Squamish-Lillooet: Watersprite Lake (2 days / 19 km)
Watersprite Lake is a dazzling turquoise alpine lake surrounded by towering mountains. It lies in the heart of the Watersprite Lake recreation area, which sits to the south of Garibaldi Provincial Park, and shares much of the same landscape as its better-known neighbour.
The trailhead is accessed via 20 km of forest service road with some pretty gnarly stretches. To reach the trailhead, you ideally need a 4WD with high clearance, or at least an SUV with AWD. An advantage of this is that it is quieter than other popular alpine lake hikes in the Squamish area, such as the infamous Garibaldi and Elfin lakes. Reservations are required for the campsite, but at the time of writing (September 2024), no passes are required for day hikers.
While Watersprite Lake is easily doable as a day hike for experienced hikers, a night at the backcountry campground is highly recommended. The campground sits on the southeast side of Watersprite Lake, under the watch of Watersprite Tower. It is truly stunning and very serene. On a clear day, come golden hour you’ll be treated to breathtaking reflections of the surrounding mountains on the lake.
Trip Completed: September 2024
Trip Summary
Difficulty: Strong intermediate. The majority of the trail is strong beginner to intermediate friendly, but there are a couple of boulder fields which are quite challenging and technical. As such, the route is best suited to strong intermediate and up backpackers.
Location: Watersprite Lake rec site, near Squamish, BC
Traditional Territory: This route takes place on the traditional territory of Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla, the səl̓ilwətaɁɬ təməxʷ (Tsleil-Waututh), and the Skwxwú7mesh-ulh Temíx̱w (Squamish) Nations (source).
Maps & Resources
Guidebook: We didn’t use a guidebook. Friends of ours who hike in the area recommend ‘Backpacking in Southwestern British Columbia’ by Squamish local Taryn Eyton.
I briefly looked at the chapter on Watersprite Lake in this book. The information about the route and terrain is useful, but the information about the campground is out-of-date. The guidebook states that tent camping is free and on a first-come, first-served basis. This is no longer the case. Advanced reservations are required and the cost for tent camping is $20 per tent site per night.
Map: We didn’t bring a physical map and instead relied upon the below linked AllTrails Map downloaded to our phones. We found the trail easy to navigate and didn’t need a physical map or compass. Watersprite Lake (Summer Route)
Permits & Reservations
Campsite Reservations: Tent camping reservations are required and can be made online up to 60 days in advance via BCMC Watersprite Lake campground online bookings. The campground is maintained by the British Columbia Mountaineering Club (“BCMC”).
Unlike neighbouring campgrounds in Garibaldi Provincial Park, when making a reservation at Watersprite Lake, you are reserving a specific tent site. There are 20 in total, 14 platforms and 6 gravel pads, and the general rule is that the lower the number, the closer the site is to the lake. We booked circa 2 months in advance for a Monday night in September and were able to book the much-coveted tent platform 1.
The BCMC also maintain a backcountry cabin at Watersprite Lake. The cost to book the whole cabin is $300 / night Friday to Monday and $200 / night Tuesday to Thursday. The cabin sleeps up to 8 people. The cabin does not offer individual bookings. Cabin reservations can be made via BCMC Watersprite Lake Cabin online bookings.
The above prices are correct as of September 2024.
Permits: Hiking permits are not required, but ensure you have a copy of your campsite reservation available, including the number of the tent site you have reserved.
Know Before You Go
Season: June – October
Cell Reception: There is no cell reception at the trailhead or at the campsite. I picked up cell signal briefly at the halfway point of the trail, but this didn’t last for very long.
Water: Water can be collected from a few small creeks that the trail crosses over, a creek feeding into Watersprite Lake, and from Watersprite Lake itself. All water should be filtered, boiled, or treated before drinking.
When we hiked in mid-September, the creeks en route were generally low with only small trickles of water. I recommend planning ahead and taking enough water with you to last the hike to the backcountry campground.
Wildlife: Black bears are very active in the Squamish area. We didn’t see any bears on this trip, but we did see one the month before on a 4-day backcountry trip in southern Garibaldi Provincial Park, which borders the Watersprite Lake Recreation Site. Be bear aware, carry bear spray, keep a ‘bare’ campsite, and familiarise yourself with BC Parks’ wildlife safety advice. The Watersprite Lake backcountry campground had several bear caches to secure food, toiletries, garbage, and any other items which have a scent and may be a wildlife attractant.
Waste: There are outhouses located at the parking lot and at Watersprite Lake backcountry campground. There are several bear lockers located throughout the campground. There are no garbage cans at the parking lot, campground, or en route. All garbage, including dog waste, must be packed out.
