Golden Ears Provincial Park hiking trails are among the best to experience the magic of British Columbia’s temperate rainforests. From lovely, easy nature walks to challenging summits and lush green canyons, this park offers a lot to hikers of any experience level. But if you prefer chilling out by a beautiful lake or paddling, you won’t complain either.
Golden Ears park is also one of the best places for camping near Vancouver. The nice, well-maintained campgrounds in Golden Ears are great practice grounds to lots of beginner campers and families before they head out camping in more remote areas of the province.
Having lived in Vancouver, we made countless visits to Golden Ears Provincial Park in every season. It’s one of our favorite places to take a day trip from Vancouver. This post is your guide to see the best of Golden Ears, with suggestions for families, too, since we tried and tested lots of trails with our toddler.
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Best Golden Ears hiking trails
With 62000 hectares, Golden Ears Provincial Park is one of the largest and most impressive parks in Metro Vancouver. It’s home to mountains, lush green temperate rainforests and stunning lakes, and also beavers, black bears, cougars, mountain goats and plenty of fish. Even though it’s close to Vancouver and easily accessible, it feels so remote and wild!
The best way to explore it? Set foot on the stunning trails. There’s a huge variety, and everyone can find one that suits their abilities.
The most popular short hike: Lower Gold Creek Falls Trail
The trail to Lower Gold Creek Falls is easy, almost flat and offers stunning scenery. You hike through an old growth forest, marvel at the mossy branches and the moss carpet on the forest floor, meander along rushing Gold Creek. You can also enjoy mountain views peaking through the trees or when you arrive at a clearing. And, of course, Lower Gold Creek Falls.
Gold Creek Falls is not particularly high, but it’s very impressive. A powerful, roaring waterfall – a typical beauty in British Columbia. There are two viewpoints, and both are worth a visit. While the first one is easy to access, it’s a wooden platform at the end of the wide hiking trail, the second requires a short, steep climb. They give different perspectives and are equally amazing. Be prepared to put on your waterproof jacket though as the mist might soak you, especially on the wooden platform.
You return the same way – unless you’d like to extend the hike and do the East Canyon-West Canyon loop (see the next hiking description).
Being one of the most easily accessible trails on very easy terrain, this trail gets busy. I can only imagine how busy it gets on a summer day, but we’ve never done it in the summer (and we wouldn’t). It’s quite peaceful in the winter and early spring though, that’s our favorite time for hiking here. It’s accessible all year, and rarely gets snow, because the elevation is low.
As popular as it is, there’s no paved road to the Gold Creek parking lot though. The very last few hundred meters of the road is unsealed, with some potholes and puddles. It should be okay for any car, just drive slowly and carefully.
Hiking essentials:
- Trailhead: Gold Creek parking lot
- Length: 5.5 km return
- Difficulty: easy
- Hiking season: all year
The most popular day hike: East-West Canyon Loop
This rugged, medium difficulty loop trail is an extension of the Lower Gold Creek Falls hike, which is the first section of the Gold Creek Canyon loop. But instead of returning to the trailhead from the waterfall, you continue on the more rugged trail in the East Canyon, enjoying more mountain and river views, and the pretty west coast rainforest that surrounds you.
The East Canyon Trail is the easier of the two, then you cross a bridge, and return to the Gold Creek parking through steeper, more dramatic and more challenging West Canyon Trail. You can take short detours to Viewpoint Beach and Hikers Beach. Both of them are lovely pebble beaches on the shore of Gold Creek, with mountains towering above.
The West Canyon Trail has two lookouts. The Gold Creek Lookout is on your way, offering a nice view of Gold Creek and the bridge below. The Gold Creek Falls Viewpoint requires a short, but steep detour, and it’s the third waterfall viewpoint, this time on the other side. The view of Gold Creek Falls is impressive, you’re directly facing them, but you’re not as close as at the first and second viewpoints. The viewpoint is not marked either, you need to get down to the rocks by the creek.
At the end of the West Canyon Trail, the Menzies Trail takes you back to Gold Creek parking. Actually, you’ll finish by the road where you’ll cross the one-way bridge you previously drove across to get to the parking lot.
