The lake's colour
A clear blue-green.
Gopi.Perumal — CC BY-SA 4.0 · The Cosmonaut — CC BY-SA 2.5 ca · Gopi.Perumal — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Oleg Mayorov — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gopi.Perumal — CC BY-SA 4.0
Garibaldi Lake is a turquoise alpine lake in British Columbia, 37 km north of Squamish and 19 km south of Whistler, inside Garibaldi Provincial Park. Hikers come for its astonishing colour and for the mountains and glaciers around it. The lake lies in a deep high basin, its surface at nearly 1,500 m and its depth over 250 m. Mountains almost surround it, with volcanoes to the north, west and south and non-volcanic peaks to the east. Lava from Mount Price and Clinker Peak blocked the old valley, and the water built up behind a natural dam called The Barrier. The view is everything here: clear blue-green water, conifers, snow on the peaks and big boulders along the shore. In summer wildflowers spread over nearby meadows, and in winter the surface can freeze under snow. From Panorama Ridge you see the whole lake, but that is a long and hard route. No road reaches it, so you must hike uphill for several hours from the car park, with water, food, proper shoes and layers. It is 21 km in a straight line from Whistler. Snow can linger on the trail into early summer, so ask about conditions. BC Parks asks for a day-use pass at certain times, so arrange it ahead.
A clear blue-green.
A natural lava dam.
The whole lake from above.
Garibaldi Provincial Park, between Squamish and Whistler, British Columbia
No, you must hike uphill for several hours from the car park.
Usually late summer, as snow can linger on the trail into early summer.