Oct 2026

 

I’ve been asked why I moved to Vancouver and on the top of the list is the ‘mountains’. I love hiking and exploring the mountains, or even just staring at their horizon. The mountains make this city so special and it was such a joy to explore them this summer. 

 

I initially made a goal to see just eight and I actually did sixteen this season! This was the driest summer in B.C. in the last 100 years, and so we were really blessed with beautiful weather and an extended hiking season. I may have overdone it a little with the hiking, but as I write this essay from my apartment with rain pouring outside my window, I have absolutely no regrets. 

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I wanted to share some of my favourite hikes and memories from the season. I’m grateful for the favourable weather, for the beautiful nature, and for the spectacular views that took my breath away. Most of all, I’m grateful to be introduced to so many lovely friends and for all the amazing memories this summer. 

 

Top Hikes of 2026 Ranked 

 

1. Joffre Lakes 

• Solo

• Easy

 

This is the hike that affirmed why I moved out to B.C. - Joffre Lakes is truly something special. I’m getting emotional thinking about how beautiful it was!  It was my first hike solo and my second hike since moving out to Vancouver, and everything about Joffres’ was just so amazing. I actually took the day off of work because permits for these hikes are so difficult to get. Because it was a weekday on a rainy day, luckily there were barely any other hikers on the trail. The rain surprisingly made everything so pretty and magical…with the fog mists drifting throughout the forests and the raindrops dimpling the lake surface, the ambience was absolutely perfect. 

 

There are three lakes at Joffres, and they reminded me of three sisters: undeniably related,  but each unique and stunning in its own way. I also saw a massive eagle resting at the lower lake and I watched him for a good 45 minutes as I stood in the rain. The hike itself is really easy, less than 10km and an easy elevation gain. I even saw young children along the trail, which made me think about how lovely it would be to bring my own family hiking here one day. Honestly Joffre is 100% my favorite hike of the year. The weekday hike, with the rain, the tranquility and the eagle was so beautiful. 

 

2. Wedgemont Lake 

• Gigi

• Difficult

 

My first instinct was it was a four-way tie between Joffre, Wedgemont, Cheam/Lady, and St. Mark’s Summit at sunset. But Wedgemont has a bit of an advantage because I have never seen anything quite like it. The photos I took don’t even capture how beautiful Wedgemont was - the stark grey rock against the glacial aquablue water was stunnnnnnnnnningg.
 

I told my friend Gigi at least five times that I felt as if I were in a fairytale and that this place could possibly not be real. Absolutely breathtaking. It was a difficult hike, but absolutely worth it. And a post-hike Thai dinner at Barn Nork in Whistler was the cherry on the cake. 

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What made this hike extra special was sharing it with Gigi. It was the last hike we would do together before she left Canada, which made the whole experience feel even more meaningful.

 

3. Lady Cheam and Lady Peak 

• Timo, Jefferson, Nikita

• Difficult

 

Four plans fell through before I landed on this hike - the perfect example of serendipity. When plans for a group hike fell through, and then three other separate plans fell through  for a fall hike, I went on the FB Hiking Group page to see if I could arrange a hike at the last minute. Two days out, I connected with three guys who had rented a 4x4 and had an extra seat for Cheam. 

 

That day was absolutely perfect. Perfect October weather, sunny and warm. The drive to the trailhead was insanely fun and we were able to do a bit off-roading, which I really enjoyed. Then we decided to tag on Lady Peak to add an extra challenge - I’m a die-hard for a technical climb and a ridgeline :) which I’m really glad we did. The view from Lady of the entire North Cascade range was absolutely amazing.

 

Once we started our second hike up to Cheam, the crowds had really thinned out and we had the trail to ourselves. We were able to enjoy the beautiful views of the mountain range, all the fall colours, the rivers and glaciers…everything was just stunning and beautiful. I’m really glad my plans fell through 4 times and I was able to do the hike with the 3 guys because we were able to add Lady Peak and I also really enjoyed meeting some interesting new people. 

