Wedgemount Lake is a deceptively difficult hike located in Garibaldi Provincial Park, not far from Whistler, BC.
I say “deceptively” difficult because the hike is only 6 kilometres long, one way. Indeed, if it were flat, one could probably make it to the end and back in a couple of hours. However, it is very much not flat—the elevation gain over those 6 kilometres is over 1,100 metres. And most of that is within the first 4 kilometres, making the trail climb at a sustained 25% grade.
It’s an absolutely punishing hike, but we did it. The question is: was it worth it?
The unbelievable ascent
I’m sure many people drive from Vancouver, climb to the lake and back down, then drive home all in one day. After all, the Wedgemount Lake trailhead is only about a two-hour drive from Vancouver.
We opted instead to make a whole weekend out of it. We stayed at Alice Lake, near Squamish, Friday night after work. Then, we drove up to the trailhead on Saturday morning. We’d made a reservation to camp at Wedgemount Lake on Saturday night. In the end, we couldn’t have made a better decision—I genuinely don’t know if I’d have survived going up and down in one day.
The date was October 1st, and thanks to the endless dry weather of autumn 2022, it was a phenomenal day for hiking. We started at about 9:30 after driving up from Alice Lake. At that time, the parking lot was already pretty much full, with many day-hikers having started well before us, and several overnight groups starting at about the same time.
The first couple hundred metres of the trail follow an old road, before the path zigs into the forest and the ascent begins. Even the first 10-15 minutes of hiking aren’t too bad—just long enough to lull one into a false sense of security.
Then, it gets worse.
Once the trail starts to steepen, it simply does not relent. Again, this trail maintains a grade of about 25% through almost its entire run. The trail itself is mostly gnarly roots or large stones. And, on top of that, we were carrying overnight packs with sleeping bags and a tent.
Against my better judgment, I routinely checked our location via the GPS on my phone. Each time, I’d struggled up the hill for what felt like an eternity, thinking “must be almost half way by now,” only to see that we’d covered maybe 400 metres. I’m not in great shape, but I’ve not run into too many hikes that made me question whether I’d even be able to finish—this one did.
The trail was busy, with numerous day hikers passing us by. This didn’t bother me; after all, they had a lot less baggage to carry. There were a few groups of overnighters leapfrogging each other, as each took their turn for frequent, long breaks.
Finally, after almost exactly 4 hours of gruelling work, we made it to the top.
Wedgemount Lake and the Wedgemount Glacier
The final bit of climbing before reaching the lake is by far the toughest, the steepest, and the rockiest. But, as soon as you’re finished the worst part, you’re at the top, with a broad view over Wedgemount Lake to the glacier beyond.
The campground is essentially right at the top, but there are tent pads spread all along the northern shore of the lake—a distance of about 1 kilometre. The first of two bear caches, as well as the Wedgemount Lake hut, are the first thing one sees after completing the ascent.
After a (much needed) break, we continued along to the lake until we found a tent pad we liked. They’re all pretty nice, but as you walk further along the lake they get closer to the water. We set up right next to the lake.
After getting camp set up (and dropping our bags), we finished the hike to the foot of the glacier. From the campsite, it’s a short, easy walk up to Tupper Lake and Wedgemount Glacier.
After enjoying the cool breeze for a while, we returned to camp to spend the remainder of the afternoon recovering from the morning’s arduous trek. The weather stayed clear and warm until sunset, at which point it was merely clear.
It was an excellent night for stargazing, with the moon being below the horizon and not a cloud in the sky. Plus, it was October, so it was plenty dark by 9:00—about the latest hour we could manage in our exhaustion.
The return
Dreading the trudge down the mountainside, we left as early as we could manage to give ourselves plenty of time. Preparing breakfast and folding up the tent in the dark, we quite literally departed at first light.
Of course, we expected the descent to take no more than 3.5-4 hours, but we had other plans for the afternoon that required our presence back in the Lower Mainland.
Despite gravity being on our side this time, the descent was nearly as exhausting as the ascent. Just keeping myself stable as I climbed down the roots and rocks was pretty much all I could take. But, in the end, we succeeded; it took only about 3 hours to descend a distance of about 5 kilometres from where we’d set up camp.
Was it worth it?
I can’t overstate how hard the hike to Wedgemount Lake was. As far as short hikes go, it doesn’t get much harder—at some point it stops being hiking and starts being actual mountain climbing.
That having been said, the lake is beautiful. It’s surrounded by mountains with glaciers hanging off them, and the lake is that perfect glacial teal shade.
Of course, this is Garibaldi Provincial Park—there are numerous other places that match the description, without the grueling exercise required. Elfin Lakes or Garibaldi Lake are just as nice (or nicer), and much more pleasant to hike to.
So, I would say that the trip to Wedgemount Lake is worth it—once.
Questions or comments? Leave ’em below. Want to read another overnight backpacking story? Check out this story about hiking Manning Park’s Heather Trail during wildflower season.