Helm Creek is a cute, meandering creek that winds its way from beyond Black Tusk, down the valley to the wonderful campground that takes its name. From the Helm Creek campground, Helm Creek descends further along the Helm Creek trail, until it joins Cheakamus River, not far from where it leaves Cheakamus Lake. The location of Helm Creek campground is pretty amazing for a variety of reasons.
Spread out and serene campsite setting- Well organized campground in deep wilderness
- Connects to Black Tusk via gorgeous ridge route
- Very serene setting next to idyllic creek
- Endless unmarked routes to amazing sights
- Black Tusk looms beautifully very near
More of a crossroads than a destination- No glacier views like you get at Garibaldi Lake
- No convenient lake to swim in
- Fills up fast with just a few tent pads
Whistler & Garibaldi Hiking
Alexander Falls 
Ancient Cedars 
Black Tusk 
Blackcomb Mountain Brandywine Falls Brandywine Meadows Brew Lake Callaghan Lake Cheakamus Lake 
Cheakamus River 
Cirque Lake Flank Trail Garibaldi Lake Garibaldi Park Helm Creek Jane Lakes Joffre Lakes Keyhole Hot Springs Logger’s Lake Madeley Lake Meager Hot Springs Nairn Falls Newt Lake Panorama Ridge Parkhurst Ghost Town Rainbow Falls Rainbow Lake Ring Lake Russet Lake Sea to Sky Trail Skookumchuck Hot Springs Sloquet Hot Springs 
Sproatt East Sproatt West Taylor Meadows Train Wreck 
Wedgemount Lake Whistler Mountain
January February 
March April May 
June July August 
September October November December
First it is just a great location. About halfway between Cheakamus Lake and Black Tusk it lays in some amazingly scenic areas of Garibaldi Park. Beautiful, climbable mountains all around. Amazing fields of snow that run all the way to the base of Black Tusk well into July. Rivers, creeks and waterfalls everywhere you look from the idyllic campground. A large, grassy field ringed by trees and Helm Creek. What you always want from a campground is a convenient and clean water source and of course Helm Creek is both. Another aspect of a great campground is a variety of beautiful views and a serene setting and again Helm Creek has both of these. The campground is so widespread that even if the area becomes busy, you can still manage to not hear your neighbours. This part of Garibaldi Park really has no defined trails except the Helm Creek trail that runs past the campsite, but there are infinitely numerous directions you can wander. Exploring in any direction takes you to more and more pristine, green fields, streams, pocket lakes and mountain views. Though most just use it as a base to extend onto Black Tusk, it is a great base for so much more. Helm Peak, Corrie Peak, Cinder Cone, Empetrum Peak as well as the more frequented Panorama Ridge, Black Tusk and Garibaldi Lake. Possibly the nicest aspect of Helm Creek as a campground is that it is quiet and serene when compared with the other two area Garibaldi Park campgrounds. Garibaldi Lake and Taylor Meadows are very busy all summer long. In fact there is a posting part way up the trail to Garibaldi Lake indicating how crowded it is and if it is full. At Helm Creek you find yourself in a remote and quiet valley in the midst of paradise. From the trail junction in the campground you see the enticing sign indicating what is around you. The nice, well marked trail continues to Panorama Ridge in 7 kilometres. Black Tusk in 9.5 kilometres or Garibaldi Lake in 9 kilometres. All of these destinations branch off the main trail that ascends away from Helm Creek.
Helm Glacier Near Helm Creek
Another popular, yet unmarked destination from Helm Creek is the Helm Glacier. Though unmarked, it is very easy to find on the trail from Helm Creek that leads to Black Tusk, Panorama Ridge and Garibaldi Lake. Just keep your eyes out for the fantastic erratic, with the tree growing out of it along the trail. It is obvious when you spot it(about 20 minutes from the Helm Creek campground). At this marvellous display of glacier power and a hardy krummholz breaking apart this huge glacier deposited boulder, turn left and walk up the open valley and you will arrive at the amazing Helm Glacier in just 45 minutes. In the opposite direction from Helm Creek from where you just came the sign shows Cheakamus Lake to be 8.5 kilometres away and the Cheakamus Lake trailhead and parking lot to be 8.5 kilometres away. This trail slowly descends the valley for a couple kilometres before more steeply zig-zagging down to the Cheakamus River crossing.
