Newt Lake Hike RatingNewt Lake is cute little hidden lake high up on the far side of Cougar Mountain near Ancient Cedars.  Its location is a wonderful mix of unexpected characteristics that combine to make it a gorgeous place to see, as well as an unforgettable place to spend the night.  The lake itself is comparatively small, but its irregular shape, deep water and dramatically varied topography make it seem pretty big.  The terrain around the lake is chaotic combination of monstrous boulders, rocky cliffs and weather battered forest.

  • Quiet, rarely hiked trail
  • Beautifully wild alpine wilderness
  • Amazing lake for swimming
  • Boulder shore is fun & functional
  • Enormous trees at Ancient Cedars
  • Very dog friendly wilderness trails
  • Rarely see anyone at the lake
  • Challenging, short & fun trail
  • Hard to find flat areas for tents
  • Road inaccessible in winter months

Whistler & Garibaldi Hiking

Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerAlexander Falls  Moderate Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyAncient Cedars  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerBlack Tusk  Pay Use Hiking Trail WhistlerBlackcomb Mountain  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerBrandywine Falls  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyBrandywine Meadows  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyBrew Lake  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerCallaghan Lake  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerCheakamus Lake  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyCheakamus River  Whistler Hiking Trail HardCirque Lake  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyFlank Trail  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerGaribaldi Lake  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerGaribaldi Park  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerHelm Creek  Moderate Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyJane Lakes  Joffre Lakes Hike in Whistler in SeptemberJoffre Lakes  Moderate Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyKeyhole Hot Springs  Hiking Trail Hard Dog FriendlyLogger’s Lake  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyMadeley Lake  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyMeager Hot Springs Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerNairn Falls  Whistler Hiking Trail HardNewt Lake  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerPanorama Ridge  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyParkhurst Ghost Town  Hiking Trail Hard Dog FriendlyRainbow Falls  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerRainbow Lake  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyRing Lake  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerRusset Lake  Whistler Hiking Trail EasySea to Sky Trail  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerSkookumchuck Hot Springs  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerSloquet Hot Springs  Sproatt East  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerSproatt West  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerTaylor Meadows  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyTrain Wreck  Hiking Trail Hard - Whistler TrailsWedgemount Lake  Pay Use Hiking Trail WhistlerWhistler Mountain

  Winter Hiking WhistlerJanuary  Winter Hiking WhistlerFebruary  Spring Hiking WhistlerMarch  Spring Hiking WhistlerApril  Spring Hiking WhistlerMay  Summer Hiking WhistlerJune  Summer Hiking WhistlerJuly  Summer Hiking WhistlerAugust  Fall Hiking WhistlerSeptember  Fall Hiking WhistlerOctober  Fall Hiking WhistlerNovember  Winter Hiking WhistlerDecember

On section of Newt Lake's shoreline is buried in truck sized rocks rising sharply from the water and up to one of the ominously crumbling ridges of Cougar Mountain.  The massive jigsaw of rocks stretching from the cliff to the shore look as though they crashed down recently.  Other boulders around, and in Newt Lake are so enormous that you can't tell if they crashed down from above, or are part of the solid bedrock.  Some, the size of houses, have decades old trees growing on and around them, yet their jagged and rounded shape give them the unsettling appearance of having been dropped there.  You can't help but stare across the lake and try to visualize how they came to rest where they are.  With truck sized boulders ringing one side of the lake, there are several perfect places to jump in.  The water is immediately deep from the shore here and the colour is emerald green.  You have to navigate the steep boulder field from the trail that approaches the lake from the 2.4 kilometre trail that starts from the end of the much easier Ancient Cedars trail.

Ancient Cedars Map Large v10

The popular Ancient Cedars trail is 2.6 kilometres long from the trailhead to the end of the loop trail that takes you through the impressive grove of big trees.  At the far end of the Ancient Cedars loop is where the unmarked and tricky to spot Newt Lake trail starts(pictured here).

