Ride the Sea to Sky Gondola
Squamish-Lillooet A, British Columbia
Details
Distance
2 miles
Route Type
Point-to-Point
Description
Added by Brooke Stephenson
The Sea to Sky Gondola is a beautiful 45 minute drive from Vancouver, and the viewpoints are worth every penny.
Whether you're looking for a quick, scenic trip or a long hike then this is one for you. You get a lot of bang for your buck and the viewpoints are breathtaking. You start your adventure by taking the gondola up the mountain, you'll jump at this opportunity to take photos at this point, but the view is about to get much better at the top.
Once at the top, you're dropped off at the largest platform. From there the marked trails and suspension bridge are not difficult to get to, and most of the time the shorter trails wont depend on the weather. These short trails lead you to two other beautifully crafted platforms that overlook a panoramic view of the Howe Sound fjord, The Chief, and town of Squamish. Each platform hosts a different view! If you plan out your hike, there are many backcountry trails offered for more experienced hikers.
Sea to Sky offers other fun day activities at the top. I recommend checking their website for seasonal updates.
Photographer Tip: I highly recommend heading there on a mid-week, rainy, West Coast day. Take the Panoramic trail - you'll get the opportunity to spend some time in the clouds and the only thing you'll be surrounded by is snowy alpine peaks.
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Ride the Sea to Sky Gondola Reviews
We aren't by any means in great shape, so we took the gondola up and down. There is a very good trail from top to bottom you could take to save the money! Amazing up there.
5.0
We hiked the 7.5km Sea to Sky trail and it was possibly my favorite hike I've ever done so far. It is definitely an advanced trail and plan to spend about 3 hours on it. The hike is well marked with green triangles. Keep an eye out for it on logs and trees because you can easily wander off the path and get lost. Some parts are really steep going straight up and other parts require using the ropes and chains. You do get to hike next to Shannon Falls at one point though. Overall, the hike is so so so gorgeous and so much fun for the outdoor enthusiast. When we went, it was a weekday and there was a break in the storm so there was hardly anyone on it. (Oh, and be bear aware. We didn't encounter any, but I hear you have a good possibility of seeing one.) At the top, we enjoyed the lookouts. The suspension bridge was cool! There's another short trail that is great for families and strollers. I believe it's a scenic loop. It was nice to relax indoors by the fire at the restaurant area. Prices are little steep, but we enjoyed the $5 coconut curry soup. $10 to ride the gondola down. We were advised not to go back down on the same trail because it's more dangerous on the slippery rocks. The ride on the gondola was pretty sweet though. I couldn't believe we hiked that distance and that grade.
5.0
Sea to Sky Gondola/Viewpoint is something everyone should do at least once. To save money and make the view more worth it you can hike up and ride down as well as it's pretty pricey for a roundtrip. A really awesome campground nearby is Klahanie Campground in Squamish!
5.0
Leave No Trace
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
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