Other: Day hikers are permitted on the trail, but there is no dedicated recreation area for day hikers at the lake and the campground facilities are for people will backcountry camping reservations only.
Dogs are technically permitted on this trail and at the backcountry campground, but the BCMC states on their website that pets are “discouraged”. All dogs must be leashed, under control, must not make excessive noise, and owners must clean up after their pets and pack out all poop. More information is available on the BCMC’s website FAQ page.
There were three groups with dogs camping at the backcountry campground on the night we were there, and unfortunately, none of them had their dog leashed. One of the dogs ran up to us barking, and even jumped up on my partner and started humping his leg. One dog also made lots of noise throughout the night. We are dog lovers and hate to see owners not taking proper responsibility for their pets and respecting the rules, as it ultimately leads to dogs being banned from places. From what we saw, we wouldn’t be surprised if the BCMC implemented a blanket ban on dogs in the future. If you are planning on doing this route with a dog, check the BCMC website to see whether dogs are still permitted and familiarise yourself with BCMC’s rules for dogs on the trail and at the campground.
Outfitters & Shuttles
Outfitter: We did not use an outfitter as we had all of our own hiking and camping gear. The closest town to the trailhead is Squamish, and it may be possible to hire gear from here if required from companies such as Spearhead Outfitters.
Shuttle: This route starts and ends at the same place so a shuttle is not required. The trailhead is not accessible by public transport. The trailhead is located 20 km down a forest service road with several washouts, potholes, very uneven and rocky terrain, and steep ups and downs. Due to the nature of this terrain, it is unlikely it would be possible to arrange a taxi to/from the trailhead.
Trip Report
Day 1: Watersprite Lake Trailhead to Watersprite Lake Backcountry Campground (9.25 km)
Driving to the trailhead: We drove to the trailhead from Vancouver. We were squeezing this hike in before taking a trip over to Vancouver Island and knew that our timings would be tight. We called in at Squamish to pick up a hot drink for the long drive on the forest service road.
Just south of Squamish township and north of the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park is the access point to the FSR leading to Watersprite Lake. In total, you need to travel 20 km on FSRs to reach the trailhead. The first half of the FSR is in fairly good condition, but it gets progressively worse with several washouts, lots of large potholes, very rough and rocky terrain, and steep ups and downs. The final 5 km are the most challenging and require a lot of concentration and good clearance.
We have a small SUV with AWD, a Nissan Rogue, and the FSR to the Watersprite Lake trailhead is the roughest road we have attempted in our car. It is definitely at the upper limit of what we think our car is capable of and we probably wouldn’t take it back there again. It took us well over an hour from joining the FSR to reach the trailhead. The vast majority of the cars in the parking lot were trucks/jeeps with high clearance. Our Nissan Rogue was one of the smallest and lowest clearance cars there. There is an outhouse at the trailhead for a final comfort break before you hit the trail.
Trailhead to Watersprite Lake: From the carpark, skirt around a metal barrier and follow the path to the right which leads uphill on a gentle incline and passes the Skookum Dam below and to the left. When you reach a fork in the trail, keep right, and follow the trail as it bends to the right. For the first 1.5 km, the trail is open and rises uphill gradually via a mix of hard-packed gravel paths and boardwalks over boggy patches. The trail passes over a couple of small creeks by way of low and sturdy bridges. At circa 1.5 km from the trailhead, the trail dips down before rising back up and climbing fairly steeply through a forest.
The trail here becomes rooty in places, and there are some sections of steps. The trail continues through the forest until you hit a junction with an old logging road. Here, take a right and continue along the old logging road, crossing over Skullhead Creek by way of a small wooden bridge.
Circa 3 km from the trailhead, the trail bends sharply to the left and climbs up a fairly steep rocky section. The trail then bends sharply to the right and emerges onto the “Prow Lookout”; a ridge which offers stunning views of the Mamquam River Valley and the peaks of southern Gairbaldi Provincial Park. Roughly 4 – 4.5 km along the trail is a rock which juts out over the valley (think Pride Rock from the Lion King vibes). It offers the best views along the ridge and is a great place to stop for a photo and snack break.
After the Watersprite Pride Rock (not its official name), the trail continues at a gentle incline curving around to the left for another 2 ish km until reaching the first of two boulder fields caused by a rockslide. The boulder field requires some scrambling, and slowed us down a lot. Be careful and vigilant through this section, we hiked on a dry sunny day with no wind and still saw a rock tumble down from above us. The first boulder field lasts for just under a kilometre before emerging into a forest.