The Helm Creek Trail
The Helm Creek trailhead is the same as the Cheakamus Lake trailhead. From Village Gate Boulevard, drive south, toward Vancouver for 8 kilometres. At the lights at Function Junction, turn left, about 300 metres ahead you will see a sign on your left for Cheakamus Lake. Follow the unpaved road for 8 kilometres to the Cheakamus Lake trailhead. Walk the Cheakamus Lake trail for 1.5 kilometres until you see the signpost directing you to turn right to Helm Creek. You will cross the raging Cheakamus River over a suspension bridge, then up steep switchbacks, then a somewhat steep trail through the beautiful forest. It takes about 2-3 hours from the trailhead to Helm Creek. Most years you will likely need snowshoes at higher elevations from this direction until the end of June, though this varies considerably year to year(mid May in 2015 & early July in 2017!). This trail remains quite muddy as well as the snow melts. Not muddy enough to require waterproof hiking shoes, but muddy enough to necessitate clinging to the trail edges in quite a few places along the trail.
Helm Creek Trail Map
This map shows the excellent Cheakamus Lake approach to Helm Creek. The most direct route and a constant ascent after you cross Cheakamus River. The Cheakamus Lake trailhead is much quieter than the easier to access and closer to Vancouver, Rubble Creek trailhead. Even on very busy weekends, the winding Cheakamus Lake trail feels uncrowded. Some hikers branch off toward Helm Creek, but most hike straight to Cheakamus Lake's first campsites and nice views. Another hours hike will bring you to the end of the marked trail and campsites at Singing Creek. Far fewer people make it this far, and fewer still continue on the unmarked route that continues to the end of the lake.
The Helm Creek Campground
BC Parks Garibaldi Provincial Park's Helm Creek campground is an excellent base for hiking to Black Tusk, Panorama Ridge and a considerable amount of backcountry, alpine sights. Taylor Meadows and Garibaldi Lake campgrounds are on one side of Black Tusk and Panorama Ridge and the Helm Creek campground is on the other side. Part way to Cheakamus Lake, Helm Creek is much less busy, though you still find it full on many summer weekends. Helm Creek has 30 well spaced tent pads in a large meadow with Helm Creek surrounding it in one large arc. Helm Creek has bear proof cables on pulleys to lift your food out of reach of hungry bears. There are outhouses at Helm Creek, but the campground is wonderfully free of human constructions. If you are lucky enough to find yourself to be the only campers there you have the wonderful feeling that you have the whole of Garibaldi Park to yourself. Surrounding your tent you see only meadow, and idyllic creek and wilderness forest and mountains all around. One of those mountains is the wonderfully surreal and close Black Tusk. Helm Creek is a cute, meandering creek that winds its way from beyond Black Tusk, down the valley to the wonderful campground that takes its name. From the Helm Creek campground, Helm Creek descends further along the Helm Creek trail, until it joins Cheakamus River, not far from where it leaves Cheakamus Lake.
Another aspect of a great campground is a variety of beautiful views and a serene setting and again Helm Creek has both of these. The campground is so widespread that even if the area becomes busy, you can still manage to not hear your neighbours. The area really has no defined trails except the Helm Creek trail that runs past the campsite, but there are infinitely numerous directions you can wander. Exploring in any direction takes you to more and more pristine, green fields, streams, pocket lakes and mountain views. Though most just use it as a base to extend onto Black Tusk, it is a great base for so much more. Helm Peak, Corrie Peak, Cinder Cone, Empetrum Peak as well as the more frequented Panorama Ridge, Black Tusk and Garibaldi Lake. Possibly the nicest aspect of Helm Creek as a campground is that it is quiet and serene when compared with the other two area campgrounds. Garibaldi Lake and Taylor Meadows are very busy all summer long. In fact there is a posting part way up the trail to Garibaldi Lake indicating how crowded it is and if it is full. At Helm Creek you find yourself in a remote and quiet valley in the midst of paradise. From the trail junction in the campground you see the enticing sign indicating what is around you. The nice, well marked trail continues to Panorama Ridge in 7 kilometres. Black Tusk in 9.5 kilometres or Garibaldi Lake in 9 kilometres. All of these destinations branch off the main trail that ascends away from Helm Creek. Fees Per Night: $10 Adult - $5 Kids(6-15) Campsite fees must be paid online in advance at the BC Parks Garibaldi Provincial Park reservations page.
