Joffre Lakes Provincial Park

A BC Parks Provincial Park With Three Vivid Turquoise Glacier Fed Lakes, Lower, Middle And Upper, Reached By An 11 Km Round Trip Climb To The Upper Lake And A Glacier. Very Crowded In Summer, With A Day Use Pass System Managed By BC Parks (Confirm). The Upper Section Is Steep And Can Be Icy Into June. · Pemberton, British Columbia

Joffre Lakes Provincial Park lies in the Coast Mountains beside the Duffey Lake Road, about 30 km east of Pemberton. Three vivid turquoise lakes, Lower, Middle and Upper, are strung along a steep trail that climbs toward a glacier. The colour comes from fine rock flour carried by the meltwater, and it looks best in sun. It is one of the most photographed walks in British Columbia and is very crowded in summer, so BC Parks has used a day-use pass system in the busy season; confirm current rules and book ahead. The round trip to the upper lake is about 11 km, with a steep, rocky, rooty trail, so it suits fit walkers, not casual strollers. Swimming is not allowed. Allow five to seven hours. Whistler, a separate listing, is about an hour west, and the Pemberton Valley below is a pleasant place to eat afterwards. Snow and ice can linger into June, and bears live in the area. The car park on the Duffey Lake Road fills early, and the road shoulders are ticketed.

Three turquoise glacial lakes along a steep trail beside the Duffey Lake Road, about 30 km east of Pemberton in the Coast Mountains, with a trailhead car park and a campground at the upper lake, Pemberton, British Columbia, Canada

The park is open year round in principle, but access depends on weather and snow, and the busy season (roughly late spring to early autumn) has been managed by BC Parks with a day-use pass that must be booked in advance. Confirm the current dates, how far ahead passes are released and what happens if you arrive without one. The trail has no gate, but you should start early, since parking on the Duffey Lake Road fills in the morning and ticketing of roadside cars is common. Winter brings snow, ice and avalanche risk on the upper section, and the highway itself can be closed or need winter tires. Daylight hours limit your safe time on the trail.

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