the chief squamish hike

If you haven’t seen the falls before, it is well worth the extra distance. We are committed to keeping Outdoor Vancouver free and independent, but we need to find other ways to continue operating this site. You should check this information yourself. The park provides rock climbing opportunities of international significance. From the junction, continue hiking onwards, until you reach the rocky, open surface of Peak 2.

Stawamus Chief Provincial Park protects the 700-metre massive granite cliffs that stand at the southern entrance to Squamish on the scenic Sea to Sky Highway. Most people choose to just do the first peak and head back, but we’re gluttons for punishment and continued on. Required fields are marked *.

If you just did the first peak it would come in at around a 6km round trip. If you keep driving north for a few seconds more, past the Shannon Falls lot, you can park in the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park parking lot for free. The Stawamus Chief gets snow during the winter, but not as much as some of the other nearby mountains.

The Chief has 3 peaks and it's possible to hike all three in the same day. From here you can see the inlet, Squamish town and the second and third peaks nearby.

They’re not too hard, but the chain makes it easier for your balance and staying on the track. Want to connect with other local hikers? Easy unsubscribe links are provided in every email.

There is also a spectacular drop off between the Peaks 2 and 3, which provides a great view.

You have a really nice site. On the face of it, the Chief hike doesn’t look too bad.

You can do each summit individually, or, if you’re feeling ambitious you can tackle all three.

At the top of the ladder is another chain to help you on your way before it disappears and you have to rely on your feet on the steep rock to get to the summit. Let us know in the comments below! However the tougher the hike the greater the reward and getting to the top and seeing out to the inlet and Squamish town is a great feeling!

Keep driving along the Sea to Sky highway all the way towards Squamish for about 35 minutes. Watch for the signs for Shannon Falls. Become a Patron!

They are non-reservable and $8/person per night, for persons over the age of 6. I am thinking of this weekend but unsure about snow as well….

Might be best to leave it for a week or two yet, but should be fine if you went with caution. Are you hiking up the Chief?!”. Take Highway #99 heading north past Horseshoe Bay towards Squamish. We’re hoping to rely on loyal readers, rather than erratic ads to keep this site going. I haven’t hiked it this year yet but I *believe* it is mostly snow free based on the recent weather and images I’ve seen on social media. You should be able to clearly see a small crowd of people on top of Peak 1.

We started heading for peak three which is a much easier route than either peaks one or two but before long realised we were sadly losing the light so had to head back down the alternate route. Make sure you park at the specific car park for the Chief and not the Shannon Falls car park unless you want to add on extra distance. From here you can turn back the way you came and brave the chains in reverse, or head onto the third peak or take a different route back. If you want to take the dodgy route you don’t descend the way you came you use the metal rungs driven into the cliff by the peak summit. Watch for the signs for Shannon Falls.