Garibaldi Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada

August 2018

Garibaldi Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada, is a breathtakingly beautiful place to explore. At over 1950 square miles, Garibaldi encompasses rugged mountain peaks, powder blue glacier-fed lakes, and old-growth forests. The Canadian government designated Garibaldi a provincial park (similar to a state park here in the U.S.) in 1927. The park is home to black bears, marmots, deer, mountain goats, and eagles. Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, and Western Hemlock fill the densely populated forests year-round, while fields of wildflowers blanket the vast meadows in the summer months. We were impressed with the cleanliness of the park, the immaculate trail conditions, and not to mention the genuine friendliness of the Canadians. These reasons make Garibaldi one of our favorite destinations to hike in North America.

We flew into Seattle SeaTac Airport and drove 4/5 hours through the Canadian border, past Vancouver, and up the Sea-to-Sky Highway to Squamish where we spent the night. We woke up early the next morning and drove 30 minutes to the Rubble Creek Trailhead. This is the starting point for several different backpack/camping routes, so the parking lot was quite full. We found a spot but when we returned to our car, the lot was overflowing and cars were parked for several hundred meters down the road. The 18 mile, 5000′ climb up to Panorama Ridge is an iconic hike because it rewards you with unprecedented 360-degree views of the majestic glacial peaks and lakes the fill Garibaldi Provincial Park.

The hike begins on a very well-maintained trail, gradually ascending through thick forest. After about 3.5 miles, you will come to a trail junction for Garibaldi Lake and Taylor Meadows. We took the more direct trail to the left, towards the popular campground area Taylor Meadows. As you approach the vast campground, the trees thin and wide sub-alpine meadows appear. There are 40 wooden tent platforms, two outhouses, and bear-proof food storage here.

Beyond Taylor Meadows Campground, the views open up and you begin to see the Black Tusk. Since we were hiking on an overcast day, we did not get a glimpse of the Tusk until there was a brief break in the clouds later on. This being early August, the meadows were exploding with at least a dozen varieties of wildflowers, flanking streams and mini waterfalls. It was a photographer’s dream!

The Taylor Meadows trail becomes Helm Creek Trail as you continue the gradual ascent past this breathtaking scenery. There are run-off creeks, creating small waterfalls and rapids at every turn. You will begin to pass several small lakes along the way. Admire the views of turquoise blue Garibaldi Lake in the distance!

Soon you will reach a junction for Panorama Ridge. If you continue straight you will eventually reach the Helm Creek Campground and Cheakamus Lake. However, to reach Panorama Ridge you will turn right here and begin the steep climb to the top. As you climb, the Black Tusk looms behind you and Helm Lake shows in the distance. The clouds parted for a few minutes to allow picturesque views of the Black Tusk that day.

The last mile is a rock scramble to the top, finally reaching the summit of Panorama Ridge. If you hike on a clear day, you will be rewarded with views of the surrounding peaks, glaciers, and the turquoise blue waters of Garibaldi Lake below. While we hiked on a foggy day, we had nearly whiteout conditions and zero visibility just after we reached the summit. Thus, the lake was not visible to the south of the ridge. Nevertheless, it felt like a great accomplishment to summit the ridge. We have included some photos here, but plan to return to complete this hike again on a clear day.

We retraced our steps back to the Helm Creek Trail, and decided to take the cutoff trail south (left) towards Garibaldi Lake, called the Black Tusk/Cinder Flats trail. Follow this trail through a portion of upper Taylor Meadows before it switchbacks down to the lake over 1.2 miles. We enjoyed a snack lakeside and met the endless hoards of people making their way to Garibaldi Lake campground. We descended 3000′ over 5 miles down the Garibaldi Lake trail and back to the parking lot. This was the most crowded portion of the hike and seemed to go on forever. Thankfully the scenery helped make it enjoyable.