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Porteau Cove Provincial Park

3.6 (36 reviews)

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Marje B.

Great little park off the Sea to sky. Has a small beach area very rocky, a boardwalk area to seat or walk around to enjoy the beautiful views. Has several picnic tables. Bathrooms are closed during winter season!

Mountains, trees, and beaches
Justin P.

This is one of my favorite places to go, at night time the stars shine out bright. But it is also popular as well. The fact is, there are a lot of raccoons in the area so be aware! Good Luck!

Lac T.

MUST VISIT if you are in the area and around sunset time. One of the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen. My friends and I visited here toward the end of our Canada trip and it was the perfect way to end our trip. Parking is free and easy to pull off from the highway. 10/10 recommend to stop by during sunset!

PatrickJ T.

As others have mentioned, this is a beautiful place to stop and take pictures. It is located right off of the Sea to Sky Highway. On our way back to Vancouver, we decided to have a pitstop here after our trip to Whistler. Found a parking spot close to a cozy picnic table. It was very peaceful here. Although, it probably gets noisy at times. As we entered the parking area, we had to cross the train tracks. So trains do pass by sometimes. I noticed that there are other facilities here. There are some campsites., boat launch, a dock, and a rocky beach. I just simply enjoyed relaxing at our picnic table. The views of the water and mountains were terrific!

Jim B.

Didn't camp...just stopped to look at the views (a guidebook recommended stopping here). Great views of the cove as well as a neat beach covered with washed up logs. The parking lot was easily accessible from the highway and quiet (it was a Wadnesday afternoon). Off to one side is a metal pier jutting out into the cove. It offers elevated viewing platforms of varying heights which offer great views of the cove, sound and mountains. Very unique beach...it was stunning....the washed up sea logs remind you of the power of storms when they blow through (as some logs are tossed quite a ways back from the beach). Must be some sort of marine interest near hear...there were several people in various stages of undress in scuba gear in the parking lot. Definitely worth checking out.

Alicyn C.

My absolute favorite place to be. Home away from home. I have been camping at this campground since I was a kid. It is close to the city, and the area is just absolutely stunning. I could sit and be memorized by the ocean for hours on end and of course watch the crows that often frequent the area. If you are a light sleeper this campground is not for you. It is located right beside the train tracks. I have always slept through the sounds of the train except for one night when we were camping in a spot that is pretty much right beside the tracks before heading into the walk in sites. I woke up in the middle of the night with the train lights shinning on the tent. It felt as though our tent was actually on the tracks. Also, this is a busy campground and often taken up by rv's who have reserved their spot weeks in advance. If you are lucky enough to get in and enjoy the true beauty of tent camping beside the ocean then I envy you as it is my absolute favorite thing to do.

Jay Z.

Just grorgeous!!!!! Now that BC Parks has free parking it's even greater. We always stop here on the Sea to Sky and have to take pictures as everything is so scenic. There is a large dock which has a lookout tower on it so you can see Howe Sound, the diving reef, and the mountains. Great picnic benches to stop for lunch, clean bathrooms, and a beach for the kiddies to play in and find some sea friends Make sure the little ones holds hands with a buddy as the dock and lookout is pretty high up.

Jennifer C.

If you're interested in astrophotography, this is where you'll want to go! 30 minutes outside Vancouver, it was a great spot to shoot the Milky Way in season with (relatively) minimal light pollution. I've heard from multiple friends that it's also a great camping spot, but books up early.

Aves M.

