Turquoise lakes, mirrored pools, and circles of peaks all around! The hike to Gwillim Lakes goes from ‘impressive’ to ‘fantastically incredible’ and doesn’t stop there! This is one of the region’s best hikes and a worthwhile backpacking destination for a weekend in alpine paradise.
Distance, round trip: 12km
Elevation: +894m
Season: mid-July to late September
Difficulty:
DifficultTrailhead & Driving Directions
Prepare yourself for a long backcountry grind. The majority of the roads are in good condition, but 4WD and high clearance are recommended for the final few kms.
Starting from Playmor Junction, drive 15.4km north up Highway 6. Then turn onto Passmore Upper Road across from the power station. Resetting your odometer, follow Passmore Upper Road as it turns into Little Slocan Road for 25km. You’ll pass the turnoff for the Little Slocan Lakes campground. Then watch for signs for “Valhalla Provincial Park” and turn left onto Hodor Creek Road. Drive another 21km.
The last 2.4km of Hoder Creek are in rough shape with overgrown alder and large rocks and bumps to grind up. Ouch, bump, bump. Not recommended for a low clearance 2WD vehicle.
Backpacking Paradise
The trail to Gwillim Lakes is strung between a series of backcountry campgrounds. While it’s possible to reach Gwillim Lakes within 2.5-3 hours, it is worthwhile to plan an overnight trip and really enjoy the area. As the trail ascends, the scenery at each campground intensifies. These campsites are available on a first-come-first-served basis and can fill up on weekends. Note that campfires and dogs are prohibited in this area of Valhalla Provincial Park.
Up to Drinnon Lake
The hike up to Drinnon Lake is a steady huff up through the forest and across two rock slides. You’ll cross over into Valhalla Provincial Park as you near the top of the ridge.
Drinnon Lake is just over the top of the ridge and is a pretty spot. The first campground is here and spiky peaks can be viewed just over Drinnon Pass. Drinnon Lake is reached after about an hour of hiking.
Drinnon Pass
After crossing a bridge over the creek, the trail quickly ascends up to Drinnon Pass. The forest opens up to sub-alpine meadows, full of flowers and ground squirrels.
You’ll pass the second campground named “Wicca” on Drinnon Pass, and then the trail will begin to meander enticingly through a series of meadows and pools.
At the top of Drinnon Pass, you’ve climbed 430m up from the trailhead.
Higher Still to Gwillim Lakes
The trail descends on the other side of Drinnon Pass and dips down to an unnamed lake. As you begin to climb again, the rush of waterfalls can be heard in the distance.
Gwillim Lakes is behind a final ridge and climb up is taxing but so worthwhile! About half way up, you’ll be able to look to your right and see this:
As you get higher, the trail begins to edge along a massive rock face. It’s hard heavy marching, but the end is almost in sight.
Paradise at Gwillim Lakes
When you finally get to the top, you’ll be amazed! The landscape is gorgeous! Pools of clear water, reflecting mountains and sky. Lakes and waterfalls. And all around, towering peaks!
The final campground is at Gwillim Lakes and is the most popular of the three, but the sites are scattered around spaciously. There is a nice cooking area by the lake, as well as backcountry pit toilets and bear bins.
If you’re day hiking, then Gwillim Lakes may be your final destination. However, if you are a quick hiker or spending a few days, there is more to explore.
Upper Gwillim Lakes
Beyond the Upper Lakes, you can scramble higher to Lucifer Pass and survey the north Valhalla ranges. To reach the upper lakes, pass through the campground heading north towards Lucifer Peak. Watch for the trail as it crosses Gwillim Creek and then continues up a grassy-ramp interspersed with boulders and cairns. Climb this ramp to ascend to the upper basin.
Strong hikers have the option to ascend through Lucifer Pass, crossing the boulder beneath Lucifer Peak and the Black Prince. Even stronger hikers who don’t mind some exposure can scramble up Lucifer Peak from its ridge to the east.
Back Down to Reality
The return trip on a hike is usually pretty anti-climatic. But not at Gwillim – you get all of the spectacular views in reverse!
[…] spent a magical weekend backpacking into Gwillim Lakes. This is truly my favourite West Kootenay hike and an overnighter was the only way to do it […]
[…] It has been reported that the Gwillim Lakes trailhead will be moved back sometime in summer 2020, with the final 2.4km blocked off and a designated parking area created at the bottom of the hill. This would increase the hiking distance from trailhead to Gwillim Lakes but would avoid driving the roughest section of roadThe final 2.4km of the Hoder Creek FSR is very rough, with huge rocks and craters. It’s pretty narrow too – our van was scraped quite a lot by branches […]
Great trail with snow 1/2 way up today. No wildlife to report which was good as we took our 10&8 year olds up. 3hrs up & 2hrs down. Road up is in good condition short of 1 washout at 32km mark that has been patched but last 2km is a rough and an auto detailers dream!
I’m considering using my mountain bike for the last 2.4km of road approach and then locking it up at the trail head. Could this be a better option than trying to drive it with low clearance 4×4?
The last few kms of road are really lumpy and washed out. In previous years, I’ve seen low-clearance 4WD vehicles at the trailhead, but it’s a risk for your vehicle. It would be better to hike or bike the last 2.4 km if you have low clearance. Rumour is that the official trailhead will be moving out so that the final 2.4km goes from road to trail in the future.
