Hanging Lake Trail
A class 5 out of 5 bushwhack to a lovely sub alpine lake
Statistics
| Total Distance: |
6.0 km (one-way) |
| Estimated Time: |
12 hours |
| Average Grade: |
13.3% |
| Structure: |
Linear - One Way |
|
|
Elevation Gain:
|
800 m |
| Start Elevation: |
600 m |
| Max Elevation: |
1400 m |
|
Directions
From Highway #1 (Trans-Canada Highway) in Chilliwack, take Exit #119 heading South. Follow Vedder Road through Sardis until a 3-way stop immediately before the Vedder River Bridge. Turn left onto Chilliwack Lake road at the stop sign.
Follow Chilliwack Lake Road to the end of the pavement where the main entrance to Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park is. Instead of turning right and past the park gates, continue straight onto a dirt forestry road. Follow the forestry road until you reach a barracaded gate on the Depot Creek Bridge, near the south end of the lake. Park here.
Details
Ok the directions sound easy enough, but the big challenge lies at roughly the 900 metre mark, where the trail disapperas into a massive bowl of thick brush. This is the point where many an attempt at the lake has been thwarted, as this bushbowl is a good kilometer in length.
Whack your way towards an island of trees that you will see upon entering the bushbowl, as the trail does go through it, and this also offers some relief from the dense brush.
There is also some area for rough camping in the near side of the bowl, should you decide to make gaining the lake into a two day affair.
Past the bushbowl, continue left of the creek towardfs the cool waterfall that you'll see at the far side of the bushbowl, and hopefully you'll see the trail as you near the falls. If not, make your way across the creek and up into the forest, where you'll find the trail.
There are a few avalanche gullies as you continue; making it easy to lose the trail again. Just keep heading up the valley and you will eventually be rewarded with a visit to a lake that few suceed in making.
A dayhike from the trailhead is impossible; and it is a real challenge to even make it to the lake in one day. Good luck!
Photographs
GPS Waypoints
| Depot Creek bridge (gated) |
N49.02574 W121.38832 |
10U 617819 5431568 |
| Sandy beach |
N49.01583 W121.40186 |
10U 616853 5430446 |
| Start of original Ecological Reserve trail |
N49.01516 W121.40303 |
10U 616769 5430370 |
| South edge of marsh |
N49.01253 W121.40374 |
10U 616723 5430076 |
| Trail reaches edge of Chilliwack River |
N49.01153 W121.40615 |
10U 616549 5429961 |
| Directly across river from Hanging Lake trailhead |
N49.00999 W121.40558 |
10U 616594 5429791 |