Porteau Cove Provincial Park is not just beautiful, but also accessible and a great location to view wildlife. I was lucky enough to randomly stumble upon this park on my drive up to Whistler for spring break. I was looking for somewhere to pull off the road and search the shoreline for birds and Porteau cove luckily happened to be the next exit. We pulled off the highway and into the large open parking lot. Immediately upon entering I was intrigued by the old ferry dock that has since been converted into a dock for pedestrians. This was really awesome in my opinion! I walked out onto the dock, which has several outcroppings that make it possible to get the perfect view. Here I was able to see some beautiful Harlequin Ducks and plenty of Barrow's/Common Goldeneye's. It was windy, but I got some nice views of the ocean and nearby mountains. It seemed as though the people stopping here were just casually looking for a place to relax on the long drive on the sea to sky highway. I got back into the car and drove over through the campsite. Here there was an open bathroom (the other one was closed) and plenty of open campsites. Surprisingly many people were camping on this monday night, but I could see why. The scenery was beautiful and the campsites laid perfectly adjacent to the beach. I stopped in real quick and made a quick run out onto the beach. The beach was mostly covered in rocks and mussels, not much sand for a towel and sunscreen, but a good habitat for birds. I was pleasantly surprised to see some Black Oystercatchers as well as other birds browsing through the shoreline in search for food. I snapped a couple more photos and made on my way feeling lucky to have stumbled upon such a beautiful park!

A write up over having a BBQ out over the night. Next write up of ANYTHING an we're evicted from the park also with no refund.
Meso G.

Avoid until staff become camper friendly. Where to begin, first off the good. Beautiful scenery mixed with evergreens and ocean. Swimming, boating ect. The bad Rangers are militant and enforce rules unequally. We have been to this campground five years in a row and the last two have been both bad experinces. The latest is they don't tell you all the rules, instead visit your site and hand you a written warning. They then state the rules are posted on the mirror in the washroom. Such a nice way to enjoy a vacation, threatened with eviction. First night we were threatened with one over a bag of laundry left out. Second night, even though it was left out the first night and the ranger had seen it was our bbq. They handed me a written warning and stated one more of anything and I will be evicted. So there goes all my camping fees and ruins my whole trip. I am somehow under the impression that they like to evict ppl so that they have less to manage. As the gatehouse is never open and mostly closed. Either that the resale of a site is more beneficial to them. I am on my third night and tomorrow I almost expect an eviction notice. If you are camping here it is better to setup and leave the campground as you are only inconveniencing the rangers. Avoid buying ice here, it is $5.00 for a small bag, go up the road toward Brittania and get ice at the corner store. This campground is "Smoke Free" now. I am not a smoker but if someone booked 5-6 months in advance and didn't know I guess you will be quitting. They also didn't state that on their website at time of booking. Washrooms are disgusting and cleaned unprofessionally. If you read other reviews you will see the same. Save your money and camp somewhere where they treat you like a customer. My suggestion USA Washington looks about the same. Also the sites are nicer with WiFi and even Cable TV for those rainy days or insomniac nights. I will not be back EVER!

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This is a pretty cool place. It's always scenic, but can be eerily picturesque on a grey day. Kind of a one stop shop for BC scenery

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Review Highlights - Porteau Cove Provincial Park

We always stop here on the Sea to Sky and have to take pictures as everything is so scenic.