 

4. St. Mark’s Summit (sunset) 

• Natalia

• Easy

 

My best friend Natalia has visited me four times this past year and we’ve been meaning to do Saint Mark’s Summit out by Lions Bay, but I had insisted we had to do it in perfect conditions to watch the sunset. It had to be a warm day with no chance of rain or fog. After spending a long weekend in Seattle, my friend decided to extend her stay by a couple extra days and luckily we got a ‘perfect condition day.’ We drove out to the hiking area after I finished work and got to the viewpoint 20 minutes before sunset and wow was it spectacular to watch the sunset reflected against the ocean…the colors of the sunset mirrored on the water. The boats down below seemed static as if they were suspended in time. It was out of this world gorgeous. I’m really happy I waited to do Saint Mark’s Summit with my best friend and we waited for the perfect sunset conditions. Of course we hiked back in the dark, but we got back home just in time to do a quick sauna session before we went to bed. It was a perfect evening! 

 

5. The Chief, Peaks 1, 2, 3

• Natalia, Gigi, Patrick (Peak 1); solo (Peak 2, 3) 

• Moderate

 

I did the Chief on two separate days. 

 

Peak 1: We did this hike impromptu on Canada Day with my friends Natalia, Gigi and Patrick. I picked up Natalia at the airport in the mid afternoon and then altogether, we drove to Squamish to hike up Peak 1. I really enjoyed the Chief, you can do the hike roundtrip in sub-2 hours, and it was really special to do it with friends on Canada Day. Usually that hike is very busy, but that day we had it all to ourselves for sunset. :) 

 

Peak 2 + 3: I looooveeee yoga and hiking. On this day, I did a yoga class in the morning (and actually met a new friend, Jen), caffeined up after the class, and then did a hike in the afternoon solo. I sometimes enjoy hiking at my own pace and meet some other solo hikers at the top. Because the summer days are long, I caught up with my friend Steven on the way home, and we had a little picnic by a local beach.  Yoga + Hiking + Picnic, what a perfection a day!  

 

6. Mount Elphonestone, Sunshine Coast

• Steven 

• Difficult

 

Back in March, I preplanned all the hikes I wanted to do out west.  I had it all organized on a spreadsheet by geography and level of difficulty. The only two hikes that were not preplanned were with Steven. Initially, I had planned for us to either do Iceberg Lake or reattempt Al Habrich. But Steven was able to convince me to do an impromptu hike to Mount Elphinstone on the Sunshine Coast. 

 

We met early in the morning, parked our cars at a secret location, and then caught a ferry to the Sunshine Coast.  As a recent newbie to British Columbia, I could not get over how fun the ferry was. I was shocked that you could walk on the ferry, without a car, for $16 round trip. When we finally arrived at the island, we walked about 30 minutes to the trailhead and started the hike. I wouldn’t say the trail is very well-maintained, so we had to do a fair amount of bushwacking until we connected to the main trail. The trail was quite steep, but luckily I had a set of poles to help out. As I write this, I’m laughing because I honestly lost these poles twice during the trip, once on the ferry and the other time, falling out of my backpack. 

 

Afterwards, we walked to Gibsons for drinks at a farm brewery called Persephone’s. I loved the names of the hike, Elphinstone, and the brewery, Persephone. They honestly sounds like fairies or nymphs, really charming names. The brewery was such a highlight, the food and drinks were phenomenal, all fresh from the farm. You can also walk around the farm and see the gardens, orchards, chickens and other animals. I also saw a Black Bear for the first time in my life. The bear was surprisingly so nonchalant, eating his grass and completely ignored me. I named him ‘Blueberry.’ I also really enjoyed the walk back to the ferry watching the ocean sunsets and all the quaint little houses on the Sunshine Coast. Loved it!

 

7. Watersprite Lake

• Jen 

• Moderate

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On the August long weekend, I met a girl at a yoga class. I arrived a little late, and she kindly made room for me - it was such a considerate and thoughtful gesture. After class, we struck up a conversation and discovered how much we had in common. We had both recently moved from Ottawa, worked in the construction industry, and shared a love of travelling, yoga, spirituality, hiking, and spending time in nature. We naturally became quick friends.

