Hike Details
- Difficulty: 3/6 (Moderate)
- Distance: 5.5km
- Duration: 3hrs
- Elevation: 950m
- Type: Point to Point
- Exposure: None
- Season: Jan - Dec
- Dogs: Yes (On Leash)
- Camping: No
- Wheelchairs: No
- Public Transport: Yes
- Strollers: No
Description
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The Sea to Summit trail in Squamish begins near the shores of Howe Sound and leads up to stunning viewpoints and covers a variety of terrain and views. Generally done as a point to point hike with the return descent via the gondola, you'll be rewarded with some great views down over the water below.
Note: Make sure you only buy a download pass for the gondola. You don't need to pay for the round trip.
Navigation
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The trail: Some junctions or misleading side-trails. Check your map regularly. Phone signal in BC is not reliable when hiking. Always carry an OFFLINE map. I recommend and use AllTrails+ and Gaia Maps.
Highlights
Hike Difficulty And Conditions
On this steep trail, you'll cover 5.5km and face an elevation gain of over 900m. The path is diverse, sometimes following smooth dirt paths and, at other times, rocky sections with roots or larger man-made steps. Towards the end of the trail, there are some short, steep, but unexposed scrambles up shot rocky sections, some of which have chains or ropes to assist you. Note that the marked distance is for a one-way trip, since most people tend to take the gondola down from the top. The gondola charges the equivalent of about 3 beers to get down, and they also charge for dogs. People often do this hike year-round, though you should note that you will encounter serious snowy conditions. You will require appropriate footwear and clothing, as well as almost certainly snow spikes to get you up potentially icy sections.
Camping
- Camping Possible: No
Hiking Season
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Jan - Dec is the recommended season for Sea to Summit. Outside of this period, the trail is: Extra Caution - Full Winter Conditions
Accessibility
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Stroller Accessible: No
- Dog Friendly: Yes (On Leash)
Location & Access
- Public Transport: Yes
- Public Transport By: Gondola Shuttle
- From Vancouver: 1hr(s)
- Park: Stawamus Chief Provincial Park
- Region: Squamish & Whistler
- Fire Region: Coastal Fire Centre Info
- Trailhead: 49.67554, -123.15627
- Vehicle Requirement: Any Vehicle
Getting There
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From Vancouver, drive north along the sea to sky highway. About 2km before you reach Squamish, you'll pass Shannon Falls on the right. The next exit on the right is for the Sea to Sky Gondola. You can park in the car park for free, hike up and get the gondola down. Note that you can also start the trail from the Stawamus Chief Parking Lot.
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Rent a car, or better still, reduce the demand for cars with Evo Car Share, Vancouver's car sharing network.
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