Experience Glacier Fed Lakes and Alpine Adventures
All you need to know about the coveted Joffre Lakes hike.
Generally considered a challenging hike, this 4.7 Km out and back trail leads you through breathtaking scenery of rugged rocks, high mountain peaks, lush flora and fauna until leading to stunning blue glacier lakes. The Joffre Lakes hike takes you past three lakes, Lower, Middle and Upper and they each get more spectacular the longer you hike.
This hike requires all visitors to purchase a day use hike or a backcountry permit if camping at the upper lake. You can reserve your day pass ticket two days prior to your visit and make sure to get on the BC Parks website early as this hike is popular and often hist their available limits! If backpacking and wanting to stay at the campground, all campers will need to book their permit through the BC Parks website as well. Backpackers do not need to also get a day pass, that pass in included in your camping permit.
If hiking for the day, it is totally worth going all the way to the upper (third) lake and to see the impressive, Matier Glacier up close. The famous “log in the lake” photos you might see circulating Instagram is located at the second lake, which might be the brightest lake out of all of them.
The trail is very well maintained but it is steep with a mix use of rock stairs, wooden stairs with lots of roots and branches mixed in. It is important to watch your footing and to stay alert. This provincial park is known for spotting black bears and grizzly bears along with other wildlife, however; with how busy the trails are these sightings are rare, but we always recommend carrying bear spray.
The campground at Joffre Lake is only available to backpackers and has 26 camping areas spread throughout an old boulder field. Some sites are right down at the lake and some are higher up providing picturesque views of the lake right from your tent. The campground has a large bear cashe to store your food and scented items in at nighttime, along with one outhouse. Getting to the outhouse requires crossing rocks and a small stream. Hiking beyond the campground is not really recommend as the higher trails are considered mountaineering trails and require specific gear and training. We were able to just go until we hit the first “wall” of the mountain. We enjoyed the view, snapped a few pictures and then headed back down.
All and all Joffre Lakes Hike is worth checking off your list! It is easily accessible, reasonably short comparative to other alpine hikes and can be done in a morning or afternoon. This hike requires you to pack out whatever you packed in. There are no garbage cans available. Please respect these rules to keep our trails and the wildlife healthy.