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Garibaldi Provincial Park

Garibaldi Provincial Park

4.8(35 reviews)
16.0 km

The hike to Garibaldi Lake! This was a difficult one for me, maybe one of the tougher ones I've…read moreaccomplished and I'm saying that because I'm not the most patient of hikers. I'm more of a speed hiker that likes to get in and get out! But to access Garibaldi Lake, (the obvious main event to the park), you must take the Rubble Creek Trail. It's an 18 kilometer out and back hike (or as us Americans would say - "roundtrip")...that is a length of 11.5 miles long. And with that 11.5 miles, the path is all uphill! Everything about it is uphill until you eventually arrive at...Garibaldi Lake! So...for the folks out there who maybe don't hike often, I'd just suggest preparing for the long haul. The hike will be strenuous, but pace yourself, take breaks when necessary and before long...the reward will be worth the grind! And then, you'll be coming back for more! Another thing, I'm always motivated to capture undisturbed pictures in nature. And it's this inspiration that I use to discover what's out there. I want to reflect back on the experience and know I afforded myself ample time during the day to accomplish the sights and sceneries that make for memorable stories. Lol, it's this type of internal mentality that pushes me to strive for greater heights, so to speak, hehehe. Okay so this Rubble Creek Trail to Garibaldi Lake! You must make a reservation 2 days in advance prior to visiting. Just go to bcparks.ca and sign up for a pass. I also used this website for accessing Joffre Lakes Provincial Park situated in Mount Currie, BC. And btw, this Garibaldi Lake is located just north of Whistler, BC. One side note...the parks, lakes and hikes here in Lower British Columbia are simply fantastic! There's a laundry list of things to do. And especially when you speak to locals and they recommend hidden, under the radar places that the public eye doesn't know much about. I thought the Canadian Rockies in Alberta were stunning, but British Columbia nature is really, really scenic! Before arriving at Garibaldi Lake, I suggest taking a short side trek to Barrier Viewpoint for some quick panoramic looks. Also, along the trail you'll pass over a short bridge looking up at a waterfall. It's worthy of a photo. Finally arriving at Garibaldi Lake, at first it may not be so picturesque (even when the sun is out!) but give it a chance. Walk around and explore and you'll find colorful instances where you'll connect with those green and turquoise blue waters. Especially when you're looking back towards the entrance area of the lake, the return hike back down had some of my most fulfilling pictures of the day. It's weird, it's like the angle of the sun can play tricks on you. Be patient and hopefully magical moments will evolve! I tried to walk around the perimeter of Garibaldi Lake, but that wasn't possible. So...I had to relax a little and take my foot off the gas pedal, lol. In fact, some of my best views were simply looking out at the snowcapped mountain peaks. There's a glacier set in the distance as well. A lot of visitors brought their bathing suits with them. And although the lake is glacially fed and freezing, people were still swimming! I even joined in on the fun and took my clothes down to my underwear and hopped in the waters, lol. Granted, it was only briefly, but still, I wanted to leave no stone unturned while here! I'd also point out that since the lake is not navigable 360 degrees around, it sort of took the pressure off me to find the best picture angles. Instead, I really tried to embrace the setting and live in the moment! There's camping allowed here, but again you must make reservations for it. Btw, it's free to book your entry pass to the lake. Parking is free too. One last thing, remember...when you head back towards the entrance of Garibaldi Lake, you'll be pleasantly surprised with the lake colors illuminating from the tree line pathway. I left the lake around 3pm and suddenly, light greens and blues were evident! There are vault toilets at the lake. Interestingly, they ask you to bring your own toilet paper. Never seen that before. Overall, Garibaldi Lake was a wonderful way to enjoy a summer day in the great outdoors. I can't believe I hiked 18 kilometers. And the path through the forest makes for a quiet atmosphere in the woods. I would still rank Joffre Lakes as my favorite BC landmark, but this Garibaldi Lake has its value and major popularity among hikers. Thank you for taking time to read this.

All I have to say is be prepared.. As this is about an 18km hike, I recommend leaving early in the…read moremorning and staying over night in Whistler so you don't feel rushed. This time around when we went, due to the pandemic, we had to book a time slot the day of as they were limiting the amount of hikers. Driving there isn't the problem nor is the parking, it's the length of time but the reward at the end is worth it. I recommend bringing a small bag for liquids, snacks, bug spray, hat and towel as you could swim there but keep in mind you can't throw away your garbage at the site due to bears even though there's a camp site there. The hike isn't super steep and you won't have to climb anything (at least I didn't), you just have to be ready to walk a lot. The path is well marked so you can't get lost. I would say the average round trip if you aren't including staying at the destination to eat and take photos is roughly 4-5 hours round trip at a steady pace. Hike's are always calming and it helps clear your mind from stress and clutter. This is probably one of the best local hikes I've done so far and I would definitely recommend it to anything looking for a challenge and beautiful view. And if you want to be more adventurous, you can also extend your trip to panoramic ridge and black tusk!

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Garibaldi Provincial Park
Garibaldi Provincial Park - View from Garibaldi Lake campground

View from Garibaldi Lake campground

Garibaldi Provincial Park - Some stunning Garibaldi Lake colors!

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Some stunning Garibaldi Lake colors!

