It’s called Beautiful British Columbia for a reason! Some of the most incredible backpacking destinations in the world can be found in BC, and we are excited to share 5 of our favorites.

If you’re new to backpacking, or looking to upgrade your gear and don’t know where to start, check out our full Backpacking Gear Guide to make sure you’re well prepared. Here you will find information on the ten essentials, safety must-haves, and complete hiking checklists for your trip. Alternatively, you can check out our Camera Gear Guide to find out what we use to create content on our travels.

Let’s get started!

Our Responsibility

Through our platform, we hope to provide tools and help you create a connection with these wild places that fuels a shared responsibility to protect and cherish them. Together, we have the responsibility of taking care of the outdoors and leaving it better than we found it. Always respect and follow Leave No Trace principles. By committing to LNT, we contribute to the preservation of these landscapes, ensuring they remain pristine for future generations to come.

MOUNT ASSINIBOINE PROVINCIAL PARK

Also known as “The Canadian Matterhorn”, Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park is one of wildest places I’ve been in BC. It’s nestled in the far eastern corner of BC right next to the Alberta border, and is at least 26km away from the nearest public road. The only way to access this park is to take a helicopter, or strap on your boots and hike.

The way that we planned our trip to this park was by booking the 8 minute helicopter to the Assiniboine Lodge, and hiked all the way back to the car on the last day. We opted for the helicopter one way because there are a ton of hiking trails within the park that we wanted to explore, and only had 3 days to do so. If you have more time and want to save money, I’d recommend staying in the park at least 3-4 nights to allow enough time for rest between hikes.

Here was our general itinerary:

Day 1:
- Drive to the Mount Shark Trailhead, Take the Helicopter to Assiniboine Lodge ($185 CAD per person one way)
- Hike 2km to Magog Lake Campground and set up camp.
- Hike to The Niblet (7.4km return from Magog Campground) for sunset, which is the first lookout on the way to Nub Peak.

Day 2:
- Watch the sunrise at Sunburst Lake (1.5km return from Magog Campground), and continue on to explore the trails of Cerulean and Elizabeth Lake.
- Have lunch back at camp
- Spend the afternoon/evening hiking to Nub Peak via The Nublet (11.6km return from Magog Campground)

Day 3:
- Wake up, watch the sunrise at Magog Lake.
- Pack our bags and begin the journey back to Mount Shark Trailhead Via Marvel Pass. (29km from Magog Campground back to the car.)

How To Plan Your Trip

There are so many options to choose from when visiting this park. There are campgrounds along the way if you don’t want to walk 26-30kms in one day, you can stay at the lodge, stay in huts, and choose between multiple trails going in and out of the park. To get a better idea on how you can plan your trip, In A Faraway Land has a fantastic blog post with everything you need to know.

For up-to-date information on the park, please visit BC Parks before planning your trip. Here you will be able to make a reservation and find park maps as well.

To book the helicopter visit the Assiniboine Lodge website. Note that helicopters only fly on certain days so you need to keep this in mind when booking your reservation days.

WEDGEMOUNT LAKE

This particular trail is within Garibaldi Provincial Park, and is a very popular day hike. It is a difficult, 13km return hike to the lake with almost 1400m elevation. You can camp at the allocated campsites near the hut, or down by the lake but these must be booked online with BC Parks.

There are several climbing peaks in the area such as Wedge Mountain or Mount Weart that are accessible from the lake. Whether you’re interested in these additional hikes or not, camping overnight allows you to explore more of the area, watch the sunset or sunrise, and enjoy a night under the stars. In the morning and evenings you’ll be able to escape the crowds and enjoy the peace and quiet as most of the day hikers have come and gone.

Be sure to always check out the Trail Report on the BC Parks website before planning your trip for the latest information on trail conditions, accessibility, and current changes to the park.

You can also check AllTrails for comments from recent hikers. Wedgemount Lake is at a high elevation, which means that the summer season can be short, and can have icy sections well into summer. Be sure to check trail conditions to see if you will need crampons, especially for the last leg of the trail which is a steep boulder field.

