Trail stats
Distance: 11 KM
Elevation gain: 1,350m
Difficulty level: Difficult
Parking: Yes, lots at the trailhead. No pass needed, but camping reservations are required.
Getting to the trailhead
Wedgemount Lake is situated in the northern area of Garibaldi Provincial Park, and unlike the classic Garibaldi trails, this one doesn’t involve any reservation. The trailhead is located about 15 minutes drive past Whistler village. You will cross the train tracks and then drive 2 KM up a logging road that is in pretty good condition so a 2WD would be well able to make the journey. There are signs every 500m to the parking lot so keep following them and you will arrive at a fairly large carpark. We arrived at 10:00 AM on a very sunny Saturday and got a spot with no issue.
The trail
AllTrails has this one down as 14 KM, however my Garmin recorded around 11 KM out and back to the lake. It is all incline on the way to Wedgemount, so climbing around 1,300m in such a short distance was tough and I was certainly glad I brought hiking poles!
The trail is mainly through a forest so expect to climb up through tree roots and rocks. There are some short sections where the trail evens out, but you will largely be trekking uphill. It is well marked with orange tags on the trees, so you should have no issue finding your way.
It took us just over 2 hours to get to the lake, but we were going at a fairly fast pace. A lot of people had overnight gear, so hauling that up would definitely take longer.
Once you break out of the forest, the trail turns into boulder terrain that can be slippery due to the dusty ground so you will need to be cautious. You will probably find yourself using your hands to help you climb up this section.
Once you get to the top, the views are incredible. We did this on June 20th, and because of the incredibly hot weather so far this year, the ice on the lake was pretty much all melted bar one small section.
There is an outhouse at the top along with several tent pads and a hut for campers. You are also able to continue the trail to Tupper Lake which we didn’t do as we were content with spending time at Wedgemount.
Tips / Advice
Hiking poles are very helpful for this trail.
Keep your eyes peeled for marmots!
There are plenty of water sources along the trail which is great for campers.
