Spring Hiking Has Arrived!
Spring is here and summer is not far off! The road to Parkhurst Ghost Town is accessible now! Whistler Train Wreck is free of snow too. Check out Hike in Whistler May 2022 for inspiration!
October 22nd, 2019: The Cal-Cheak campground just south of Whistler sits in a tranquil, huge tree forest, nestled between Callaghan Creek and Cheakamus River. Both Callaghan Creek and Cheakamus River are huge and chaotic torrents of turquoise water that surround the campground on three sides. Cal-Cheak Recreation Site is divided into three campsite areas, Callaghan Camp is adjacent to Callaghan Creek, the North Camp is along Cheakamus River, and the South Camp has both merging around it.
Whistler & Garibaldi Hiking
Alexander Falls 
Ancient Cedars 
Black Tusk 
Blackcomb Mountain Brandywine Falls Brandywine Meadows Brew Lake Callaghan Lake Cheakamus Lake 
Cheakamus River 
Cirque Lake Flank Trail Garibaldi Lake Garibaldi Park Helm Creek Jane Lakes Joffre Lakes Keyhole Hot Springs Logger’s Lake Madeley Lake Meager Hot Springs Nairn Falls Newt Lake Panorama Ridge Parkhurst Ghost Town Rainbow Falls Rainbow Lake Ring Lake Russet Lake Sea to Sky Trail Skookumchuck Hot Springs Sloquet Hot Springs 
Sproatt East Sproatt West Taylor Meadows Train Wreck 
Wedgemount Lake Whistler Mountain
January February 
March April May 
June July August 
September October November December
Alexander Falls Brandywine Falls Cirque Falls Holloway Falls Keyhole Falls Nairn Falls Rainbow Falls Shannon Falls Train Wreck Falls Wedgemount Falls
The beautiful, Cal-Cheak suspension bridge spans Callaghan Creek just before it flows into Cheakamus River. Over fifty, well spaced and organized, drive-in campsites are dispersed throughout the forest and you are never more than a stones throw from a water view. The Sea to Sky Trail runs right through the middle of Cal-Cheak and splits into two routes heading south on either side of Cheakamus River. They meet again a couple kilometres downriver after the Whistler Bungee Bridge which crosses Cheakamus River at a dizzying height. Another couple kilometres away, the Sea to Sky Trail takes you through Brandywine Falls Provincial Park, yet another beautiful sight within walking distance from your camp. With the excellent location and beautiful setting, you would expect Cal-Cheak to be expensive, but it is remarkably cheap. Because it is a Recreation Sites and Trails BC campground, the campsite fees are very low at just $13 per campsite, per night. By way of comparison, the two other Whistler campgrounds that are privately owned charge over $45. They have lots of amenities like showers, electricity, flushing toilets, internet, etc. But with more amenities, they obscure the wilderness and take away what most people are looking for.. to get away from civilization. At Cal-Cheak you are immersed in the wild, beautiful wilderness and connected to Whistler via the Sea to Sky Trail. Cal-Cheak Recreation Site is easy to find off the Sea to Sky Highway, just 13 kilometres south of Whistler Village. Unfortunately there is no left turn lane, so you have to drive 0.8km further down the highway and turn right onto Callaghan Lake Road and do a U-turn. Back onto the highway, heading north for 0.8km and turn right at the sign for Cal-Cheak Recreation Site(Whistler Bungee is also down here and you will see that highway sign as well). After you turn off the highway, you will immediately cross the train tracks and down the gravel road that runs between the three Cal-Cheak campground areas.
The first entrance you will pass on the right and is nicely located along Callaghan Creek with 16 drive-in campsites in the forest. Being the first of the three campsite areas, Callaghan Camp tends to be the least serene and feels a bit busier than the other two. There are three outhouses(one is wheelchair accessible) and two bearproof storage areas. The second entrance will be on the left where the gravel road bends to the right. This campground(North Camp) is found at the end of a short gravel road leading to a ring road with 10 drive in campsites all around it and mostly backing onto Cheakamus River. Big trees, beautiful river and fewer campsites make this area very tranquil and hidden feeling. The forest here has some huge trees and nice rock cliffs that give it a more secluded and private feel. Also, the Cheakamus River is big and impressive as it bends around a nice grassy area with picnic tables that is very sunny in the morning. The thick forest blocks the sun from much of the rest of the campsites in Cal-Cheak, but the North Camp gets some morning sun here.