Newt Lake Windfall Trailhead

Ancient Cedars Trailhead to Newt Lake

From the Ancient Cedars trailhead to Newt Lake you gain 366 metres(1201 feet) in 5 kilometres(3.1 miles).  That's a challenging elevation gain, however the first half to Ancient Cedars is a pretty relaxing, steadily uphill route with the occasional bend in the trail.  The easy to follow, well used trail is nice, scenic and feels like an easy walk in the woods..  The Newt Lake trail, however, is quite wild by comparison.  The trail snakes through the thick forest in a constantly ascending and zigzagging route that would be impossible to follow without the very frequent trail markers.  From your car to Ancient Cedars takes only 45 minutes to hike, but from Ancient Cedars to Newt Lake expect to be hiking more than an hour.

Ancient Cedars Newt Lake Trail Comparison

Hiking the Newt Lake Trail

Hiking to Newt Lake is surprisingly fun, though you are almost always climbing and constantly looking for the trail.  The trail winds and ascends through a thick forest of huge trees, fallen trees, mangled trees sprawled across the trail and often you lose the trail despite excellent trail markers.  The erratic terrain and thick forest mean that the recently marked trail snakes through a route that is constantly being altered by the growing forest or falling trees.  In the winter metres of snow pile up here and push boulders down slopes and mangle smaller trees.  A combination of coloured ribbons and orange metal reflectors keep you from wandering off the trail too far.  Though inevitably you will find yourself, on many occasions, scanning the forest for one of these tree markers.  The forest is so wild and the trail is so new that you usually can't discern a trail by looking down.  Instead you keep hunting for the next trail maker lurking ahead in the trees. 

Newt Lake Trail Windfall Tree Marker

Newt Lake Tent and Boulders

Newt Lake Hike in Whistler

Ancient Cedars & Newt Lake Trail Stats:

Driving There: 25 minutes from Whistler Village(13.1kilometres/8.1miles)  Hiking Distance: 5 kilometres/3.1 miles, one way from the Ancient Cedars trailhead/parking to Newt Lake.  Hiking Time: 2 hours there and 1.5 hours back.  Peak Elevation: 1222 metres/4009 feet. Trailhead/Parking Elevation: 856 metres/2808 feet.  Elevation Gain: 366 metres/1201 feet.  Fees: None  Campsites: None  Camping Allowed: Yes  Difficulty: Challenging, steep, wild, hard to follow but short trail. Lots of trail markers, but still easy to lose the trail  Kid Friendly: Yes, short enough to be fun, not exhausting  Stroller Friendly: No  Dog Friendly: Yes

Ancient Cedars, Showh Lakes & Newt Lake Map

The Ancient Cedars trail is very popular and most hikers that come up here just hike the Ancient Cedars trail to see Whistler's largest(though not oldest) trees.  The two Showh Lakes are gorgeous, however the shoreline is so wildly overgrown that you pretty much need to get out on the water to enjoy them.  Newt Lake is a new and almost entirely unknown trail to a lake that takes a bit of effort to appreciate.  On first glance, Newt Lake is a rough, hostile looking place.  But, if you sit for a moment and take it all in, you quickly realize what a remarkable hidden world you've stumbled upon.  Sitting on the broad granite cliff that juts out from the boulder field and slopes sharply down a couple metres to impossibly clear, emerald coloured water.  The shoreline all around is either bright green trees or huge grey boulders.  The boulders to your left form natural stairs into the water and the boulders out of the water are warm, almost hot from the sun.  Behind you the boulders rise sharply, and alarmingly up to a crumbling ridge about a hundred metres above.  The brutalized landscape looks and feels like paradise a million miles from humanity.