Cat Lake - one of the cat lake docks

Cat Lake

3.2(12 reviews)
28.4 km

Love, love, love Cat Lake!…read more It's $15/site each night. If there isn't a fire ban then you can buy wood from the Rangers by the arm-load ($8) or wheelbarrow ($25). There's a 2km logging road off of the highway to get to the parking lot. The road is kind of rough, so it's a good idea to take it slow. The road is best suited to trucks/Jeeps/SUV type vehicles but can be driven up in a car if you take it easy. The parking lot often fills up fast, but there is an overflow lot as well as parking along the road. You can't drive in to the sites, so be prepared to carry in your gear. There are sites 5min from the parking lot, but they get claimed quickly and you could find yourself walking most of the way around the lake. The camp provides a few wheelbarrows to help with packing in/out, but you can't count on getting one if it's busy. If you camp at Cat Lake you need to be Bear-Aware. There are bears in the area, and they have had serious problems with campers and bears in the past. All food items, cooking supplies, toiletries, clothes worn while cooking should be kept either in your car or in one of the many bear caches provided. Garbage and recycling should be disposed of in their respective bins and not stored in the caches. It takes a little bit of extra time to keep your site bear safe; however, when a bear's life (and your safety) depend on it, then it's not a big thing to take time out of your routine to do. The lake is fantastic for swimming May-September. There are a few docks and a rope swing. Cat Lake has a reputation for being a party site. Rangers are trying to change that, and in the 10+ years I've been going there I've noticed that it has gradually become much more family oriented. I'm not sure if that's due to the effort of the Rangers, the fact that the partiers of the past are coming with their young families now, or some combination of the two. Bring toilet paper! The outhouses are almost always out of toilet paper. Most campers at Cat Lake are friendly and the overall feel is very fun and relaxed.

Came here to do some "winter" camping after we tried going to our usual Squamish Riverside Rec site…read moreand our sedans bottomed out :D There were a few cars in the lot when we arrived from day-use hikers but due to the cold weather and impending cold snap we were the only group (crazy enough) to stay overnight in our tents. The road up has lots of potholes as mentioned, but the worst dip right before the hill appears to have been filled and it was no issue for our cars to make it up. Beautiful lake, outhouses were clean and not too smelly, likely due to lack of use in the winter. Tons of fallen trees and branches from the windstorm a few months ago that needed to be cleared from paths, but still very manageable. We used the bear caches but saw no signs of wildlife. It was extremely windy and chilly mid morning and with more trees swaying and branches snapping we decided to leave shortly afterwards. The dock nearest the parking lot is partially sunken and someone has placed a wooden plank down so you can still access. Two wheelbarrows at the parking lot Family Day weekend, not sure if there are usually more than that. It's such a beautiful site, it's a shame that it gets taken over by rowdy party groups in the summer (based on the other reviews). I would definitely come back to visit!

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Cat Lake - Cat lake

Cat lake

Cat Lake - My friends in cat lake

My friends in cat lake

Cat Lake - Half frozen lake during Family Day weekend!

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Half frozen lake during Family Day weekend!

Stawamus Chief Provincial Park - Stawamus Chief Trail (Provincial Park)

