Elfin Lakes Details

Activities
- Mountain Bike
- E-Bike
- Gravel Bike
- Hike
- Trail Running
- Snowshoe
- Backcountry Ski
Riding Area

Elfin Lakes / Red Heather / Paul Ridge
Squamish, British Columbia
AKA

Diamond Head
Difficulty Rating

Green Rate
Voted Difficulty

Blue (2 votes)
Local Popularity
65 in Mountain Biking [+]
- 80 in E-Biking
- 50 in Trail Running
- 95 in Hiking
- 95 in Snowshoeing
- 5 in Backcountry Skiing
Global Ranking
#44517 in Mountain Biking [+]
- #2463 in E-Biking
- #61111 in Trail Running
- #372 in Hiking
- #13 in Snowshoeing
- #589 in Backcountry Skiing
Hiking SAC Scale

T1 Hiking
Trail Type

Doubletrack
Snow Grooming

Backcountry
Bike Type

XC, Gravel
Direction

Both Directions
Climb Difficulty

Blue
Physical Rating

Moderate
Trail Visibility

Always easy to follow
Season

bike Jun-Nov ski Nov-May
Family Friendly

Yes
eBike Allowed

Yes up to Class 1
Ride in Rain

Yes
Land Owner

Garibaldi Provincial Park

This is the Elfin Lakes trail that is used by hikers and bikers in summer and skiers and snowshoers in the winter. It starts at 950m elevation and climbs to the ridge high point at 1,600m and then down to Elfin Lakes at 1,500m. The trail is 21km return. However, due to the rocky surface, this ride feels like a solid 30km. Bring the fattest tires you have and run them at low PSI for maximum enjoyment

There is a waterfall partway up and a few other sources of water as long as it has not been dry for too long.

Please note, cycling is prohibited around the lakes. Cycling is only permitted on the trail to the campground.

Access Info

Go up to Diamond Head parking lot.

Disclaimer

Warning: It's prohibited under the Parks Act to harvest anything in the park, including blueberries. Blueberries are an important food source for bear leading into hibernation.

Trail Supporters

BC Parks
Land Manager

Traditionally Indigenous Territory

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week

1 rides
15.5 km average

6 Months

3 rides
14.7 km avg distance

All

212 rides
Last: Jun 20, 2026

c1	c2	c3	c4
January	February	March	April
May	June	July	August
September	October	November	December

update trails status or condition

Elfin Lakes Trail Reports

status	date	description
	Jun 15, 2026 @ 12:08pm (America/Vancouver) Jun 15, 2026	Completely snow covered after the 5km to elfin lakes sign post
	Oct 27, 2025 @ 11:09pm (America/Vancouver) Oct 27, 2025	Snow line between 1100-1200
	Oct 12, 2025 @ 10:51pm (America/Vancouver) Oct 12, 2025	First snowfall of the season today, down to ~1200m
	Aug 3, 2025 @ 9:52am Aug 3, 2025	Looks like the trail has had a fair bit of work since last summer. It's much smoother now. Thanks to BC Parks!
	Jul 28, 2025 @ 10:40am Jul 28, 2025	Now very dry. Not a speck of snow anywhere. Amazing views. It might be a 10k ride from the parking lot but don’t expect to smash it out loud...