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It was a strange Vancouver summer, where it was bright and sunny on the weekdays but raining on the weekends. Towards the end of September, we finally did get a warm sunny day and Jen and I hiked Watersprite Lakes together. Jen has a Ford Bronco which has a 4x4 feature. She also lived in Northern B.C. so she was quite good at driving on that type of terrain. The road to the trailhead at Waterprites is a rough one, and there is no way I would have been able to make it with my Honda Civic. Beyond grateful for Jen for driving - she was so chill at it. 

 

Anyways the hike itself was long, ~18km roundtrip, but it wasn’t difficult, and so one could easily do it with trail running shoes. The hike is also mostly forested which is nice, especially on a hot day. The viewpoint, Watersprite Lake, was absolutely stunning and gorgeous - it takes your breath away. If you're up for it, it’s a great place for a fun little cold plunge to cool off! 

 

8. Flora Peak

• Timo, Nikita

• Difficult

 

My last hike of the season was in mid-October. Met up with Timo and Nikita for one last fall hike in Chilliwack. I did 15 hikes this season, and 8 hikes in 8 straight weekends so I was utterly exhausted. I don’t think I would have normally found Flora to be hard, but I definitely hit a mental wall, counting down the kilometers because I was so tired. 

 

I’m glad I pulled through for this hike, especially since we got so lucky with a beautiful sunny day in October. There was absolutely zero chance I would say no to a hike if it was so gorgeous out. The hike definitely didn’t disappoint, the views of the Chilliwack River were mesmerising. I especially loved that long ridge with a full view of the lake, sunlight shining on the water like glitter. Absolutely 100% beautiful. I loved every moment, from driving through the valley with all the fall foliage, to the hike itself with all the lake views. I also appreciate hanging out with my new German hiking friends. Great last hike of the season

 

9. Frosty Mountain 

• Milan

• Difficult

 

A friend came to visit me from Texas for the Thanksgiving long weekend and I made plans for us to see the infamous golden larches in EC Manning Park, 2.5 hours away from Vancouver. The golden larches are a special conifer tree in which the needles turn gold during the fall for a 2-3 week window. We made a whole roadtrip out of it, stopping in Chilliwack, then a sockeye salmon run, and the Hope Othello Tunnels. The following day we woke up early to hike Frosty Mountain. 

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The irony? It snowed overnight in the valley, and Frosty Mountain was indeed frosty, lol. We missed the golden larches by a day. Unfortunately we missed the larches, but fortunately the hike was absolutely beautiful with the fresh snowfall. My friend visiting from Texas was in good spirits, saying it was a true ‘Canadian experience.’ We did not summit Frosty, because we didn’t have our winter gear. The downhill was also so treacherous because the trail turned into ice by mid-day, and we didn’t have any snow cleats, and so my poor friend fell more times than I could count.

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While the hike was nice, I would note that you have to hike in quite a distance until you would even see a viewpoint or the larches, whereas other hikes had views more readily available. We were pretty exhausted after the hike and drove straight back to sunny Vancouver. It wasn’t exactly the golden larch hike I had planned, but you know what they say, ‘comedy is tragedy plus time.’ Frosty at Frosty Mountain is pretty funny.

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10. Sea to Summit Trail

• Solo 

• Moderate

 

I do enjoy hiking with other people but sometimes you want to just do your thing. That specific week I was feeling really off,  and was craving some time out in nature by myself. I wanted to wake up at my own time, make my coffee at home, and then go on a 2 hour drive, listen to music and just think. I also stopped by a nice brunch spot before the hike called Fergies. The food wasn’t anything exceptional but the vibes and location was stunning. During the hike, I was able to go at my own pace and just be in my own head which was really nice. I had a bunch of things on my mind and it was nice to think things over. The trail itself is really nice, a gradual climb with a bunch of switchbacks and plenty of signs to ensure you don’t get lost. At the top, I grabbed a nice little coffee at the top before taking the gondola down. It was a nice Wednesday afternoon and exactly what I needed. 