The Helm Creek Trail to Black Tusk
Helm Creek is a great base for Panorama Ridge and Black Tusk. There is even a strikingly beautiful approach to Black Tusk that is not too hard to find or follow. From Helm Creek if you turn right just before Helm Lake, cross the wide and shallow Helm Creek, and ascend up the ridge in a fairly straight direction.
Facilities at Helm Creek
There are outhouses(toilets) at various places in Garibaldi Provincial Park along the trail to Black Tusk. The parking lot/trailheads at Rubble Creek and Cheakamus Lake have outhouses. The campsites at Taylor Meadows and at Garibaldi Lake have outhouses. There is also an outhouse at the trail junction where the Black Tusk trail ascends from the main trail, 3.5 kilometres from Black Tusk. These are basic, pit toilets, usually equipped with toilet paper. At the campsites at Taylor Meadows and Garibaldi Lake you will find nice, one room buildings for food preparation and to keep them away from bears. Beware of mice in these places. If you leave anything on the floor with food in it, such as a backpack with a chocolate bar in a pocket. You will find little holes chewed through and your candy bar gone! There are plenty hooks on the wall to hang things from, out of reach of the attacking mice.
Restrictions in Garibaldi Provincial Park
Bikes are not allowed in much of Garibaldi Provincial Park, including the routes to Helm Creek. You can bike the Cheakamus Lake trail, but not up to Helm Creek toward Black Tusk. Use of motorized vehicles of any kind are restricted to park roads and parking areas. Fires are prohibited in the park due to the potential forest fire hazard. Arriving or departing the park by aircraft is not allowed, as well as harvesting natural resources such as mushrooms. Dogs are not permitted on the trail to Black Tusk or any other Garibaldi Provincial Park trails out of courtesy to the resident animals. There are a large number of black bears in the park and encounters with dogs result in unpredictable and potentially dangerous conflicts. There are quite a few excellent hiking trails in Whistler that are dog friendly. Whistler's Valley Trail and Lost Lake trails are dog friendly and run throughout Whistler. The Sea to Sky Trail, which runs over 30 kilometres through Whistler is a paradise trail for dogs as it runs through numerous parks, beaches and forests. Ancient Cedars is a nice, dog friendly hike that is 5 kilometres roundtrip and takes you into a thousand year old forest. Train Wreck is also dog friendly. The trailhead, marked Flank Trail is located in Function Junction, just a short drive south of Whistler Village. Further south you will come to Brandywine Falls, which is a short, 2 kilometres(roundtrip) dog friendly hike to the amazing falls. About 25 minutes north of Whistler, Nairn Falls is another beautiful and dog friendly hiking trail.
Wildlife in Garibaldi Provincial Park
Helm Creek sits in the midst of a pristine wilderness with plenty of wildlife to see. Black bears and hoary marmots can be occasionally spotted. Black bears in the park are reclusive and you may do ten hikes in Whistler and not see one. Hoary marmots, however, will emerge from nowhere and whistle to each other to help monitor any threats. Hoary marmots are cute, invariably pudgy, twenty plus pound ground squirrels that have evolved to live quite happily in the hostile alpine areas of much of the world. In the northwest of North America, marmots have a distinct grey in their hair, a hoary colour, so have been named hoary marmots. They manage to survive quite happily in the alpine, largely by hibernating for 8 months of the year and largely for having a surprisingly varied array of food in such an inhospitable environment. They live off of grasses, berries, lichens, mosses, and roots and flowers. And live quite well it seems, as they always look chubby, which has one great drawback. They are sought after by bears and wolves. They have a wonderful defense system though. They are constantly on watch and whistle loudly at the first sign of danger, alerting the colony. The prevalence of these "whistlers" as they came to be locally called, in the early days of London Mountain resulted in it's name being changed to Whistler Mountain in the 60's. Hiking on Whistler Mountain, Blackcomb Mountain or Wedgemount Lake in the summer will almost guarantee an encounter with a chubby, jolly little whistler hoary marmot.
