Elfin Lakes (Winter Route)

Country	Canada
Province/State	BC

Access

Access to the trailhead at Diamond Head is via the Ring Creek Road and Garibaldi Park Road. To reach the trailhead, take Highway 99 to Squamish. Turn East (right if heading north, left otherwise) onto Mamquam road (at the Canadian tire store). Follow Mamquam road until it starts ascending and turns into gravel. This is Ring Creek Road. Follow Ring Creek road to the intersection with Garibaldi Park Road (signed). Follow the road to the parking areas. If the road is snowy, then parking in the lower parking area is highly recommended for vehicles without chains. The upper parking lot is at about 980m.

Duration

1-2 days.

Route

This is an extremely popular ski and snowshoe route in the winter. The grades are relatively gentle, and the avalanche danger along the wanded winter route is generally low. There is also a hiking route which also leads to the Elfin Lakes cabin in the summer.

From the Diamond Head parking lot, follow the logging road up through the forest for about 5km, where you can fork off the road and into the trees (usually wanded). Follow the wands to the Red Heather hut. The Red Heather hut is a day shelter, equipped with a wood stove and a couple of propane burners.

To travel all the way to Elfin Lakes, continue following the wands up through the Red Heather meadows to Paul Ridge. Continue following the wands along the south side of Paul Ridge to Elfin Lakes. The Elfin Lakes cabin is equipped with propane heat, light and stoves, and sleeps 30. It is usually very busy in winter.

This is also a popular day skiing area. Popular options close to Red Heather include the north slopes of Paul Ridge, Round Mountain. Near Elfin Lakes, there are also runs off of Columnar Peak and The Gargoyles.

External Links

BC Parks Website for Garibaldi Park