 

11. Unmarked Trail ~ to Al Habrich Loop

• Steven

• Moderate

 

That weekend was jampacked. I attended a wedding on Saturday and then did a hike out in Squamish on Sunday. Yes, it was exhausting but I had such an amazing weekend! I had met up with my friend Steven, who I have been friends with for over 10 years. We went to school together at the University of Calgary in 2011, before he then moved out to Los Angeles for graduate school. After graduating, I moved to Ottawa, but we both eventually ended up living in Vancouver.

 

Anyways we kept in touch over the years, but it was really nice to get a good catch up in person. Steven is probably the most athletic person I know. He’s one of those people who will hike multiple mountains in one day. And so a hard hike for me is easy for him, but he was really kind and always waited for me, especially since I was slightly hungover that day.

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I really enjoyed hearing about all his outdoor adventures and how he takes me off the beaten path to explore hidden gems that aren’t as crowded with people. This hike was exactly that. We took the gondola up and attempted to do Al Habrich, but I didn’t quite have the stamina for it after the wedding, so we opted for another trail with gorgeous views of Al Habrich, Sky Pilot, and Co-Pilot. We took our time on our hike, and the views of these iconic mountains were spectacular, and it was so nice to have them all to ourselves. :)

 

12. Brunswick Trail

• Others + Kiera

• Difficult (hardest of the season)

 

This hike was probably the hardest of the season. This hike is incredibly steep and I decided to tackle it at the beginning of the season on a group hike. I connected with this group on a hiking page on Facebook, about 8 of us in total. For this hike, I would definitely recommend some poles and proper hike boots because of how steep and technical it is.

 

At the summit, it was very foggy which was a little disappointing, because we didn’t get to see the ocean view which is what the hike is iconic for. However, I did have a lot of fun with the group. They even assisted me in crossing the ‘no fall’ ridge and I really connected with one of the girls who is my friend to this day! So I had a lot of fun, met a nice friend and will have to maybe attempt Brunswick again some day. 

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13. Elk Trail

• Jing

• Easy

 

After doing a lot of hikes out along the Sea to Sky Corridor, I wanted to do a hike out in Fraser Valley. Elk Trail is an easy 3-4 hour hike with gradual elevation, where you picnic at the top of a meadow, bask in the sunshine and overlook the North Cascade Range. The drive along Fraser Valley is also really pretty and I enjoyed the different terrain out in Chilliwack. After the hike we checked out the town of Chilliwack and grabbed lunch at a really nice local restaurant in town. Sometimes it’s nice to do something very chill :) 

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14. Mount Seymour

• Charity Hike with Arctery’x and Garmin for Northshore Rescue

• Easy 

 

I haven’t done this hike yet, I’ve planned to do it on November 15th on a charity hike organized by Garmin and Arteryx. But I’m really excited to do it and hopefully meet some new people! 

 

15. Unnecessary Mountain via Saint Mark’s Summit

• Chira

• Moderate

 

For this hike, I think I enjoyed my time with my friend Chira more than this actual hike itself. Probably because the other hikes I’ve done this season were just freaking spectacular. I’ve also seen the Howe Crest Sound from Tunnels, Saint Mark’s Summit, Sunshine Coast, so while it was super lovely and beautiful - I’ve already seen the Howe Crest Sound a bunch of times from different angles. The hike isn’t very technical, but definitely a long distance. This hike is part of the Howe Crest Sound, a multi day hike, which is on my list to hopefully do at some point! 

 

16. Tunnels Bluff 

• Jessica

• Easy 

 

This was the first hike I did since moving to Vancouver and I did it with my little sister over the May long weekend. It was a fun little adventure for the both of us - including parking on someone’s private property and meeting a local who inherited three gorgeous waterfront properties in Lions Bay. Overall, it was quite a lovely day hike to do with my sister and I even coincidentially ran into one of my friends at the top. The hike is fairly crowded because of how easy it is, so I would recommend doing it on a weekday :)