Elfin Lakes is a long but incredibly scenic hike in Garibaldi Provincial Park. This 20+ kilometers round-trip traverses through forests and meadows of flowering heather, past various peaks and glaciers, until you reach a swimmable lake completely surrounded by mountains.
In this hiking guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know to hike to Elfin Lakes, including how to get there, what to expect on the trail, when to go and all our best tips for an enjoyable day hike.
Planning considerations:
Round trip distance: 20 – 22 kilometers
Elevation gain/loss: ~800 meters (~2,625 feet)
Peak elevation: ~1550 (5085 feet)
Difficulty: Moderate / Hard
Best time to hike: All year round, with the best conditions window from July to October
Time needed: 6 – 10 hours, more info below
Permits: Required, more info below
Dogs: Unfortunately dogs aren’t allowed on this trail
Mountain bikes: Yes, but only between the parking lot and the lakes
Washrooms: Yes
Wildlife possibilities: black bears, chipmunks, marmots, bald eagles, deer
Where is the Elfin Lakes trail?
The Elfin Lakes trail is located in the south part of Garibaldi Provincial Park near Squamish. This park is home to our absolute favorite hikes including Wedgemount Lake, Panorama Ridge and Black Tusk.
How to get to the Elfin Lakes trailhead
The trail begins at the Garibaldi Park Diamond Head parking lot, around 80 kilometers from downtown Vancouver. The best way to get there is to drive which takes around 1.5 hours. The last 10-12 km is a bumpy forest service road (FSR) taking you to about 950 meters elevation. You can manage this FSR in a regular car, even an EVO will make it, but you’ll struggle to go faster than 30 km/h. In winter, you’ll need chains for the tires.
You can find Google maps directions to the Diamond Head parking lot here.
Do I need a permit to hike the Elfin Lakes trail?
As with most hikes in Garibaldi Provincial Park, you need to book a day use pass. Passes are free and can be reserved on the BC Parks website up to 48 hours in advance starting at 7am. But be aware that if you want to secure a pass for Saturday or Sunday during the peak season, they go fast! We missed out a few times before because they were all claimed within 2 minutes (no exaggeration!).
Elfin Lakes summer trail overview
The hike covers a substantial distance of around 11 kilometers each way, so it’s not a quick trek. But don’t let the length intimidate you! The elevation gain is spread out over the course, so it’s a relatively easy ascent.
The first 5-6 km are a consistent incline but are not too steep. There’s little worth saying about this part as it’s a wide service road in a forest, so apart from one waterfall, it’s not the most exciting. Once you reach the Red Heather hut, you’ll find a pit toilet, which can be useful information.
Once you’re out of the forest, you’ll be on Red Heather Meadows. This part is much nicer, more open and diverse. We saw a black bear here, but it was about 50 meters away. Although it spotted us, it seemed far more interested in eating berries! A lot of other hikers reported seeing multiple bears too, so make sure you’re prepared and take bear spray with you, especially in August, September and October.
There are two different routes you can take through the meadows. There’s a shorter path for hikers and a slightly longer path for cyclists. The longer path is very open with great visibility, while the shorter one is a bit overgrown. We only mention this because we accidentally picked the longer route (we missed the sign) and we were quite a distance away from the bear. Meanwhile, another hiker told us the same bear came out of the bushes literally 2 meters in front of him on the shorter path!
Next, you will reach Paul Ridge on Round Mountain with amazing views of Atwell Peak / Mount Garibaldi, Diamond Head, and the Tantalus Range. The rest of the trail is relatively flat – there are some up and down sections but nothing too intense.
Eventually, after a gentle descent, the trail ends at the lakes. First, you’ll see the bigger lake – that’s the one you can swim in while the other one is reserved for drinking water. The water is very clear, and although some people find it too cold for swimming, others jump in without hesitation! Let us tell you, it’s an incredible feeling after 11 kilometers of hiking in the sun. If you’re doing this as a day hike, a wild swim will give you new energy for the hike back.
The campsite is right after the lakes. Although there were quite a few people at the swimmable lake, there was still plenty of space to find a quiet spot for just us. When we went there in late August, the water was perfectly fine for swimming – we wouldn’t say it was warm, but it was not too bad at all.