Ancient Cedars, Showh and Newt Lake Map

Newt Lake Map v5

Ancient Cedars & Newt Lake Trailhead Directions

Gravel Potholed Road to Ancient CedarsPublic Transit to Ancient CedarsTo find the Ancient Cedars trailhead parking for Newt Lake, zero your odometer at Village Gate Boulevard in Whistler village then drive north on Highway 99 towards Pemberton.  At 8.6km you will see on your left Cougar Mountain Road(Sixteen Mile Creek Forest Service Road).  If you keep your eyes out for the big Cougar Mountain sign on your left, you should spot this turn easily.  There is no turn lane, however the highway is wide and safe enough to slow and stop if needed while turning left.  Turn here and continue straight for 4.5 kilometres(passing through some busy tour operator areas) until you see the sign for Ancient Cedars. This road is very bad with potholes after you pass the tour operators.  Though the potholes are brutal, most cars should be fine reaching the parking area as long as you drive carefully and slow.  The parking lot to Ancient Cedars is well marked and, unless you have a serious 4x4, this parking lot is as far as you will be able to drive. If you have a serious 4x4, you can continue to the shores of Showh Lakes and potential car-camping or wilderness camping options.

Ancient Cedars, Showh and Newt Lake Directions Map v2

Whistler's Best Hiking Trails!

Logger's Lake is an amazing little lake hidden up in the deep forest above the more well known Cheakamus River. The lake, almost unbelievably exists in a long extinct volcano. However, as soon as you see ...
Read more
Black Tusk is the extraordinarily iconic and appropriately named mountain that can be seen from almost everywhere in Whistler. The massive black spire of crumbling rock juts out of the earth in an incredibly ...
Read more
Cheakamus Lake is a wonderfully relaxing way to get in the wilderness easily and quickly from Whistler Village. The trail begins on the far side of Whistler Mountain, 8 kilometres from the Sea to Sky Highway ...
Read more
The short, winding, and ever-changing hiking trail to Rainbow Falls is the same as the much more popular trailhead for Rainbow Lake.  The trailhead is marked as the Rainbow Trail, and the trail quickly ...
Read more

Whistler & Garibaldi Park Best Hiking by Month!

Hiking in Whistler in October is often unexpectedly stunning.  The days are much shorter and colder but the mountains are alive with colour from the fall ...
Read more
November in Whistler is when the temperatures plummet and the first heavy snow falls in the alpine and often in Whistler Village.  The hiking opportunities become ...
Read more
December hiking in Whistler is mainly done on snowshoes, though not always. If it hasn't snowed much recently then trails such as Whistler Train Wreck and ...
Read more
There are plenty of beautiful and free snowshoe trails in Whistler and Garibaldi Provincial Park.  From the surreal paintings of Whistler Train Wreck to ...
Read more

West Coast Trail Highlights

Explore BC Hiking Destinations!

Whistler Hiking Trails

Hiking in Whistler is spectacular and wonderfully varied. Looking at a map of Whistler you see an extraordinary spider web of hiking trails that are unbelievably numerous. Easy trails, moderate trails and challenging hiking trails are all available. Another marvellous ...
Read more

Squamish Hiking Trails

Squamish is located in the midst of a staggering array of amazing hiking trails. Garibaldi Provincial Park sprawls alongside Squamish and up and beyond Whistler. Tantalus Provincial Park lays across the valley to the west and the wonderfully remote Callaghan Valley ...
Read more

Vancouver Hiking Trails

Vancouver is surrounded by seemingly endless hiking trails and mountains to explore.  Massive parks line up one after another.  Mount Seymour Provincial Park, Lynn Canyon Park, Grouse Mountain, Cypress Park and the enormous Garibaldi Park all contribute to Vancouver ...
Read more

Clayoquot Hiking Trails

Clayoquot Sound has a staggering array of hiking trails within it.  Between Tofino and Ucluelet, Pacific Rim Park has several wilderness and beach trails, each one radically different from the last.  The islands in the area are often Provincial parks on their own with ...
Read more

Victoria Hiking Trails

Victoria has a seemingly endless number of amazing hiking trails.  Most take you to wild and beautiful Pacific Ocean views and others take you to tranquil lakes in beautiful BC Coastal Rainforest wilderness.  Regional Parks and Provincial Parks are everywhere you turn in ...
Read more

The West Coast Trail

The West Coast Trail was created after decades of brutal and costly shipwrecks occurred along the West Coast of Vancouver Island.  One shipwreck in particular was so horrific, tragic and unbelievable that it forced the creation of a trail along the coast, which ...
Read more