Overall, the Gold Creek Canyon loop is not too demanding, but the rocky and occasionally steep terrain means that good hiking boots are recommended. It can also get quite muddy in the wet season.
Hiking essentials:
- Trailhead: Gold Creek parking lot
- Length: 10.5 km loop
- Difficulty: medium
- Hiking season: all year
Day hike to a challenging summit: Evans peak
Here’s a challenge for adventurous, more experienced hikers: a notoriously difficult and incredibly scenic trail to 1132 meters high Evans peak. It has stunning waterfall views on the way up and a truly memorable panoramic view of Golden Ears Provincial Park from the summit.
The trail starts from the West Canyon parking lot, and the beginning in the forest is very easy. Don’t let that fool you though, it soon turns into a relentless mountain climb. Some parts of it are really slippery, and there are big stretches to climb while you hold onto roots and trees. It’s the most challenging after the Viewpoint Trail and Evans Peak/Alouette Trail junction – you won’t get a break, but climb, climb, climb. Two of the biggest scrambles are rope assisted.
But you get to enjoy outstanding views at the top. And given how challenging the trail is, you probably won’t share them with too many people, no matter how busy the rest of the park gets on a summer day.
Speaking of summer, this hike is mainly a summer objective. Hiking is possible roughly between April and October. During the snowy months you need to be familiar with using an ice ax and be able to cope with 40 – 45 degree inclines on hardpack snow. After researching the conditions, we decided we wouldn’t try it during winter, and generally I wouldn’t recommend it to other hikers either. (Unless you’re an experienced winter hiker, of course.)
As challenging as it is, the distance to cover is only 8.9 km there and back, so Evans peak is definitely a good day hiking objective if you’re after easily reachable summits.
Hiking essentials:
- Trailhead: West Canyon parking lot
- Length: 8.9 km return
- Elevation gain: 968 m
- Difficulty: strenuous
- Hiking season: April – October
A lesser-known half-day hike: Evans Valley Trail
One of our favorite hikes in Golden Ears though is the Evans Valley Trail. It starts from the West Canyon parking lot, just like the Evans Peak Trail (and they share a very brief section at the beginning), the distance to cover is about the same, but with half of the elevation change. If you’re looking for something easier than a summit, but still want to enjoy some stunning peak views and waterfalls, Evans Valley Trail has you covered. (Naturally, it can’t cope with the panoramic views that you get at Evans peak.)
Another good thing is that this trail doesn’t get too busy. You pay the price though: it’s a bit poorly marked, so have a trail map. But we enjoyed the solitude and the feeling of being in the wilderness very much.
The trail starts in the forest, and then the narrow path becomes a steep uphill, without leaving the forest yet. (Yes, we’ve learned that forest trails don’t mean easy trails in British Columbia.) The terrain becomes rockier as you reach higher elevations. You’ll pass a lovely waterfall, and enjoy views of huge rock boulders and surrounding peaks.
When you leave the forest, the trail continues on the rocks, and you need to climb up on the huge boulders. Good hiking shoes and a sense of adventure are good to have. The end of the valley will be obvious once you reach it. As spring comes, ice caves form on the mountain side, and you can climb up to them to explore (do so extremely carefully, and check avalanche risk beforehand). Finally, you return on the same path.
It’s a good year-round trail. But the snow might get deep at the end between December and March, and microspikes are recommended for the upper section.
Hiking essentials:
- Trailhead: West Canyon parking lot
- Length: 8.4 km return
- Elevation gain: 482 m
- Difficulty: medium
- Hiking season: (almost) all year
Overnight hike to the top of the park: Golden Ears peak
The crown jewel of Golden Ears: 1716 meters high Golden Ears peak, overlooking the park. Hiking to this summit is very challenging, and I must admit we’ve only planned it, but never got to do it. We rather chose trails which can be hiked with a toddler, or at least while carrying a toddler. The Golden Ears Summit Trail fulfills neither of these criteria.
But it’s a stunning route and a great challenge to experienced hikers. It’s a varied route with meadows, forests and steep climbs, and a fabulous panorama at the end. It can be done as a day hike if you’re determined, but is more comfortable to do as an overnight hike. Alder Flats campground and Panorama Ridge campground are both on the way. (Not the Panorama Ridge in Garibaldi Provincial Park, this is another one.)
