The Sea to Sky Trail                                             Cheakamus to Whistler Village

On the Sea to Sky Trail signs you will see Athletes Village indicated.  Athletes Village was built to house athletes for the 2010 Olympic Games.  Since then it is now become the beautiful neighbourhood called Cheakamus Crossing.  Cheakamus Crossing is surrounded by some amazing sights in Whistler.  The Sea to Sky Trail runs along the huge and crashing Cheakamus River.  Across the river is the sight of Whistler's most unique and extraordinary places, the Whistler Train Wreck.  This wonderful area of train wreckage has morphed into an amazing work of art and an amazing detour just off the Sea to Sky Trail.

The Cheakamus Lake trailhead is located up the Cheakamus Lake Road about 6.7k from the Sea to Sky Trail.  Trails run on either side of the Cheakamus River.  There is a beautiful suspension bridge 2k up the river towards Cheakamus Lake.  A nice hiking/biking routes is to go along one side of the river, cross the bridge and return from the other side.  This is a nice 4k roundtrip detour from the Sea to Sky Trail.

The neighbourhood of Cheakamus Crossing is mainly residential, however, the huge HI Hostel has a nice Coffee Shop with a decent lunch menu.  Across the Sea to Sky Highway you will find Whistler's industrial park called Function Junction.  There are some local shops and one of Whistler's favourite breakfast and lunch restaurants, the Wildwood Cafe.  Excellent prices and great food make this a worthwhile detour while in the area.

The Sea to Sky Trail crosses the beautiful Cheakamus River at Function Junction and continues north on the now paved section of the Sea to Sky Trail that is also the Whistler Valley Trail system.  From Function Junction to Creekside (Whistler Creek) is 3.5 kilometres of easy, though ascending hills.  The trail runs through the neighbourhood of Spring Creek before descending to cross the Sea to Sky Highway at the lights at Bayshore Drive.  Astonishingly, this is the only significant, traffic related stop along the entire 33k route (the next Sea to Sky Highway crossing is via a Sea to Sky/Valley Trail underpass that connects the trail, uninterrupted to Whistler Village).

After crossing the Sea to Sky Highway the Sea to Sky/Valley Trail takes you past Alpha Lake and the beautiful Alpha Lake Park.  Then the trail winds its way past the Whistler Train Station in Creekside and along Nita Lake through Eva Lake Park and Lakeside Park on the popular, scenic and historical Alta Lake.  After Lakeside Park the trail veers off through the neighbourhood of Alta Vista, leading to the Whistler Golf Course which then leads to the underpass to Whistler Village.

The Sea to Sky mapboard just before the underpass is good to look at as you will be at the junction of the Valley Trail going in three different directions.  If you have time to hike/bike around the Whistler Golf Course from here it is just a 5k route that has many nice views of the local mountains.  The clear signs on the trail also direct you to Rainbow Park, which is a beautiful, lakeside park on the other side of Alta Lake with very nice views across to Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains.

Once you enter Whistler Village you will find yourself in the midst of a terrific array of restaurants, shops, pubs and clubs.  Fortunately, just like on the Sea to Sky Trail you will find frequent signs and mapboards directing you.  To continue on the Sea to Sky Trail you have to make your way through the Village and to Lost Lake Park.  From Lost Lake Park you can go around the lake on either side as the Sea to Sky Trail extends from just past the lake to rise quickly into the beautiful new section of trail above Green Lake.

Sea to Sky Trail Cheakamus Crossing to Whistler Village >>

The Sea to Sky Trail                           Brandywine Falls to Cheakamus Crossing

This is an incredible section of the Sea to Sky Trail.  The trail is filled with amazing highlights and viewpoints.  There are three convenient places to begin this section of the trail, Brandywine Falls, Calcheak or at Cheakamus Crossing.  All have free parking just metres from the trail and all are close to some amazing sights.  This description will describe the route south to north as if starting from Brandywine Falls Provincial Park.

From the parking lot (park outside the gates if closed), you will see the large Sea to Sky Trail sign and mapboard indicating where to go.  You cross the covered bridge and the first fork in the trail with the Sea to Sky Trail sign pointing right takes you to the Brandywine Falls lookout in 300 metres.  Just before the falls lookout there is another sign for the Sea to Sky Trail branching to the left for the Calcheak Suspension Bridge 4k and Cheakamus Bungee Bridge 2.6k.

The trail descends and ascends past a few amazing viewpoints until reaching the incredible Cheakamus Bungee Bridge at 2.6k.  This huge and very high bridge spans the enormous chasm across the Cheakamus River with breathtaking views all around.  Across the bridge the Sea to Sky Trail route continues along the Bungee Bridge access road before again becoming the Sea to Sky Trail.  The trail now becomes a narrow, dirt and deeply forested path that runs along the beautiful Cheakamus River and then crosses it at the Calcheak Suspension Bridge.

Once at Cheakamus Crossing the trail continues along a quiet residential road leading to a bridge across the Cheakamus River.  There are great trails to the right here along the river and one runs along one side and returns the other side.  Each side 2 kilometres long and cross the river via, yet another suspension bridge.  This is a great trail if you have the time or energy and is also great to try on snowshoes.

Back on the Sea to Sky Trail you will be heading along the Cheakamus Lake Road towards the Sea to Sky Highway.  Just before the highway you will see a Sea to Sky Trail sign direct you to the right and the Sea to Sky Trail joins with Whistler's Valley Trail.  The Valley Trail system is Whistler is very nice.  Wide, paved and with two lanes, the Valley Trail extends throughout Whistler passing through most of the beautiful parks and lakes and leading to Whistler Village.

Whistler Sea to Sky Trail Brandywine to Cheakamus >>

The Sea to Sky Trail                                Whistler Village North to WedgeWoods

Once the Sea to Sky Trail reaches Whistler Village the route to follow becomes a little confused.  You have to pass through the heart of Whistler's wonderful Village.  If you are on your bike you have to walk it as it is pedestrian only.  If you don't want to walk you can easily plot a bike friendly route through the edge of the Village.  If you would rather walk through all the action of the Village the most direct route takes you through Village Square and the heart of the Village.

The Sea to Sky Trail continues out the far side of the Village, first past Lost Lake, via Lost Lake Park.  As you continue past Lost Lake you will see a small Sea to Sky Trail sign pointing to the right and directing you up into the beautiful trail above Green Lake that leads you up past Green Lake and comes out near the turnoff to Wedgemount Lake.

The trail from the Wedgemount Lake access area to the Sea to Sky Trail ascends up to the new Whistler neighbourhood of WedgeWood Estates where it leads to the Sea to Sky Highway.  This route is not completed or equipped with signs yet as the neighbourhood is hardly built.  This short (.8k) section can be found by just going up the gravel road towards the final Wedgemount Lake turnoff.  Turn left before this turnoff and follow the gravel road through the construction zone that is WedgeWood Estates.  This just leads to the Sea to Sky Highway and at the moment is not really worth doing.

This is the end of the (almost) entirely uninterrupted Whistler section of the Sea to Sky Trail.  With the exception of a few very short road sections, this 33 kilometre trail  was on a beautiful, paved, sometimes dirt, but usually wide, crushed rock trail.

Sea to Sky Trail Whistler Village and Lost Lake to Green Lake and Beyond >>