Mother Nature changes our trails and access roads every year. All info in the book was accurate at the time of writing, but of course is subject to change. On this page, you’ll find the latest updated information on the trails in my books, Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia (2021, Greystone Books) and Backpacking on Vancouver Island (2024, Greystone Books).
Last updated September 17, 2024
Do you have updated info to contribute? Email me! backpacking [at] happiestoutdoors [dot] ca
Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia Updates
Backpacking Basics Updates
Fees and Reservations for Camping and Huts: Reservations for BC Parks backcountry campgrounds are now available 4 months before the first day of your trip.
Pemberton and Whistler Updates
Trip 2 Joffre Lakes
- New for 2024 the park has several closure periods to allow for Indigenous use. The park is closed from April 30 to May 15, June 15 to June 23, and September 3 to October 3.
- Day-use visitors now require a free day-use pass between May and October each year. However, if you have a backcountry reservation, you do not need a day pass.
- The two shuttle bus services listed in the further resources section are no longer operating. Parkbus is not offering a shuttle service in 2024.
Trip 3 Tenquille Lake
- The area no longer has first-come, first served camping. You must reserve camping and spots in the hut online up to 60 days before your trip. Campsites are $25/night for up to 2 tents and 4 people. Spots in the cabin are $25/person/night.
- Dogs are no longer allowed due to grizzly bear conflicts.
- Fires are no longer allowed.
- The lake is now being referred to by its Lil’wat and N’Quatqua name, Háwint, which means packrat.
- The camping area near the hut is permanently closed but the 9 campsites to the east of the hut remain open – see this map.
Trip 4 Wedgemount Lake
- As of 2021, hammocks are not allowed in Garibaldi Provincial Park due to high-use levels and damage to small trees.
Trip 5 Russet Lake
- Russet Lake now has 20 designated campsites.
- BC Parks installed a new urine-diversion outhouse was in September 2021.
- As of 2021, hammocks are not allowed in Garibaldi Provincial Park due to high-use levels and damage to small trees.
Trip 6 Cheakamus Lake
- As of 2021, hammocks are not allowed in Garibaldi Provincial Park due to high-use levels and damage to small trees.
- Day-use visitors now require a free day-use pass between June and October each year. However, if you have a backcountry reservation, you do not need a day pass.
Trip 7 Helm Creek
- As of 2021, hammocks are not allowed in Garibaldi Provincial Park due to high-use levels and damage to small trees.
- Day-use visitors now require a free day-use pass between June and October each year. However, if you have a backcountry reservation, you do not need a day pass.
Squamish Updates
Trip 9 Garibaldi Lake and Taylor Meadows
- As of 2021, hammocks are not allowed in Garibaldi Provincial Park due to high-use levels and damage to small trees.
- Day-use visitors now require a free day-use pass between June and October each year. However, if you have a backcountry reservation, you do not need a day pass.
Trip 10 Brew Hut
- The access road to the trailhead has been deactivated. The bridge over Roe Creek at 5.9km has been removed so this is as far as you can currently drive. However, the Varsity Outdoor Club installed a footbridge in December, 2021. From the footbridge, you will need to hike up the deactivated road to the trailhead. This will add 4km with 420m of elevation gain to the hike.
- There is another trail to Brew Lake from the Brew Main FSR but the road to get there is very rough.
Trip 11 Lake Lovely Water
- Squamish River Jet went out of business so getting a ride across the Squamish River is a bit more difficult. Patrick Lewis of the Squamish Nation may still offer rides, but he is often unavailable. Squamish Watersports has started offering jet ski rides to the trailhead from downtown.
- Bookings for the Tantalus Hut are now for the whole hut (16 people) rather than per person and available only in blocks of three days. Prices are $2000 for Fri/Sat/Sun nights or $1700 for Mon/Tues/Wed nights. You can add Thursday night to either booking for $500. There are discounts if your whole group are ACC-Vancouver members.
Trip 12 Elfin Lakes
- As of 2021, hammocks are not allowed in Garibaldi Provincial Park due to high-use levels and damage to small trees.