Hiking essentials:
- Trailhead: West Canyon parking lot
- Length: 22 km return
- Elevation gain: 1695 m
- Difficulty: strenuous
- Hiking season: April – October
Family-friendly Golden Ears Provincial Park trails
But not all the trails in Golden Ears are long and challenging. In fact, the park is home to some of the loveliest family-friendly trails in Metro Vancouver. They’re a great choice for families, but also for people looking for easy nature walks. Even toddlers can cope with them on their own.
And I recommend considering doing them after one of the “real hikes”. I know that their distance and elevation change is laughable to hikers, but their beauty makes up for the lack of challenges. Especially Spirea Nature Trail and North Beach Trail.
Spirea Nature Trail
The Spirea Nature Trail loop is almost flat and very short. It took us a few visits to Golden Ears to stop at this trail. It’s so short that we didn’t think much of it. What a mistake.
The mossy wooded wonderland this trail takes you through is one of the most special we’ve ever experienced in British Columbia – and that’s a lot to say. Trees tower above you like a large green cathedral, covered in thick moss, just like the forest ground. Morning sunbeams especially make it a sight out of this world.
Just do it, you can easily fit it into your schedule, because it’s really short. If you’d like to lengthen it, continue on the Alouette Lake Trail which takes you to South Beach.
Hiking essentials:
- Trailhead: Spirea Nature Trail parking lot
- Length: 0.8 km loop
- Difficulty: easy (almost flat)
- Hiking season: all year
North Beach Trail
And here’s another of my favorite trails in Golden Ears Provincial Park. The North Beach Trail starts from Gold Creek parking lot, and it takes you to the North Beach picnic area, following Evans Creek. The forest itself is nice, but the highlight of this walk are the short side trails to the viewpoints over Evans Creek and the towering peaks in the background. It looks exactly how I imagine a Canadian postcard!
The trail is easy and almost flat, but there are some roots and rocks, and a few streams might trickle through the path after rains. It’s not particularly stroller-friendly, though you can push a sports stroller if you’re determined enough. But being such a short and easy trail, even toddlers can walk here (and collect pebbles and jump into the tiny trickling streams on the way).
Then there’s North Beach at the end. It’s my favorite of the two Alouette Lake beaches, because it’s less busy than South Beach, and the water is crystal clear. It’s not a developed picnic area though, you get a toilet and garbage cans, that’s it, no benches or other facilities. But the views and the atmosphere are more than enough compensation.
Hiking essentials:
- Trailhead: Gold Creek parking lot
- Length: 2.6 km return
- Difficulty: easy
- Hiking season: all year
Mike Lake Loop
The loop around Mike Lake is not comparable to the hikes mentioned before. It won’t take your breath away, there’s no panoramic views or even lake views (yes, despite the name of the trail), it’s a quiet forest stroll and wetland walk.
But it’s a loop around Mike Lake, isn’t it? It must be a lake trail. Well, it goes around Mike Lake, that’s correct. But the only undisturbed lake view is from the pier which is right by the parking lot. On the rest of the walk you get occasional glimpses through the trees. It’s a lovely trail and just challenging enough for kids to be interesting, but not nearly as spectacular as other trails in Golden Ears. It’s a great introductory hike for families.
The road to the trailhead is not paved all the way, the last section is a dirt forest road, but suitable for any kind of car.
Hiking essentials:
- Trailhead: Mike Lake parking lot
- Length: 1.9 km loop
- Difficulty: easy
- Hiking season: all year
Camping at Golden Ears Provincial Park
Staying at a Golden Ears campground is a great way to experience camping for the first time. The park is home to three vehicle-accessible campgrounds: Alouette, Gold Creek and North Beach campgrounds.
The Alouette Lake camping experience is perfect for beginners. The Alouette Lake campground has flushable toilets and hot showers, and it’s usually open from early June to early September. Gold Creek campground is similarly well-equipped, and it’s open year-round (though I wouldn’t recommend your first camping experience to be during winter). North Beach campground is more basic, and it’s also only open in the summer season (exact dates vary each year).
