Backcountry Skiing & Boarding
Just one winter trip to Squamish and you may leave the lift lines and resort crowds for good. This mountain town delivers some of the best untapped backcountry terrain for a classic Pacific Northwest backcountry experience that’s both rugged and refined.
Brace yourselves for alpine adventures like no other.
Garibaldi Provincial Park
A backcountry skiing and touring dream destination for novice and advanced ski-mountaineers alike, Garibaldi Provincial Park boasts more than 195,000 hectares of glacier-capped mountains, ancient forests, and gentle peaks. There is also a hut offering a winter refuge which makes for lots of options for those looking for a little hut-based touring.
The popular Elfin Lakes Trail is a gateway to pow laps for even the newest backcountry skiers and riders. Along this trail, adventurers can access both the Red Heather Hut, a popular day shelter equipped with picnic tables, a food prep area with a sink and wood stove during the winter months, and the Elfin Lakes Shelter, an overnight mountain hut complete with propane stoves, eating areas and bunks for 33. From the Elfin Lakes Shelter, skiers and riders can begin the Garibaldi Neve traverse, a worthy mission in one of the more beautiful areas in the Coast Mountains.
Callaghan Valley
Some of North America’s best Nordic skiing happens just 50km north of Squamish in an area known as the Callaghan Valley. Ski Callaghan offers nearly 100km of trail access for beginner to expert skiers. Callaghan Country is also home to Whistler Olympic Park, the site of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic cross-country, biathlon, ski jumping, and Nordic combined events.
Play It Safe:
If you are planning a backcountry trip or outing, make sure that you are equipped with the proper equipment and knowledge. If you don't have the knowledge or equipment, check with our local outfitters and guides who may be able to help you stay safe.
- Follow "The Three Ts", if you are heading outdoors you need to Trip Plan, Training, and Take the Essentials
- Be sure to check the latest avalanche conditions before heading out into the backcountry by visiting Avalanche Canada
