Golden Ears Mountain Peak Hike

The Golden Ears peak hike is one of the most beautiful & hardest hikes near Vancouver. It is often called by other names such as Golden Ears summit hike, Golden Ears hike, Golden Ears trail, etc. Hikers usually start this hike from the West canyon trailhead side.

Golden Ears Summit Hike Summary

• Round trip: 24 km
• Time: 12 hours
• Elevation gain: 1500 meters
• Season: July to September
• Camping allowed: Yes
• Difficulty: Difficult

Golden Ears Hiking Guide Video

2021 Golden Ears Peak Hiking Video (Latest)

2019 Golden Ears Summit Hike Video

First 3km on Golden Ears Hike

Golden Ears Mountain Peak Hike starts from the West Canyon Parking lot. You have to buy a daily pass now in order to enter the provincial park. This has been recently introduced to limit the number of visitors in the park in order to conserve Nature. You can get the day-use pass here: https://bcparks.ca/reserve/day-use/ The hike is pretty flat and easy for the first 4 Kms.

You will walk through old forests and cross some water streams as well. The first three kilometers of the Golden Ears hike are pretty flat and easy. The hiking trail is wide and graveled. You also cross two bridges made across water streams. After almost three kilometers, you reach the junction of lower falls & the Golden Ears Trail. Take left from there. The trail becomes a bit steep after that. Also, the trail is no wider and is full of boulders.

Golden Creek Lookout at 4km

The Golden creek lookout, or also called the Gold creek lookout, is located at 4km i.e. 1km further to lower falls & Golden Ears trail junction. You get a nice view of the east and west side of gold creek. Beyond Gold Creek, the trail remains relatively easier till the Alder Flats

East canyon trail & Golden Ears trail junction @4.7km

At the next junction, the East Canyon trail joins the Golden Ears Trail. Continue on the Golden Ears Trail. Hikers doing the Golden Ears Canyon loop hike take the East Canyon trail to cross from the West side of the Golden Creek over to the east side of the gold creek to complete the loop trail. The trail continues to be steep from here.

Last drinking waterpoint @5km

As you continue, you will cross multiple small water streams. At 5km, you will see the last drinking water point. There is also a signboard there. The hike continues in this area and this area is called Alder Flats. You can refill your bottles here. Use straw or tablets to filter the water. Soon after crossing the streams, you will enter into Alder flats.

Alder Flats @ 5.7km

Hikers often pitch their camp here overnight and attempt to complete the Golden Ears peak the next day in the morning. The trail becomes a little steeper and bouldery after the Alder flats. Since this is a camping ground, you will also see a washroom towards your right on the way near campsites. The terrain also becomes rocky after Alder flats.

West Canyon Golden Ears Junction

The real hike starts from here. This junction is almost 1 Km from the alder flats. The trail gets steeper from here and is rocky and bouldery for the next 1.5KM till the Golden Ears Lookout viewpoint. You also get a nice view of the Golden Ears Mountains, valley, and Peak along the trail.

Golden Ears Peak viewpoint @7.5km

At 7.5km, you will reach a point that offers a very clear view of the Golden Ears peak. The trail takes right up from here starting with some stairs. The trail beyond this point becomes very steep & technical as there are multiple steep stairs and tree roots that you will have to cross. You hike along the steepest portion for the first few hundred meters. The steep part starts with steep stairs, roots, boulders, rocks, loose gravel, fallen trees, etc. There are a few technical places as well where you will have to scramble and hold roots to pull yourself up along the trail. At around 9KM, you will reach an open area and there won’t be thick forest cover. You will mostly traverse from one hill to another towards Golden Ears along the ridge while getting a clear view of the nearby peak and Golden Ears

Another viewpoint @8.5km

The technical part ends at around 8.5km and lasts for about 1km from the previous point in the previous paragraph. At this point, you get a 360-degree view of the nearby peaks as well as the trail continues along a ridge.

Pitt lake view @10km

Along the way, you will also get the Pitt Lakeview. Though there are multiple points along the hiking trail from where you get an astonishing view of Pitt lake.

Golden Ears Peak Emergency Hut Cabin & Panorama Ridge Viewpoint Campsite @ 11km

At 11km, you arrive at the Golden Ears Cabin. Besides the cabin, there are a few campsites as well. The cabin has washroom facility but you are not allowed to stay overnight in the cabin as the cabin is only for the emergency. There are a few campsites here along with a washroom attached to the emergency hut. Hikers often camp here and for the sunrise and sunset go to the Peak. You have to book a camping spot to camp there.

There is also a small water stream there. I think that can be used for drinking water purposes as well. The Golden Ears Mountain Peak is 1 Km from Panorama ridge. The last one Km is steep and takes around 30 minutes to reach the peak. At the beginning of August, we encountered a little bit of snow so it’s advised to bring crampons or spikes. Sadly, I could summit the peak as I was too tired. So, I decided to return 500 meters from the Peak.

Overall, the trail is long and becomes increasingly steep as it progresses with much of the elevation gain occurring past the midway point. Make sure to leave early enough to have ample time during daylight hours if you plan to complete this hike in a day. There are a few things to be aware of before attempting the Golden Ears Trail. First, Golden Ears Park is open from 7 am to 11 pm so if you intend to complete this hike in a day without camping or being locked behind the gate in the park then you must start early. Secondly, the West Canyon parking lot, where the hike begins, can fill up fast in the morning during peak season.

Golden Ears Hiking Tips

• Please make sure to carry enough water as the hike is very long and hard
• Please make sure to start your hike as early as possible as the hike takes a long time
• At some sections of the hike, it might become very slippery after the rain. So, please keep that in your mind.
•  Golden Ears Park is open from 7 am to 11 pm so if you intend to complete this hike in a day without camping or being locked behind the gate in the park then you must start early.
• The West parking lot can fill up fast so please make sure to start early

Other Golden Ears Hikes

• Alouette mountain hike: https://youtu.be/4oJ9OjyXWKE
• Evans Peak Hike: https://youtu.be/C_46NMCNj6Y
• Golden Ears Canyon Loop: https://youtu.be/Psqqy0RVs9Q
• Lower Falls Hike: https://youtu.be/epnWiJbgw7k