LAKE O’HARA

It’s hard to fathom that places like this exist, and you won’t believe your eyes when you experience it for yourself! The only way to get into this park is by booking a bus or walking an 11km dirt road. For staying in the park your options are the Lake O’hara campground, the Lake O’hara Lodge, and the Elizabeth Parker Hut, and all the information to book these can be found on the Yoho National Park government site. If you score a bus ticket, you can visit the park as a day trip, however I highly recommend staying a couple of nights because there are so many hikes to do in the area. Reservations to visit Lake O’hara begin in April 2021. You can visit this page to find exact reservation launch dates for other National Parks in Canada.

Here are just a few of the hikes you can do once you arrive at Lake O’hara:

Opabin Plateau (pictured above)
Lake Oesa Trail
The Alpine Circuit
McArthur Pass, Lake McArthur

I recommend checking out AllTrails to browse hikes in the area to plan your trip!

BERG LAKE TRAIL

Update: CLOSED PAST KINNEY LAKE IN 2024. You can still camp at Kinney Lake, which is stunning!

This is a wonderful trail for so many reasons. It’s an open trail with diverse landscapes, from rivers, to valleys, to glaciers, to waterfalls, blue lakes, it has it all! My favourite section of the trail is Berg Lake (pictured above), which is 21km in. Every time we backpack here we see people of all ages and all fitness levels, and there are 7 campgrounds along the trail for you to set your pace. If you have never done a backpacking trip before this is my number one suggestion especially because of all the options you have when planning your trip.

We stayed in the park for 4 days, and here was our itinerary:

Day 1:
- Check in at the visitor centre, drive to the parking lot and begin the hike.
- Hike from the parking lot to the Emperor Falls campground (16km).
- Take the 1km round-trip detour to Emperor Falls
Day 2:
- Pack up and hike from Emperor Falls Campground to Berg Lake Campground (5km)
- Set up camp, hangout and eat lunch in the hut or by the lake
- In the afternoon hike Toboggan Falls and Hargreaves Lake Loop (6.5km) to get a view of Berg Lake from above
Day 3:
Hike Snowbird Pass (20km return).
There is a lookout halfway up the trail that gives you a great view of the glacier if you don’t want to hike the full route.
Spend the rest of the day relaxing at camp, and watch the sun set at the lake.
Day 4:
Watch the sunrise at the lake (the calmest time of day to get a great reflection).
Hike back to the car (21kms)

How To Plan Your Trip

For reservations to book these campgrounds, go to the BC Parks website. Don’t be let down if you can’t get a reservation right away, just keep checking the site for cancellations! I’ve never actually been able to get a reservation on the opening date, and either pick up cancelled bookings or ask the visitor centre on arrival if there are last-minute cancellations.

GARIBALDI LAKE

For me, this was one of the hikes that started it all. Camping at a gatorade blue lake, hiking up to ridge-lines with 360 degree views, meadows filled with wildflowers, what more could you want? There are a few camping options in the area depending on what you’d like to see. The main campgrounds are Garibaldi Lake, Taylor Meadows, and Helm Creek. We usually sleep at Helm Creek now because it is a less strenuous hike to get to our preferred destination - Panorama Ridge (pictured above). I’ve been to Garibaldi Lake many times and highly suggest staying at the lake if you haven’t done so before. The lake is beautiful and cold summer dips are an experience in itself.

Here is what I would recommend:

Day 1:
Hike to Garibaldi Lake from Rubble Creek (9km)
Set up camp and take refreshing dip if it’s a hot afternoon.
Day 2:
Hike to Panorama Ridge (12km return).
Other options are Black Tusk and Mount Price.
Day 3:
Hike back to Rubble Creek Parking Lot (9km)

How To Plan Your Trip

Find booking information on the BC Parks website. Please make sure you are well prepared. I’ve seen far too many people do this hike with poor shoe choices (flip flops are not good hiking attire). Not to mention there are wild animals here, it is steep, and there is no cell service. Please do your due diligence to be safe when visiting this park, and leave it better than you found it.