- Day-use visitors now require a free day-use pass between June and October each year. However, if you have a backcountry reservation, you do not need a day pass.
Trip 13 Watersprite Lake
- There are now 20 campsites at the lake – 10 wooden platforms and 10 gravel pads.
- The campground is now operated by the BC Mountaineering Club and requires reservations between July 1 and October 10 each year. Camping is $20/night and can be booked on the BCMC website.
Sunshine Coast Updates
Trip 18 Tetrahedron Plateau
- Volunteers from the Tetrahedron Outdoor Club installed a new bridge over Steele Creek near the Edwards Lake Cabin in November 2022. This bridge eliminates a challenging creek ford.
Metro Vancouver Updates
Trip 22 Widgeon Lake
- Pitt Lake Canoe Rental has a new phone number: (604) 790-2205.
Trip 23 Gold Creek Canyon
- There is a bear cache at Viewpoint Beach. It’s not new, but there is no info about it on the BC Parks website and it is very hard to find so I missed it on my research trip. It is located at N49 21.917 W122 27.273. To find it, walk south along the beach from the trail intersection and look for a faint path heading into the trees. (Thanks to Lisa Poon in the Backpacking Trips in BC Facebook group for this update.)
- As of spring 2022, there is now a bear cache at Halfmoon Beach.
- Day-use visitors now require a free day-use pass between June and October each year. However, if you have a backcountry registration, you do not need a day pass.
Trip 24 Golden Ears
- As of spring 2022, there is now a bear cache at the Alder Flats campground.
- Day-use visitors now require a free day-use pass between June and October each year. However, if you have a backcountry registration, you do not need a day pass.
Fraser Valley and Fraser Canyon Updates
Trip 25 Lindeman and Greendrop Lakes
- As of 2021, Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park is now known as Sx̱ótsaqel/Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park. Sx̱ótsaqel means sacred lake in Halkomelelm. It is pronounced skot-sa-qel.
Trip 26 Flora Lake
- As of 2021, Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park is now known as Sx̱ótsaqel/Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park. Sx̱ótsaqel means sacred lake in Halkomelelm. It is pronounced skot-sa-qel.
Trip 27 Radium Lake
- As of 2021, Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park is now known as Sx̱ótsaqel/Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park. Sx̱ótsaqel means sacred lake in Halkomelelm. It is pronounced skot-sa-qel.
Trip 29 Lower Stein Valley
- The July 2023 Ponderosa Creek fire burned a huge section of the trail from Devil’s Staircase to past the suspension bridge. As of 2024, the trail is open up to Devil’s Staircase Camp only.
Coquihalla Updates
Trip 30 Manson Ridge
- The November 2021 floods washed out sections of the Sowaqua Creek FSR so the Sowaqua trailhead is still inaccessible.
- The old logging road to Manson Ridge from Peers Creek Trailhead was reactivated in summer/fall 2020 and logging is now taking place along the road. The Hope Mountain Centre opened a new trail on the south side of Peers Creek in June 2024.
- Break-ins and vandalism are a problem at the Peers Creek trailhead. Instead, park at the Hope Visitor Centre and take a taxi to the trailhead.
Skagit and Similkameen Updates
Trip 34 Skagit River Trail
- The November 2021 floods caused the Skagit River to change course. The bridge at the Sumallo Grove Trailhead is still is place but does not cross the river. At some times of the year, the river is too wide and deep to wade, making this trip inaccessible until a new bridge is in place. However, in late summer, it is an easy ford.
- The Silver Skagit Road to the western trailhead reopened on April 15, 2024.
Trip 35 Heather Trail
- As of 2024, Buckhorn and Kicking Horse campgrounds require reservations between late June 30 and early September each year. Reservations cost $6/night/tent pad. Camping fees remain at $5/person/night.
- Buckhorn now has 24 wood tent platforms and a new cooking shelter.
- Kicking Horse does not have overflow sites anymore, but it now has 15 tent pads.
Trip 36 Frosty Mountain
- Frosty Creek campground requires reservations between late July and late October each year. Reservations cost $6/night/tent pad. Camping fees remain at $5/person/night.
- The campground now has nine tent pads.