Thank you all for the helpful info!!!☺️
I came out of there yesterday and there were two big sink holes on the final 2.4 km of road before the trailhead that are nearly impassable. I would not drive up the final 2.4 km. Park at the bottom for your own safety. Apart from that,it is a beautiful Valley. Well worth the effort.
I am extremely curious as how to reserve a site at Upper Gwillim Lakes… Unable to find much information. Thanks!
The sites are first-come-first-served so no reservations require. From the BC Parks website: “Wilderness, backcountry or walk-in camping is allowed; however, no services are provided at the marine sites. The campsites are open year-round when accessible and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There are facilities at Gwillim, Wicca, Drinnon, Emerald and Cahill Lakes.”
Thank you!! Wasn’t 100% sure. 🙂
Hi there, just wondering if you could comment on the trail conditions in mid-June? Is it possible to camp this time of year? I appreciate the advice.
In past years, the campsites have been buried in snow until early July. It depends a bit on snowpack, but best to wait until July.
Wondering about camping at the first campsite in June. Is that usually snow covered as well ?
Yes the entire trail is at high elevation so all 3 campsites are usually snow-bound until July. The first might be free in late June depending on weather conditions.
How long does the drive to the trailhead take from when you get off the highway? (in hours not kilometers)Trying to figure out how much time to allow to get there. Thank you!
About 1.5 hours. It’s not far in distance, but the backcountry roads are slow. It would be good to get a road report once the snow clears for 2021 (early July) as the last few kms of road is very rough and overgrown, even for a 4×4 vehicle.
Hi Abby! I would really like to do this hike, but plan to stay in Nelson. From what I hear, it is doable but a long day. We are going to be in the area around August 10.
I’ll break my question up into 3 parts for ease:
(1) In your opinion, is this possible?
(2) How long is the drive from Nelson to the trailhead?
(3) How long is the hike roundtrip?
Thank you so much in advance!
Hey Josh, 1) Yes, it is possible with a long day of 11-12 hours from leaving Nelson to returning. 2) 2.5 hours each way in previous years with 1.5+ being on forest service roads. The road gets worse and slower the further up you go with the last 3km being 4WD high clearance only a very challenging. Check out the West Kootenay Hiking Access FB group before your trip to get a recent road report. No one has been up there yet in 2021 to my knowledge. 3) Typically 3 hours up, 2.5 hours down for a moderate hiking pace.… Read more »
Thank you! Very helpful.
That looks absolutely stunning! Definitely a place to spend a few days and explore. Alas this summer is already accounted for, but maybe next year….
Hello, Does anyone have recent knowledge of the trail conditions? Is there snow on the trail? If so, at what kilometre does the snow start? Are the campsites still covered in snow? Is there a shovel to flatten the snow around the camp pads? I plan to hike up and camp around the 1st July, do you think there will still be snow by then? Is it really necessary to wrap the lower part of your car in chicken wire to prevent the porcupines from eating cables etc? Can you recommend a good website or link for a weather forecast… Read more »
Hi Alan, You’ll want to ask your questions about snow and access on the West Kootenay Hiking Access FB group where over 3000 locals share the latest info. I don’t think anyone has been up to Gwillim yet in 2021 as typically it is snow-bound until mid-July: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1389190787797385 In terms of chicken wire, it’s always recommended to wrap your vehicle at high-elevation trailheads in the Kootenays. It would be a long 40km+ walk out the forest service roads if you came back and found porcupine damage to your vehicle and there is no cell service. There is usually some extra… Read more »
Hi! Thanks so much for the great info. Any news on if the trailhead did get moved 2.4KM? Also, is there an obvious place to park 2.4KM before the trailhead (i.e. how will we know we reached said destination) before hitting the real rough stuff? Also, is there typically chicken wire available at this area to park? I am travelling from Osoyoos the day before, and was thinking of breaking up the trip by camping near to the trailhead. What is little slocan lake rec site like? Nice? Busy? Any other rec sites or similar nearby that you would recommend?… Read more »
The latest info for 2021, is the road is still open to the trailhead, but it’s even rougher for the past 2.4km so many people are parking early. You’ll likely see other vehicles parked at that turn-off, but if not, you can recognize it as there will be a junction with a blue “Valhalla” sign pointing up an overgrown rough road that will make you pause and reconsider the drive! If you reset your odometer before turning onto Hodor Road, this junction will be between 18 and 19km. Many people camp at Little Slocan Lake and hike Gwillim Lakes one… Read more »
Great info thank you. Would you recommend taking your own chicken wire?
Yes, if you’re parking before the trailhead. There is some extra wire to use at the official trailhead, but often it’s all taken on weekends.
What are the bugs like at the end of July?
With all those lakes and pools, bug are bad! We usually bring long sleeves, pants, and bug nets.
Gwillim Lakes trailhead access has been cleared of alder for the last 2.4km. Totally drivable in AWD and 4×4 vehicles without risk of scratching vehicles. Subaru’s (crosstrek, forester and outback) and Toyota RAV4’s made it no problem.
Bugs were almost non-existent with a nice breeze. Insanely busy spot on a long weekend though. All campsites were full by evening. Get an early start on busy weekends.
My favourite trail but don’t tell anyone because the parking lot was almost full when we got there.
I want to summit Black Prince and I am looking for any trail or routing information. TIA.
You can ask on the West Kootenay Outdoors Facebook group for route information. It’s a scramble, but a group of locals were up there last week.