Staff Pick

Road Trip Whistler to Pemberton – Turquoise Joffre Lakes

Whistler Pemberton
65
km
1h
drive
Summer
season

The Itinerary

North of Whistler, the Sea-to-Sky Hwy continues to Pemberton, an agricultural valley and gateway to Joffre Lakes — one of Canada's most Instagrammed hikes.

The three Joffre Lakes (Lower, Middle, Upper) glow vivid glacial turquoise, framed by the Matier Glacier. Easy walk to the Lower (5 min) to moderate for the Upper (5h round trip). Day-use pass required in summer. Nairn Falls (60 m), Pemberton (Canada's seed potato capital) and Mount Currie (Lil'wat community) punctuate the route.

Points of Interest

  • ✦
    Joffre Lakes
    Three turquoise glacial lakes, one of the most iconic hikes in BC.
  • ✦
    Nairn Falls
    A 60 m two-tiered waterfall on a 3 km trail.
  • ✦
    Pemberton Valley
    Farming valley with views of 2,591 m Mount Currie.
  • ✦
    Lil'wat Nation
    Indigenous community at Mount Currie, with St'át'imc culture.

Fishing Spots Along the Route

🎣
12 Mile Creek
Stream
🎣
Adit Creek
Stream
🎣
Adit Lakes
Lake
🎣
Allenby Creek
Stream
🎣
Alpha Creek
Stream
🎣
Alpha Lake
Lake
🎣
Alta Creek
Stream
🎣
Alta Lake
Lake

Protected areas along the route

🌿
Alta Lake Islands
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🌿
JOFFRE LAKES PARK
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🌿
NAIRN FALLS PARK
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🌿
GREEN LAKE
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🌿
Westside Trail Parking
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🌿
MOSQUITO LAKE
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🌿
MILLER CREEK UREP
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🌿
BLACKCOMB GLACIER PARK
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🌿
Owl Creek
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🌿
Wendy Thompson Memorial Hut
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🌿
Whistler Interpretive Forest
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🌿
ECHO LAKE (RUTHERFORD)
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Take this route offline

Cell coverage thins out fast once you leave Whistler. Export the map as a geo-referenced PDF before you go and open it in BorealMaps — your GPS position shows on the map with no signal at all.

Try PDF Export How geo-referenced PDF maps work
Practical info
  • Departure Whistler
  • Destination Pemberton
  • Distance 65 km
  • Duration 1h
  • Category Short (< 100 km)
  • Best season Summer
Themes
lake Glacier Hiking Summer Indigenous waterfall Iconic

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