Trip 40 Cathedral Lakes
- Most of Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park was burned in the Crater Creek wildfire in August 2023. The park is currently closed. Portions of the park may re-open in summer 2025.
Backpacking on Vancouver Island Updates
How to Use This Book Updates
Elevation Gain
As stated on page 30 of the book, the elevation stats for each hike are net – they are not cumulative. My previous book used net elevation as did other hiking books from my publisher. However, in the last few years the proliferation of GPS mapping tools and hiking apps like AllTrails has made cumulative elevation more popular. I’ve received some feedback from readers that they thought the elevation stats in my Vancouver Island book were wrong. The stats aren’t wrong… they’re just net.
I fully agree that in some cases (mostly where hikes are rolling) net elevation gain is not a helpful stat when compared with cumulative elevation. If my publisher wants to put out a new edition of this book in a few years, I plan to use cumulative elevation gain.
If you want the cumulative elevation gain for each hike in the book, I’ve listed them below:
- Narvaez Bay: 80 m (same as net)
- East Sooke Coast Trail: 822 m
- Juan de Fuca Trail: 3,305 m
- Kludahk Trail: 1,655 m
- Avatar Grove: 110 m
- West Coast Trail: 2,950 m
- Carmanah Valley: 238 m
- Keeha Beach: 232 m
- Mount Arrowsmith: 1,060 m (same as net)
- Della Falls: 815 m
- Hišimy̓awiƛ Hut and 5040 Peak: 745 m
- Wild Pacific Trail: 80 to 295 m
- Big Tree Trail: 85 m
- Wild Side Trail: 295 m
- Helliwell Loop: 50 m (same as net)
- Cumberland Community Forest: 200 m
- Forbidden Plateau Traverse: 755 m
- Helen Mackenzie and Kwai Lakes Loop: 545 m
- Circlet Lake and Mount Albert Edward: 735 m
- Augerpoint Traverse: 1,975 m
- Ripple Rock: 425 m
- Flower Ridge: 1,150 m (same as net)
- Bedwell and Cream Lakes: 785 to 1,430 m
- Upper Myra Falls: 380 m
- Arnica Lake: 885 m
- Elk River and Landslide Lake: 620 to 1,110 m
- Crest Mountain: 1,130 m (same as net)
- Upana Caves: 30 m (same as net)
- Nootka Trail: 450 m
- Tatchu Trail: 500 m
- North Coast Trail: 1,300 m
- Cape Scott: 670 m
- San Josef Bay: 180 m
- Raft Cove: 140 m
- Grant Bay: 40 m (same as net)
Southwest Coast Updates
Trip 5 Avatar Grove
- The trail is currently closed for maintenance. There is no info about a possible opening date.
Trip 6 West Coast Trail
- Trail fees have increased. Reservations now cost $25.75/person. Trail fees now cost $166.75/person. National Park entry fees are now $11/person/day.
- Ditidaht Comfort Camping is no longer operating.
- There is a new app for the West Coast Trail.
Trip 8 Keeha Beach
- Trail fees have increased. Reservations now cost $11.50/site/night. Camping fees are now $13.50/person/night. National Park entry fees are now $11/person/day.
Port Alberni and Tofino Trips
Trip 11 Hišimy̓awiƛ Hut and 5040 Peak
- The access road is much worse. A 4WD high clearance vehicle is now needed to get beyond the 8 km mark. AWD vehicles will not make it.
- As of spring 2024, there is a toilet at Cobalt Lake.
- While camping is still free, donations to ACCVI are appreciated to help with outhouse maintenance.
Trip 13 Big Tree Tree
- Water taxi and trail fees have increased and now cost $35/person.
Northwest Coast Trips
Trip 31 North Coast Trail
- There is a new toilet and bear cache at the east end of Nissen Bight near the water source.
Trip 32 Cape Scott
- There are new urine-diversion outhouses at Nel’s Bight and Nissen Bight.
Trip 33 San Josef Bay
- There is a new urine-diversion outhouse at First Beach.
Trip 34 Raft Cove
- BC Parks issued a wolf advisory for the beach and campground in March 2024. Dogs are not recommended and must be on a leash.
