Lake Lovely Water is situated at 3,822ft in the Tantalus mountain range, north of Squamish. There is no road access so the only way to find this hidden gem is either by helicopter, or by crossing the Squamish river and hiking a steep and challenging 6.5 KM with over 1150m elevation gain. June-September is the best time to visit Lake Lovely Water as there will be less snow during these summer months.
Getting to Lake Lovely Water via Helicopter
There are two helicopter companies that fly out of Squamish airport: Sea to Sky Air and No Limits Heli Adventures. I advise booking well in advance (like everything in Canada, it gets booked out fast!) We booked in March and the only dates left were June so it was a gamble with the weather but against the odds (and the forecast), it paid off!
Our flight was scheduled for 4:45 PM on Friday, but when we arrived our pilots seemed uncertain. Due to heavy cloud coverage, they weren’t sure it would be safe to fly. We waited for about 30 minutes as they conducted a quick test flight. As the pilot made his way back down, we were immediately rushed toward the helicopter as it was only a matter of minutes before the conditions could change again. Our pilot stayed inside the helicopter with the engine and propellers running, ready for takeoff, while the other guy stood outside trying to explain how to open and close the door, and how to unload our gear. We could barely hear a word he said, and before we knew it, we were airborne.
The flight itself was just a few minutes but incredibly surreal. Clouds swirled around us, but through them we caught glimpses of the Squamish River snaking its way through the forest below. Then, as quickly as we had taken off, we landed. We scrambled to unload our gear, and moments later, the helicopter lifted off again, leaving us completely alone—just us and the mountains.
Camping at Lake Lovely Water
About a five-minute walk from where we were dropped off, we came across the first few wooden platforms and had our pick of the bunch. One platform offered a perfect view of the lake, while another looked out above the lake at the mountain tops —both incredible spots to set up camp. In total, there are 15 platforms, with the rest being more sheltered in the trees, so lacking a view of the lake.
Nearby, you’ll also find the Tantalus Hut, which is owned by the Alpine Club of Canada (ACC) and available to rent. There were a few canoes as well, which would have been amazing to try out—but those are only accessible if you’ve booked the hut.
As for facilities, there’s an outhouse and a bear cache. We didn’t see any bears in the area but they are supposedly very active.
Hikes to do at Lake Lovely Water
We attempted to hike the 3.5km trail to Lambda Lake which involved walking along the edge of the lake, scaling the large rocks and venturing back into the trees along some extremely narrow paths with some pretty sheer drops. About a kilometer in (although it felt way longer due to the constant climbing up and down), we arrived at a steep, sketchy looking section with chains that was blocked by a huge pile of snow that was too risky to cross. The clouds were also completely blocking our view so we thought it wasn’t worth carrying on. We decided to turn back to camp for some lunch and attempt the hike in the opposite direction to Niobe Meadows instead.
Again, it was only 2.5km to get to the meadows but it felt much longer as it’s just a pure climb from start to finish. It was probably one of the most fun hikes I’ve ever done as there was so much more to it than just a simple walk. We traversed large rocks, crossed some snowy patches, held onto branches to pull us up steep sections in the forest, and eventually got to Sand Spit beach. This is a small sandy area where you are also allowed to camp.
Just as we arrived, the clouds lifted and blue skies appeared. Seeing the mountains from a closer perspective was incredible. We could see our tent looking out over the lake, and also where we had turned back on our earlier hike across the water. To get to Niobe Meadows from here, you essentially just scale the waterfall that flows down into the lake. It was a really fun scramble and as soon as we got to the meadows, the clouds once again dispersed and we could see Mount Niobe in all its glory.
Tips/Advice
Be prepared for sudden changes if you opt to take the helicopter – as mentioned above, we were so lucky to have gotten a clear window. Another group arrived on Saturday evening around 5:30 PM and they were scheduled to fly right after us on Friday evening but the clouds/fog meant they missed out on a whole 24 hours of their trip! Also, our flight back down was scheduled for 8:45 AM, but we got a call at 7:00 AM saying we needed to be picked up asap, otherwise it’d be late evening by the time the clouds cleared.
Bring bear spray
Pack in, pack out
There is limited phone signal, but thankfully enough for the pilot to call us
Don’t go for the first platform you see, keep going toward the lake and try grab the one that is overlooking the lake (easy for us since we were the only people there)
