nice about not hogging the courts and sharing. #WhistlerWonderland #Whislife #ExploreBC

Ever have moments in nature where you're in complete and utter awe of what just happened? Well…read moreAlpha Lake gave that and more ... so much more where I'm going 'oh $#!t... literally. Damn you bear, I didn't need to see that.' The warnings of Alpha Lake Park being bear territories are very real. I encountered one teenage bear just walking 3 meters from me before turning his (or her) butt towards me and well... now I can answer the meme if a bear $#its in the woods. Yes... yes they do... a lot... and no I dont want to see that again ever. There isn't enough eye bleach in the world for that. So special thanks to Berneta, my fav BC yelper, I am forever in your debt now that I saw bears ... crap all over the streets. Aside from that blah, Alpha Lake is a picturesque and serene lake side park that has of clear paths from the nearby resort housing to the waters edge. It's so well maintained with all paths nicely cleared and paved for you to easily run (from bears), bike (from bears), or walk slowly to see the cute little family of ducks on sunning on a log. The lake itself is kinda gross as you get further from the little beach area ... it looks like to be stagnant sitting water but it is incredibly still. This makes it the most wonderful mirror to the trees, hills, and stupidly amazing house that sits on an island in the middle of it. Aside from the short walk around the lake, you'll find a well fenced and clean dog area that goes to the lake shore. A nice tennis court and basketball half court. A good clear area where a lot of the locals were just sitting and sunning themselves in the sun on a lazy Monday afternoon. There's also a really big playground with a cool looking modern art-esque play castle (Toronto ones look so utilitarian compared to this one). This place is just so chill as everyone sat nearby the water. I felt this place was much more relaxed than the Rainbow Lake but also much more cozy. It isn't a big spot but just a good place for a nice easy day in the sun. Just keep your eyes out for bears and their crap. You never know when they show up. *gags*

I had never been to Stawamus Chief before but I was super excited for it. I had heard that it was a…read morerather difficult hike (which it is) but it's totally doable! We had someone with us who had never done a hike before and she made it to the top so it's doable. Having said that, we only did peak 1 because it was raining that day and we didn't want to risk anything. Peak 1 have lots of rocks and the elevation gain is pretty big. It took us 4.5 hours in total for the hike but if you are someone who is a hiker, it's possible to do it in 3 hrs. I will say that if you decide to do this hike on a rainy day, be prepared to have proper shoes because it does get slippery! Regardless I would say having proper shoes for this hike is important. The top of the hike is mostly climbing with ropes and on flat elevated rocks so it's good to have shoes with good grip. The view from up there is definitely worth it though!

I love hiking and have done a lot of hiking over the past couple of years (I started a hiking group…read moretwo years ago), improving my stamina and fitness level. I have been able to do increasingly harder hikes, although my level is solidly intermediate -- I can't do hikes that are 20km, 10 hours, extreme elevation, really rough terrain, etc. The Stawamus Chief, known as "The Chief", is a popular hike that is on many people's bucket list. I was never particularly interested in The Chief, as the description seemed too difficult and being in Squamish, it was not possible to get there as a non-driver. However, this summer, some friends who I met through my hiking group wanted to try The Chief. We went on a Wednesday, in order to avoid the weekend crowd. Seven of us went, and none of us being morning people, we arrived around 11:30am, which is considered late for hardcore hikers. Fortunately, we were able to find a parking spot, although there were very few available at that time. The Chief consists of three peaks, and we only did the first one, which was more than enough. We went quite slowly, taking breaks as needed, and excluding about an hour at the top, taking in the view and having lunch, it took us about 4.5 hours to complete (2.5 hours to the top, 2 hours back down). While I was obviously able to complete The Chief, I didn't particularly enjoy the hike (although I really liked the company and hanging out with my friends), and I have no desire to do it again -- I've done it once, I don't have anything to prove, and there are so many other hikes to do. The trail for the first peak, while relatively short (under 4km there and back) is quite steep, and there are a lot of stairs. The problem is that I am short, and the steps were quite high, so I was extra slow as it took me longer to step up or down each stair, and by the end of the hike, I was exhausted (as were my friends). I had heard that there were chains and a ladder on the rock face that you needed to scramble up in order to get to the top, and this is why I had no desire to try The Chief. While challenging, the chains and ladder weren't so bad, and easier than I had expected. But the scramble up the rock face after the chains and ladder was horrible. I hated the scramble up the rock face, and I was actually pretty terrified -- I almost fell backwards to my death, as with Tunnel Bluffs. Thankfully my friends helped me. In my opinion, there should have been some chains to hold on to. Anyway, I made it up without dying, but I am never doing that again. At the top we could see the second peak, and to me, it looked like a pure scramble up rock face, the part I hated about our hike. I'm definitely never going to attempt the other peaks. We spend about an hour at the top, having lunch and hanging out. There was a cute chipmunk who ate the trail mix that I "accidentally" dropped, and we saw a Peregrine falcon and a raven flying around for over five minutes -- it looked like the falcon was chasing the raven. Overall a great day with my friends, but I did not enjoy The Chief and have no desire to ever do it again. [Yelp collections: Hiking]

It was my first time visiting this park. It was a weekday and paid parking spots were limited. I…read moredon't know where people park on a busy weekend with a fairly small parking lot. It is an nice park by the lake where you can chill or rent a canoe or paddle board.

Good place for renting a paddle board. Only down side is the price. 3 hours cost me about 100$. I…read morefind that really expensive.