Our Favourite Dog-Friendly Adventure Hikes in Whistler

Thanks to its staggering mountains, majestic glaciers, roaring rivers, towering evergreen forests, and untouched spaces, Whistler is blessed with some of the best hikes in the country. While dogs are not permitted anywhere in Garibaldi Park, which includes Wedgemount Lake, Garibaldi Lake, Cheakamus Lake, Musical Bumps and Elfin Lakes, as well as Whistler Blackcomb, and the Rainbow Lake trail, there are other less-known, but still impressive, backcountry trails that allow you and your dog to get up close with Whistler's most attractive wild spaces. These trails provide access to extremely beautiful and remote wilderness areas and we are very lucky to be able to share them with our best pawl. We have listed below our favourite dog-friendly adventure hikes to do in Whistler.

Brew Lake and Mount Brew

Mount Brew is a lightly trafficked hike located just a short drive south of Whistler. Sitting at the base of Mount Brew, Brew Lake lays in a gorgeous alpine valley. The hike is steep and involves some technical scrambling and route-finding that may be difficult for certain dogs (or people) so only agile and energetic dogs (and people) should attempt this trail. There are 2 ways to reach the lake and mountain, one from Roe Creek, and one from Brew FSR. Both routes are still relatively unknown which makes them serene yet wild hikes.

Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 8km roundtrip to lake, 12km roundtrip to the peak
Duration:  5-8 hours to the lake, 10hours to the peak
Elevation gain: 745m (lake), 1650m (peak)
More info: www.whistlerhiatus.com

Brandywine Meadows

Located just south of Whistler, the relatively short, but steep hike brings you to a scenic meadow with a serene creek that meanders through the grass. Walk the beautiful path, among majestic mountains and glaciers. Brandywine Meadows is very remote and wild by comparison to other Whistler hiking trails, which makes it a great adventure hike to undertake with your pawl.

Cirque Lake

Cirque Lake is a wild and beautiful lake that is hidden above Callaghan Lake. It's an adventure itself to get there: you'll need a vehicle to take you up a long gravel road, a floating embarkation to take you across the lake, and some good hiking boots to take you up the short, but steep and muddy trail. The remoteness and the effort to get there makes this a very special and uncrowded wild place.

Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 4.1km roundtrip
Duration:  3-5 hours
Elevation gain: 300m
More info: www.whistlerhiatus.com

Keep the trails pet friendly by following dog hiking etiquette: Hiking nature trails is amazing for physical and mental health for both you and your dog. Let’s keep our trails dog-friendly by honoring the rules and regulations, which are meant to protect the trails so that we, our pets and others can enjoy safe meaningful hikes. To ensure smoother encounters and to help your dog showcase his best manners on the trails, you can follow these simple rules of dog hiking etiquette: Learn more.

Get geared up for your outdoor adventures: Check out our outdoor collection, featuring high-performance hiking and camping gear from Ruffwear and Little Pine, a local, sustainable pet apparel brand. Little Pine products are made  by up-cycling materials like climbing rope and Gore-Tex ski instructor jackets. Shop here.

Happy trails!