Where are the best views on the Elfin lakes trail?
The first few kilometers on the FSR may feel like an uninteresting slog. But what’s great about this hike is that once you’re out of the forest, there are great views pretty much all the way to the lakes. A lot of hikes in British Columbia are below tree line until you reach the summit, so this is a nice change.
The lakes themselves are not the most impressive, and they’re not glacial blue lakes either, but it’s the surroundings that make spending time here and going for a swim extra special.
How long does it take to hike to Elfin Lakes?
The Elfin Lakes trail is manageable as a day hike. It took us just under 6.5 hours with around 30 minutes at the lake and a few stops for photos, but we were rushing on the way down to make it back to the parking lot before dusk. Based on our experience, we would say the hike can take anything between 6-10 hours depending on your fitness.
How hard is the Elfin Lakes hike?
The AllTrails app rates trails as either Easy, Moderate or Hard. Elfin Lakes has the Hard distinction because of the total distance, but personally we would rate it moderately hard. Of course, by the end of the 20+ kilometers round trip you can expect your body to be feeling the effects of being on your feet all day. There are also some gains in elevation that will get your heart pumping. But this is not a technically difficult hike as there are no scrambles and no climbing.
What is the elevation of Elfin Lakes?
Most websites will tell you the trail gains around 600 meters between the trailhead and the lakes. However, you will lose some of this elevation along the way and will need to make it up again. The more accurate elevation gain estimate is around 800 meters. But worry not! It’s 100% worth every step for the views you get along the way.
What are the odds of encountering a black bear on the Elfin Lakes trail?
The chances of running into a bear on this trail are high, particularly in summer and fall when the meadows are full of berries and other edible plants. That being said, most bears do their best to avoid human interactions, so your chances of having an encounter with an aggressive black bear are very low. Be aware of your surroundings especially after you pass the Red Heather hut and do your best to not surprise any bears as that’s what makes them dangerous. This is best done by making noise as you hike, either talking with friends, singing or clapping your hands from time to time. If you see a bear in the distance, chances are it will completely ignore you and will continue munching berries. If you encounter a bear on the trail, slowly back away and wait for it to leave. Carry bear spray and know the basics of bear behaviour, so that you can respond appropriately.
What to bring?
Aside from the usual day hiking essentials, here are some things we would recommend specifically for Elfin Lakes:
- Swimsuit/trunks
If you do this hike in summer, you may as well try getting in the water. It’s cold but refreshing, so be sure to pack a swimsuit or trunks and you can decide if you actually want to go in once you get there.
- Sunscreen
If you’re going in the summer, be prepared for full sun exposure starting at the Red Heather shelter. Also, you’ll probably want to hang out at the lake for a while, and there’s no shade there whatsoever.
- Bug spray
Bugs can be a real nuisance, especially at the lake and particularly in summer.
- Bear spray
Bears like to munch on berries in Red Heather Meadows, so be bear aware while hiking, especially in August, September and October.
Are there pit toilets on the trail?
There are three pit toilets along the Elfin Lakes trail: one at the car park, one at Red Heather shelter and another one at Elfin Lakes Campground.
Can I stay overnight at Elfin Lakes?
If you want to spend the night at Elfin lakes, you can book one of the 35 tent spots in the campground. If you prefer to have a solid roof over your head, you can book one of the bunk beds in the hut. You can reserve your spot in advance on the BC Parks website.
Do I need an offline map for this hike?
Yes, download an offline map before heading out as there is limited cell reception in Garibaldi Provincial Park. If you have an AllTrails+ subscription you can download the map in the AllTrails app. If you need a subscription, you can take 30% off with our code OUTINBC30.
Can I do this hike in winter?
Yes, this is a popular snowshoeing area. The winter route is well marked but it’s a bit different to the summer route to minimize avalanche danger. Before heading out, make sure to check avalanche warnings on Avalanche.ca. It’s also useful to know that the lakes are typically frozen from December to April, sometimes longer. You can always check current conditions by reading latest reviews on the All Trails app.
Got more questions about the Elfin Lakes hike?
Just drop them in the comments, and we’ll be glad to help!
Read about other hikes in British Columbia here.