Stawamus Chief Provincial Park

4.5(56 reviews)
15.1 km

I love hiking and have done a lot of hiking over the past couple of years (I started a hiking group…read moretwo years ago), improving my stamina and fitness level. I have been able to do increasingly harder hikes, although my level is solidly intermediate -- I can't do hikes that are 20km, 10 hours, extreme elevation, really rough terrain, etc. The Stawamus Chief, known as "The Chief", is a popular hike that is on many people's bucket list. I was never particularly interested in The Chief, as the description seemed too difficult and being in Squamish, it was not possible to get there as a non-driver. However, this summer, some friends who I met through my hiking group wanted to try The Chief. We went on a Wednesday, in order to avoid the weekend crowd. Seven of us went, and none of us being morning people, we arrived around 11:30am, which is considered late for hardcore hikers. Fortunately, we were able to find a parking spot, although there were very few available at that time. The Chief consists of three peaks, and we only did the first one, which was more than enough. We went quite slowly, taking breaks as needed, and excluding about an hour at the top, taking in the view and having lunch, it took us about 4.5 hours to complete (2.5 hours to the top, 2 hours back down). While I was obviously able to complete The Chief, I didn't particularly enjoy the hike (although I really liked the company and hanging out with my friends), and I have no desire to do it again -- I've done it once, I don't have anything to prove, and there are so many other hikes to do. The trail for the first peak, while relatively short (under 4km there and back) is quite steep, and there are a lot of stairs. The problem is that I am short, and the steps were quite high, so I was extra slow as it took me longer to step up or down each stair, and by the end of the hike, I was exhausted (as were my friends). I had heard that there were chains and a ladder on the rock face that you needed to scramble up in order to get to the top, and this is why I had no desire to try The Chief. While challenging, the chains and ladder weren't so bad, and easier than I had expected. But the scramble up the rock face after the chains and ladder was horrible. I hated the scramble up the rock face, and I was actually pretty terrified -- I almost fell backwards to my death, as with Tunnel Bluffs. Thankfully my friends helped me. In my opinion, there should have been some chains to hold on to. Anyway, I made it up without dying, but I am never doing that again. At the top we could see the second peak, and to me, it looked like a pure scramble up rock face, the part I hated about our hike. I'm definitely never going to attempt the other peaks. We spend about an hour at the top, having lunch and hanging out. There was a cute chipmunk who ate the trail mix that I "accidentally" dropped, and we saw a Peregrine falcon and a raven flying around for over five minutes -- it looked like the falcon was chasing the raven. Overall a great day with my friends, but I did not enjoy The Chief and have no desire to ever do it again. [Yelp collections: Hiking]

I had never been to Stawamus Chief before but I was super excited for it. I had heard that it was a…read morerather difficult hike (which it is) but it's totally doable! We had someone with us who had never done a hike before and she made it to the top so it's doable. Having said that, we only did peak 1 because it was raining that day and we didn't want to risk anything. Peak 1 have lots of rocks and the elevation gain is pretty big. It took us 4.5 hours in total for the hike but if you are someone who is a hiker, it's possible to do it in 3 hrs. I will say that if you decide to do this hike on a rainy day, be prepared to have proper shoes because it does get slippery! Regardless I would say having proper shoes for this hike is important. The top of the hike is mostly climbing with ropes and on flat elevated rocks so it's good to have shoes with good grip. The view from up there is definitely worth it though!

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Stawamus Chief Provincial Park - View from the top.

View from the top.

Stawamus Chief Provincial Park
Stawamus Chief Provincial Park

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Alice Lake Provincial Park

Alice Lake Provincial Park

3.7(19 reviews)
26.3 km

Alice Lake gets super busy during the summer, especially on weekends. However, we got their at 5pm…read moreon a Saturday so it was not as crowded and we were easily able to find a space by the water to lay our picnic mats and chairs. We also found parking immediately! The lake is pretty clear and wasn't too cold!! We were able to get into the water without freezing.. of course this is only during peak summer. We took our boats and paddle board, it was so serene! The lake itself wasn't too crowded to we were able to relax in the water while playing our music for hours. We had enough privacy. Only complaint I have is their bathrooms... I'm not sure if this was only because it was a crowded weekend, but the women's bathroom was pretty dirty. The changing rooms did not have any doors either. I wasn't too upset because it is expected at a campsite but I wish they were cleaned more regularly. They also have camping grounds but it was pretty packed during the weekend.

Alice Lake is a super busy and popular camp ground for locals and tourists. It is also a popular…read morespot for hiking, camping, kyaking, swimming etc. To book a spot on the camp ground, the wait list is about 6 months out. It also has over 100 camp sites. At the gate, there is a gate keeper who keeps tracks of who is coming in and out of the camp ground. I like how the camping table/benches are all treated and finshed. The camp site was kept very clean when we were there. Unfortunately, when we went (June 2023), there was a ban on fire. So no cooking over fire. You could bring your own propane tank and start bbq from there. The camp ground is being patrolled several times through out the day. There is a outhouse. I have noticed many people prefered to rent an RV or bring their RV here camping. There is some spotty internet reception on the camp ground. I realized I was still able to make phone calls in and out which was quite nice. So you are not completely disconnected from the world. Definitely a nice place to go camping.

Photos
Alice Lake Provincial Park
Alice Lake Provincial Park
Alice Lake Provincial Park

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Porteau Cove Provincial Park - parks - Updated July 2026

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