The third set of campsites is found further down the gravel road towards the Whistler Bungee Bridge, on the right. The South Camp has 23 campsites in an excellent location where the Cheakamus River and Callaghan Creek meet. Lots of beautiful, water views and the suspension bridge crosses Callaghan Creek here. You also get a fair bit of sun here along Cheakamus River, though most of the campsites here are clustered in the forest. As with the Callaghan Camp, these campsites can feel a bit busy compared to the 10 sites at the North Camp, though the South Camp has arguably the best location of the three. The suspension bridge and the converging Callaghan Creek and Cheakamus River make it the most scenic of the three campsite areas.
Cal-Cheak Recreation Site is maintained by a caretaker from May 1st to October 31st. Outside these dates you can camp for free, though snow may prevent you from driving into the campsites. Snowfall in the area varies from year to year, but often only falls consistently in late November until March, though takes until late April to melt from the campsites. The gravel access road to the Whistler Bungee Bridge is used year-round and though hard packed with snow in the winter, is drivable by non 4x4’s for the section of road leading to the three campsite entrances. Campsites cannot be reserved and fees are payable by cash to the Site Operator. You will find envelopes and a drop box at the first campsite to pay by cash once you select your campsite.
April 29th, 2019: Back in 2011 a group of Whistler artists met at Whistler Train Wreck and transformed it from a bland array of wrecked train cars into a ...
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May 10th, 2019: Whistler Train Wreck is home to several stunning murals painted on the old wrecked boxcars. Mixed with graffiti art, some of murals stand ...
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Sept 11th, 2019: The notoriously difficult biking trail in the wilderness between Emerald Forest and Rainbow Park is a pretty fun place to wander around. It ...
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June 13th, 2020: One of Callaghan Valley's beautiful places appears to be now blocked from the public. Madeley Lake, about as perfectly idyllic a lake can ...
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October 20th, 2018: A little knowledge before you head out into the wilderness is a good idea. Especially if you are new to hiking or in unknown terrain. ...
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December 21st, 2019: Way up in the Callaghan Valley on the back side of Mount Sproatt is an abandoned gold mine. Old cement foundations and two ...
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May 16th, 2019: The Prism mural can be found perched at the edge of Cheakamus River near the Whistler Train Wreck suspension bridge. After you cross the ...
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May is an extraordinarily beautiful time of year in Whistler. The days are longer and warmer and a great lull in between seasons happens. Whistler is fairly ...
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June is a pretty amazing month to hike in Whistler. The average low and high temperatures in Whistler range from 9c to 21c(48f/70f). The summer tourist ...
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July is a wonderful time to hike in Whistler and Garibaldi Provincial Park. The weather is beautiful and the snow on high elevation hiking trails is long ...
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August hiking in Whistler definitely has the most consistently great, hot weather. You can feel the rare pleasure of walking across a glacier shirtless and ...
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Whistler & Garibaldi Hiking
Alexander Falls Ancient Cedars Black Tusk Blackcomb Mountain Brandywine Falls Brandywine Meadows Brew Lake Callaghan Lake Cheakamus Lake Cheakamus River Cirque Lake Flank Trail Garibaldi Lake Garibaldi Park Helm Creek Jane Lakes Joffre Lakes Keyhole Hot Springs Logger’s Lake Madeley Lake Meager Hot Springs Nairn Falls Newt Lake Panorama Ridge Parkhurst Ghost Town Rainbow Falls Rainbow Lake Ring Lake Russet Lake Sea to Sky Trail Skookumchuck Hot Springs Sloquet Hot Springs Sproatt East Sproatt West Taylor Meadows Train Wreck Wedgemount Lake Whistler Mountain
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Madeley Lake is a beautiful, remote mountain lake hidden high up in the Callaghan Valley. From Whistler Village expect to take 40 minutes to drive there. You can drive directly to the lake, however the ...
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Cirque Lake is a wild and beautiful lake that hides high above and beyond Callaghan Lake in Callaghan Lake Provincial Park. What makes Cirque Lake special among the other sensationally beautiful lakes in the ...
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Blackcomb Mountain holds an impressive and ever growing array of hiking trails. From the moment you arrive at the Rendezvous Lodge, you see hiking trails ascend into the distance. The Rendezvous Lodge is ...
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Ring Lake is a fantastically serene and wonderfully remote lake similar to Cirque Lake, but considerably farther to hike to reach it. The 10 kilometre(6.2 mile) hike takes you through a rarely hiked forest, ...
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