Water lovers will find unique Golden Ears camping options, too: campsites which are exclusively accessible by boat. These sail-in campgrounds are on Alouette Lake at Moyer Creek, The Narrows, or on Alouette River and Pitt Lake at Raven Creek. They only offer pit toilets and tent pads, no other facilities.
Then the rustic wilderness campgrounds are for those yearning for the authentic wilderness experience. You find them on Alder Flats along the West Canyon Trail and on Panorama Ridge along the Golden Ears Trail. There are no facilities at these campgrounds.
3 more fun things to do in Golden Ears Provincial Park
Though hiking is definitely the way to see the best of Golden Ears Provincial Park, it’s not the only activity you can do.
Have a picnic
When the sun is out, there’s no better place for a cheerful gathering than a picnic bench in the great outdoors. The South Beach day-use area has plenty of parking and benches (neither of which is enough on a nice summer day). North Beach requires a short and very picturesque walk, offers basic facilities (toilet and garbage bins), but prime views.
Swim in Alouette Lake (in the summer)
Alouette Lake is not one of those lakes near Vancouver which get particularly warm. But it’s refreshing on a hot summer day. You find several beaches on the lakeshore, great for swimming. South Beach is the busiest, and you find shallow and relatively warm water here, with a roped-off swimming area (but no lifeguards).
North Beach requires a short walk, and it’s quieter. The water is also clearer and colder than at South Beach. If you stay at Alouette or Gold Creek campgrounds, a walking trail takes you to the campers’ beach area.
Beware that the beaches of Alouette Lake are pebbly and rocky, and they might hurt your feet. I recommend wearing water shoes.
Read this, too: 16 Fabulous Lake Near Vancouver To Visit This Summer
Kayak or canoe on Alouette Lake
Swimming is not the only option to enjoy the lake. You can rent a canoe or kayak from the kiosk at South Beach (or bring your own) and explore the tranquil lakeshore. You can paddle to the water-accessible beaches. Mornings are usually the calmest, and wind can kick up in the afternoon, so be cautious.
There’s also a large boat launch at South Beach, and you can try water-skiing or windsurfing.
Which is the best time to visit Golden Ears?
Golden Ears Provincial Park is open all year, though the opening hours are shorter in the winter season (days are shorter, too). Winter is a special time to visit, and we really enjoyed the quiet walks on the North Beach Trail, Spirea Nature Trail or Gold Creek Falls Trail – generally, on any trail that gets insanely busy in the summer. The mountain peaks towering above Alouette Lake are snow-capped, and the whole park might get a fresh dump of snow sometimes.
But the peaks are inaccessible in the winter months, or they require professional equipment and winter hiking experience to access. Some facilities are not running, like water taps and sani-stations. So while winter in Golden Ears can be delightful, the activities are limited.
Summer is definitely the most popular season to visit the park. Hiking, camping, fishing, boating, swimming – all of them are most enjoyable when you’re not freezing. But there are two things which are surely not enjoyable in summer: crowds and limited access.
Summer season: Golden Ears Provincial Park day pass
Day-use passes were required to visit the park between June 14 to September 4 in 2023. They were required throughout the past summers, and will possibly be required in 2024, too. (Exact dates vary a bit each year.)
Day passes are free, but available in a limited number, because the point of using them is to protect the park from overuse. You can reserve them online from 7 am, two days prior to your planned visit – and you better get up early and be ready in front of your screen at 7 am to grab one! It’s valid for one car and a certain area of the park.
If you have a valid reservation for overnight camping, you don’t need a day pass.
Things to know before you visit Golden Ears
There’s no cell service in the park. You might find a signal at random places, but you can’t count on it. Download everything you need before your visit (particularly day passes, camping reservations and a Golden Ears hiking map).
Be bear safe. Have bear spray at an easily accessible place. Make noise on the trails, never leave any food unattended at the campground or picnic area, and lock it away once you finish eating.
Pay attention to the opening hours, especially in winter. You don’t want to be locked inside the park gates. Winter hours are from 8 am to 5:30 pm. Summer hours are from 7 am to 11 pm. Opening hours are posted at the entrance, too.
It’s free to visit Golden Ears. (All provincial parks are free to visit in British Columbia.) However, you need a day pass to be able to enter the park in summer.
Golden Ears Provincial Park map
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