Getting to the Helm Creek Trailhead
The Helm Creek trailhead is found 1.5 kilometres into the Cheakamus Lake trail. Cheakamus Lake is one of the five main access trailheads for Garibaldi Provincial Park. The Cheakamus Lake trailhead is located at the southern end of Whistler near Cheakamus Crossing. From the highway at Cheakamus Crossing you drive 7 kilometres up a very potholed forest service road. This road to Cheakamus Lake is covered in snow until about mid May every year, but from May to October it is reliably clear enough to drive. The road is horribly potholed, which makes the 7 kilometre drive very slow going even for 4x4's. The potholes are frequent and very deep. As long as you drive slowly and carefully, most cars should be fine reaching the parking area. From this trailhead you can hike to Cheakamus Lake with its two small and very beautiful campsites or take the connecting trail at 1.5k to the campground at Helm Creek. From Helm Creek you can hike to Panorama Ridge and Black Tusk. The trail continues to the Rubble Creek trailhead via Taylor Meadows or Garibaldi Lake. Both are equally scenic routes to take, however Garibaldi Lake is a bit longer due to the short detour down to the lake. It does have the wonderful bonus of an opportunity to swim in a spectacular alpine lake with a glacier pouring into the far end! Bikes are allowed on the Cheakamus Lake trail and biking to the lake is fairly easy. A short, steep section at the start of the trail, then gradual up and down hills to the lake with not a lot of overall elevation gain. You gain almost all of the elevation gain to the lake on the drive up the logging road to the trailhead parking lot.
Directions Map to Helm Creek via Cheakamus Trailhead
You might want to save this map to your phone or print it out for reference. To print: right click on the map below, click "Save Image As...", save it to your desktop and open and print. Driving to the Cheakamus Lake trailhead from Village Gate Boulevard in Whistler Village, drive south toward Vancouver for 7.9km. At the lights at Function Junction, turn left on to Cheakamus Lake Road, about 400 metres ahead you will see a sign on your left for Cheakamus Lake. Follow the unpaved, potholed road for 7km to the Cheakamus Lake trailhead. Parking is free and the parking lot has an outhouse as well as some picnic tables overlooking Cheakamus River far below. There is also a nice, large mapboard at the trailhead as well as some BC Parks, Garibaldi Provincial Park information. Biking to Cheakamus Lake is a surprisingly good option. You can head off from Whistler Village and reach the trailhead in about an hour by riding along the extensive and very nice, Whistler Valley Trail. The 7 kilometre slog up the logging road to the trailhead parking for Cheakamus Lake is a bit tedious, but riding out on your way back is fun and fast. Once on the Cheakamus Lake trail, you will find biking very fun and surprisingly effortless. Bending left and right and ascending and descending small hills on a bike feels like riding a rollercoaster. Most of the Cheakamus Lake trail is like this. Very fun and pretty relaxing. Despite a very gradual elevation gain, the trail feels like it goes downhill both ways owing the the frequent ups and downs. Public transit is also a very good option to get to Cheakamus Lake. The turnoff to the logging road up to the parking lot is very close to the Cheakamus Crossing bus stop. You will have to hike up the 7 kilometres to the trailhead, but you could also hike part of the way along the beautiful Cheakamus River trails. A bit longer, but very pretty with lots of wonderful scenery. Those who like more substantial treks, will hike the Cheakamus River trail to the suspension bridge, hike up the Logger's Lake, then back down to the river and continue up to Cheakamus Lake. Logger's Lake is well worth a visit and sits in a starkly apparent, extinct volcano.