The trail through the forest dips up and down with some steep and slippery sections. Exiting the forest, there is a steep climb through an exposed section of trail up into another boulder field. The trail continues steeply up through the boulder field and then starts to level off, at which point you’ll get your first views of the west shore of Watersprite Lake, and discover that the climbing and scrambling was absolutely worth it! You’ll come to a junction and an information board. The left fork at this junction leads to the Watersprite Lake Cabin and the right fork winds around the lake shore to the campground. You’ll spot a couple of islands close to the west shore. These islands are private land and not open to hikers and campers.
The final stretch of trail to the campground continues through a boulder field, hugging the lakeshore. From here, you get truly spectacular views of Watersprite Tower, a jagged peak which dominates the skyline. We arrived at golden hour, and this peak was lit up beautifully. Once you get around to the east shore of the lake, you’ll cross a small creek flowing into the lake, which is a good place to collect water for the evening, and then arrive at the campground. The campground has an outhouse, several bear caches, and 20 tent sites (which are all reserved individually). We had made our reservation well in advance in order to secure the much-coveted tent site 1, which is the one closest to the lake.
We arrived just before sunset, only to find someone had set up camp on our platform. They claimed that they didn’t realize reservations were required and asked if we really needed them to move. There were signs at both the trailhead and the campground advising camping was by reservation only, so we didn’t buy the story. We had been hoping to take a quick dip in the lake, but by the time the intruder had packed up camp, and we’d set up ours, the sun had set and we decided it was probably a bit too cold to go for a swim. Some friends of ours who have camped there before have confirmed the water is lovely and refreshing, albeit quite chilly!
The hike to the campground, including water and snack stops, taking in the views at Watersprite Pride Rock, and a stop to collect water from the creek near the campground, took us 2 hrs 55 m. We were hiking more slowly and cautiously than usual because of my injury, in particular through the boulder fields. I expect that experienced hikers with no injuries would be able to do this quicker.
Campsite: Watersprite Lake backcountry campground.
| Total Distance | 9.25 km |
| Elevation Gain (only for backpacking) | 719 m |
| Campsite Reservation | Watersprite Lake backcountry campground – Reservation required |
Day 2: Watersprite Lake Backcountry Campground to Watersprite Lake Trailhead (9.25 km)
Descent from Watersprite Lake Backcountry Campground: The hardest and most technical part of the return trip is right at the start. You retrace your steps from the day before, back around the lake and through a boulder field. At the sign, keep left as the right trail will take you to the cabin. From the boulder field, descend down a steep hill, enjoying stunning mountain views on the way down, and back into the forest. Once through the forest, you emerge back into the first boulder field from yesterday. Going through here is slow, but once you’re through, the trails are in great condition and the rest of the trip down is easy.
The best part of the hike back down is retracing your steps along the Prow Lookout, and getting to enjoy views of the Mamquam Valley and surrounding peaks from the opposite direction. Be sure to allow time for another stop-off at the Watersprite Pride Rock.
The hike down including stops took us 2 hrs 55 m – exactly the same amount of time as our hike up had taken. We were again hiking more slowly than usual due to my injury, and so experienced, fit hikers will likely be able to do it faster.
| Total Distance | 9.25 km |
| Elevation Gain | 62 m |
| Campsite Reservation | N/A |
Reflections
We loved this hike and appreciated that it was quieter and we could enjoy more solitude than on similar alpine lake hikes in neighbouring Garibaldi Provincial Park. The views along the Prow Lookout and at Watersprite Lake itself were truly stunning. We highly recommend making your reservation far in advance in order to secure tent platform 1, or the lowest number possible, which will give you the best views of the lake. We’d like to have been able to get there earlier and not have had to wait for someone to move off of our reserved tent platform so that we could have enjoyed a lake swim.
Scrambling through the boulder fields was hard work with an injury that wasn’t fully rehabilitated, and I wouldn’t attempt it again with a lingering musculoskeletal injury.
Whilst we are dog lovers, we were frustrated by all three of the dog owners at the campground clearly flouting the rules by not leashing their dogs and keeping them close. It would be a shame for responsible dog owners to be banned from one of the few trails and backcountry campgrounds in the area which are dog-friendly, but based on what we saw, we wouldn’t be surprised if this happens in the future.
Finally, if we were to return, we’d rent a proper 4WD with clearance. The FSR was a challenge for our Nissan Rogue, and we’d be worried about damaging our car and taking it back.
Author Bio
Jasmine, originally from England, is now based in British Columbia. She is a lawyer by trade and is always planning her next adventure on the side. Outside of work, Jasmine loves spending as much time outdoors as possible, either horse riding, hiking, running, or dog walking.
Website: Travel and Adventure. Horse Riding. Running. Vegetarian Food
Instagram: @roamrideandrun
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