Elfin Lakes
Encyclopedia
Elfin Lakes are two lakes in Garibaldi Provincial Park
that are popular for hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, and mountain bicycling trail located east of Squamish
, British Columbia
, Canada
.
The area has always been a popular destination for hikers and skiers since the creation of the park in the 1927. Then a local lodge was built in the early 1940s by Joan Mathews, Ottar Brandvold, and his brother Emil and was called the Diamond Head Chalet, but it is now unused and decaying. It attracted many hikers and backcountry skiers. Eventually the owners retired, and ownership was transferred to BC Parks. They chose to not maintain it and built the new Elfin Lakes shelter a few metres south. However, the road that was built is still used as a trail and service road. A moving film made by the Brandvolds showcases Garibaldi Park and the Diamond Head Chalet.
, Mamquam Lake, Columnar Peak, the Gargoyles, and Little Diamond Head. It is also possible to travel to Mount Garibaldi
and Diamond Head
in the winter. Swimming is permitted in the top lake, and the lower lake is reserved for drinking water only.
Garibaldi Provincial Park
Garibaldi Provincial Park, also called Garibaldi Park, is a wilderness park located in British Columbia, Canada, about 70 kilometres north of Vancouver. The park is located to the east of the Sea to Sky Highway between Squamish and Whistler and covers an area of over 1,950 square kilometres...
that are popular for hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, and mountain bicycling trail located east of Squamish
Squamish, British Columbia
Squamish is a community and a district municipality in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located at the north end of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky Highway...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
History
The name was adopted in 1978 when it was identified in a pamphlet for the local lodge. However, a 1946 letter from W.H. Matthews, a Vancouver City Archivist notes that the lakes were once called Crystal Lakes but were never found on any maps.The area has always been a popular destination for hikers and skiers since the creation of the park in the 1927. Then a local lodge was built in the early 1940s by Joan Mathews, Ottar Brandvold, and his brother Emil and was called the Diamond Head Chalet, but it is now unused and decaying. It attracted many hikers and backcountry skiers. Eventually the owners retired, and ownership was transferred to BC Parks. They chose to not maintain it and built the new Elfin Lakes shelter a few metres south. However, the road that was built is still used as a trail and service road. A moving film made by the Brandvolds showcases Garibaldi Park and the Diamond Head Chalet.
Recreation
All recreational activities in the area are governed by the regulations of Garibaldi Provincial Park. Primary access to the lake is via a 11 km (5.5 mi) long trail, which gains approximately 600 metres (1,968.5 ft) of elevation from the trailhead. There are campgrounds and an overnight shelter at the lakes and campgrounds and a day-use shelter or a winter overnight shelter in Red Heather Meadows. During winter, the lake is typically frozen from late December to late April. Much of the trail up is on a rarely used forest service road and has an approximate grade of 5.5%. Approximately half of the trail is in forest, while the remaining half is in alpine meadows with clear views of the surrounding mountains. There are separate trails for mountain bicycling, hiking, and winter use. Hiking trails continue past Elfin Lakes towards Opal ConeOpal Cone
Opal Cone is a cinder cone located on the southeast flank of Mount Garibaldi in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, Canada. It is the source of a 15 km long broad dacite lava flow with prominent wrinkled ridges...
, Mamquam Lake, Columnar Peak, the Gargoyles, and Little Diamond Head. It is also possible to travel to Mount Garibaldi
Mount Garibaldi
Mount Garibaldi is a potentially active stratovolcano in the Sea to Sky Country of British Columbia, north of Vancouver, Canada. Located in the southernmost Coast Mountains, it is one of the most recognized peaks in the South Coast region, as well as British Columbia's best known volcano...
and Diamond Head
Diamond Head
Diamond Head may refer to:* Diamond Head, Hawaii, a volcanic cone on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu known to Hawaiians as Leahi* Diamond Head , a song by the Beach Boys from their 1968 album Friends...
in the winter. Swimming is permitted in the top lake, and the lower lake is reserved for drinking water only.