More Hiking Beyond Helm Creek
Garibaldi Lake is the centre and base for much of the hiking in Garibaldi Provincial Park. The Garibaldi Lake campsite is located on the amazing, turquoise shores of this massive and mostly undisturbed mountain lake. There are no trails around the perimeter of the lake with the exception of the small section leading to the campsite, so your view of the lake is a sea of unnaturally coloured water ringed by swaths of forest and a magnificent glacier towering in the distance. The water is painfully cold, though plenty of brave hikers swim here as well as camp. The camping area is well laid out and stretches deep into the forest with 50 tent clearings. You can, except for the busiest of days, put your tent out of earshot and sight of others.
Panorama Ridge is easily one of the most amazing hikes in Garibaldi Provincial Park. The 15 kilometre hike from the trailhead at Rubble Creek to Panorama Ridge takes you through beautiful and deep forests, across countless idyllic streams, through meadows filled with flowers, and past dozens of jaw dropping viewpoints. The amazing views start once you reach Taylor Meadows and get even more spectacular as the trail progresses. Once you arrive at Panorama Ridge and its phenomenal vantage point, high above Garibaldi Provincial Park, you will stare in wonder. Mesmerized first by Garibaldi Lake, far below you and looking unnaturally blue, the lake looks amazing surrounded by green, untouched wilderness and snow capped mountains. The Table, the massive and unusual looking mountain with its bizarre flat top lays across the lake with the enormous Mount Garibaldi just beyond.
Guides to the Best of Whistler
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Whistler as a resort has a wonderful car-free core. The Village Stroll runs through the heart of Whistler Village and is entirely car free. If you are visiting Whistler or living here and you don't have a car, it's no problem. On foot or on a bike you can travel the extensive network of non-motorized trails. The Valley Trail snakes through Whistler Village and extends in several directions, all of which lead to beautiful parts of Whistler. The Sea to Sky Trail and the Lost Lake trails continue this massive, car-free network of trails running almost everywhere in Whistler. When it comes to many of the best hiking trails, getting to the trailheads on foot, by bike or public transit can be tricky at best or complicated and impractical at worst. Many trailheads are far from Whistler Village and... Continued here.
Kid Friendly Whistler Hiking Trails
There are plenty of excellent, kid and family friendly hiking trails and destinations in and around Whistler. Kid and family friendly generally means an easy and somewhat short trail that a toddler can happily manage. Some of these trails are flat enough to be stroller friendly, such as Brandywine Falls, Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain. Others such as Logger’s Lake, Cheakamus River and Madeley Lake have short enough trails to reach them that you can manage with little kids that don't want to hike too far. Some of these hikes and walks are popular and close to Whistler Village, like Whistler Mountain, Blackcomb Mountain, Lost Lake Park, Rainbow Park and Meadow Park. Others are a beautiful, but far drive into the mountains and tricky to find... Continued here.
Best Dog Friendly Hiking Trails
Whistler is very dog friendly and the number of wonderful hiking trails that your dog will love is huge. The massively varied hiking trails range from easy, short, close to Whistler Village to challenging, long and deep in the endless wilderness around Whistler. You can find dog friendly trails in and around Whistler Village that take you through deep, dark and magical forests. Or you can drive beyond Whistler Village and take your dog to spectacular alpine lakes. Some requiring little or no hiking, while others are found after hiking challenging and long trails. Many of these places are comparatively quiet and often you and your dog will have the the wilderness to yourselves. In and around Whistler Village you have Lost Lake with its spider web of trails... Continued here.
Best Free Whistler Camping
Whistler is surrounded by an immense wilderness dotted with spectacular, hidden lakes and amazing places to set up a tent. Decades of logging activity has left a network of forest service roads that has opened easy access to these places. Some of these you can drive to and some you may need a 4x4 to comfortably get to. Some places to camp for free you can drive to, some require a short hike and others are fairly long hikes to reach. Beautiful Callaghan Valley is home to several incredible and free places to camp. Callaghan Lake has a great free drive-to campsite just steps from this spectacular alpine lake. If you have a canoe, you can paddle to the end of Callaghan Lake and hike the short, but steep trail up to Cirque Lake. This gorgeous lake is deep in the alpine wilderness... Continued here.
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