While spending a weekend in Whistler I wanted to do a hike with pretty mountain views and I found Joffre Lakes hike in nearby Pemberton BC. From Whistler it’s a 1-hour scenic drive to Joffre Lakes trailhead.

The trail gets busy, especially on weekends, so the earlier you start the better your chances of enjoying the trail with fewer hikers. On the contrary if you are hiking solo and want to meet up with other hikers on the trail, get there around mid-morning or in the afternoon.

Joffre Lakes hike is a beautiful trail and an easy day trip from Whistler.

Joffre Lakes Hike

Where is Joffre Lakes?

Joffre Lakes trailhead is located in the Joffre Lakes Provincial Park in the southwest region of British Columbia.

Joffre Lakes is a good day trip from Whistler or Pemberton. You could also do it as a day trip from Vancouver but I think spending a night or two in Whistler is better.

Distance to Joffre Lakes

35 km (22 miles) east of Pemberton
61.5 km (38 miles) northeast of Whistler
180 km (112 miles) northeast of Vancouver

Joffre Lakes Day Pass

A day use pass to Joffre Lakes is required from early May to early October. You can get a free day use pass for Joffre Lakes at the BC Parks website.

Joffre Lakes Closures 2024

Joffre Lakes, known as Pipi7íyekw to the Líl̓wat and N’Quatqua First Nations, is closed for Indigenous cultural festivities from April 30 to May 15, 2024.

The park is closed from June 14 to 23, 2024 to celebrate Summer Solstice and Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

Joffre Lakes Park/Pipi7íyekw is closed from September 3 to October 6, 2024 to allow for fall harvesting by the Líl̓wat and N’Quatqua First Nations, and for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation.

Upper Joffre Lake is the trail summit with awesome mountain views surrounding the turquoise lake

Getting to Joffre Lakes from Whistler

61.5 km (38 miles) via BC Hwy 99 North – about 1 hour

Take BC Hwy 99 North and follow it for 61.5 km (38 miles) to the trailhead on the right side of the highway. Hwy 99 is also known as Duffey Lake Road along this stretch of road.

Getting to Joffre Lakes from Vancouver

180 km (112 miles) via BC Hwy 99 North – about 2.5 hours

That’s it for directions – get on Hwy 99 N and follow it all the way to the Joffre Lakes trailhead parking lot.

To get from Vancouver to Joffre Lakes you’ll take the beautiful and scenic Sea to Sky Highway which is BC Highway 99. The trip takes about 2.5 hours without making any stops. But a pit stop in Whistler to grab something to eat is my advice. You’ll need some fuel for energy to get you through the hike!

Driving from Vancouver to Whistler it’s 120 km (75 miles) and takes about 90 minutes. You’ll pass through Squamish along Hwy 99, another great place for hiking in BC.

Lower Joffre Lake hiking trail in BC Canada

Lower Joffre Lake is an easy hike from the trailhead

Joffre Lakes Hike Description

You’ll reach the Lower Joffre Lake within 5 minutes of starting the hike.
Middle Joffre Lake takes about 1 hour
Joffre Falls – about 15 minutes from Middle Joffre Lake
Upper Joffre Lake from the waterfall takes less than 15 minutes

First of three lakes – Lower Joffre Lake is a glacier fed lake in BC

Is the rest of the trail uphill? That is something you may wonder after reaching Lower Joffre Lake and hiking to Middle Joffre Lake. It’s a steady incline so you may want to stop for rest breaks.

On a hot sunny day I felt like I was getting a good workout as I walked steadily up the mountain trail.

LEARN MORE: Emerald Lake Hike – Yoho National Park BC

Emerald to turquoise color of Middle Joffre Lake with snow covered mountain in the background

Middle Joffre Lake is the second of three gorgeous lakes in one hike

Mountain view and a glimpse of a glacier lake along Joffre Lake hike near Whistler BC

With three lakes and a waterfall along the trail you have plenty of excuses to stop to take in the magnificence of nature.

Joffre Lakes hike info

Distance – 10 km (6.2 miles)
Elevation gain – 400 m (1,312 ft)
Type of hike – Out and back
Time – Allow about 2 to 3 hours total hiking time
Rating – Moderate
Best time to hike – Open year round – hiking in summer and snowshoeing in winter
Dogs allowed on Joffre Lakes trail? Sorry, no dogs allowed on the trail

Spectacular color of Upper Joffre Lake and snow covered mountains are your hiking reward

Upper Joffre Lake is a beautiful glacial lake with overnight camping

Joffre Lakes Campground

Reservations are required in advance of your arrival at the Joffre campground – there is no cash payment option at the park. Overnight camping is allowed only at the Upper Joffre Lake campground. You can make your reservation to camp at Joffre Lakes up to 4 months in advance via BC Parks Camping.

To book your camping reservation at Upper Joffre Lake follow the online instructions.

For the reservation type select Backcountry then select your preferred dates and select Joffre Lakes from the location drop-down list.

On the map of the campground if you click on the text Upper Lakes Campground an info popup will show how many tent pads remain available.

Check-in time is 1:00 pm or later
Check-out time is 12:00 noon
Maximum 4 people per tent pad reservation
Reservations online up to 5:00 pm on arrival date
Payment is required in advance
Backcountry fee is included in the price of the reservation
Specific tent pad location is allocated on a first-come first-served basis
Tent pad total maximum size is 10′ x 10′

Upper Joffre Lake at Joffre Lakes Provincial Park in BC

Summary of Joffre Lakes Hike

Joffre Lakes trail is the perfect choice for a half-day hike from Whistler BC. I enjoy hikes with some elevation gain, especially at the beginning of the hike, and beautiful views.

Joffre Lakes delivers with 3 stunning glacier lakes and a beautiful waterfall along the trail. At the summit the views of the mountains are spectacular, making it the perfect time to enjoy a picnic lunch before heading back down the mountain trail. Or plan ahead and make a reservation to spend a night or two camping at Upper Joffre Lake and watch the sunrise.

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