Madeley Lake is a beautiful, remote mountain lake hidden high up in the Callaghan Valley. From Whistler Village expect to take 40 minutes to drive there. You can drive directly to the lake, however the access road is pretty bad with deep waterbars. An average 4x4 can make it quite easily, though most cars with have great difficulty driving over the numerous deep water cut gouges in the road. Located near Alexander Falls, Madeley Lake is close to several beautiful places.
Amazing, remote feeling corner of WhistlerDriving there is very scenic and beautifulPerfect little rocky beach and great for swimmingTidy & cute campsite with picnic tables & fire ringsBeach is south facing & always sunnyFree campsiteFreshwater creek flows through the campsiteStunning mountain views all aroundSwimming is amazing, although freezing!
Access road blocked by snow until mid May
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 Mount Sproatt Taylor Meadows Train Wreck 
Wedgemount Lake Whistler Mountain
Alexander Falls Brandywine Falls Cirque Falls Holloway Falls Keyhole Falls Nairn Falls Rainbow Falls Shannon Falls Train Wreck Falls Wedgemount Falls
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Just metres past the turnoff to Alexander Falls, turn left at the sign for Callaghan Lake Provincial Park. Cross the bridge and follow the terribly potholed logging road for about 300 metres, turn right at the first logging road that branches off to the right(Madeley Road). Follow this logging road and bear left at the next fork in the road. Continue for about 5 minutes until Madeley Lake appears on your right. There is a large map board at the trailhead to Hanging Lake, Rainbow Lake and Mount Sproatt. You can park here or continue past this and drive to the end of the lake and small campsite area(park and look for the small trailhead sign across the bridge). This is an unmaintained area camping area and for the most park you will feel very far from civilization despite being just a couple kilometres from Whistler Olympic Park. This is an amazing place to camp. If looking for solitude at a paradise, mountain lake, Madeley Lake is hard to beat. Though somewhat popular with fishing, you are still likely to rarely see anyone at the lake in the summer and never in the fall. Once in a while you will see a car or two at the trailhead to Hanging Lake. If you have a canoe, Madeley is a great place to paddle around or just float in the sun.
New for 2020! This year Whistler Sport Legacies and Whistler Photo Safaris have blocked public access to Madeley Lake. Whistler Photo Safaris now refers to Madeley Lake as "within our 2700 acre gated bear habitat." This reference has now been removed from their site as of early July 2020. The new gate installed in the spring of 2020 was a surprise to those of us who love this amazing lake and hike the decades old, popular Madeley to Hanging Lake trail which connects to Rainbow Lake, which descends down the Rainbow Trail to Alta Lake Road in Whistler. Hopefully this gate will be gone soon as apparently everyone, including the Resort Municipality of Whistler were unaware of it until recently. Blocking public access to what was recently public land in order to allow a private company to profit off it as an expensive pay access safari park seems like a bad idea. Though a fantastic idea for Whistler Photo Safaris! It appears there are two reasons that Whistler Olympic Park (Whistler Sport Legacies) has installed the gate. The main reason is to give Whistler Photo Safaris exclusive access to the area in order to enable them to charge $149 to see the bears in the wider area. The second reason is to get rid of the wonderful and free campsite at the far end of Madeley Lake in preparation for the proposed pay-use campsites at Whistler Olympic Park. If you want to contact Whistler Olympic Park at 604-964-0059 to ask them why they put up a gate blocking access to Madeley Lake, the answer is "because we can". If you call Whistler Photo Safaris at 1-855-558-2327 to inquire about the gate, the answer you get is, "we don't know about it".
The Madeley-Hanging Lake trail is a 5 kilometre(3.1 mile) route through deep forest with a moderate elevation gain of 590 metres(1935 feet). Hanging Lake is located just before Rainbow Lake. Though ugly in comparison to Rainbow Lake, Hanging Lake has a nice camping area and is dog friendly and swimming friendly. Rainbow Lake is the source of Whistler's drinking water and camping, dogs, swimming and fishing are prohibited. Though all of these prohibitions are unfortunately, routinely flouted at Rainbow Lake, Hanging Lake is a good alternative. The dividing line for dogs allowed and not allowed runs between Rainbow Lake and Hanging Lake and is marked with a huge sign.
The trail from Madeley Lake to Hanging Lake is nice, however at times muddy. Free of snow, usually early June to November most years, this trail is a great way to avoid the much busier Rainbow Lake trail that starts from the Whistler side of this area. If you can arrange to have someone drop you off at the trailhead you can hike all the way to Whistler Village via the Rainbow Lake trail and the Valley Trail. The entire distance is about 23 kilometres and should only take about 6 hours, much of it steadily descending the beautiful Rainbow Lake trail. The route is well marked and there are several map-boards along the route ensuring you find your way safely.
This trail map shows the Madeley Lake trail to Hanging Lake as well as the Rainbow Lake Trail to Rainbow Lake and down to Whistler near Rainbow Park on Alta Lake. To print: Right Click on the map, save image as, save to desktop, then open the image and print on standard size printer paper. Cell coverage is sometimes spotty in the Callaghan Valley, however generally good nearer to Rainbow Lake. You will likely be able to access the internet and this map if you have a data plan, however saving this image may be a good idea especially if you are venturing out toward Beverley Lake where the trail is hard to find and follow.
The campsite at the end of Madeley Lake is very basic, though wonderfully remote feeling and rustic. The sun rises over the lake in the morning and you are bathed in sun most of the day. In previous years you could also camp at the nearby Alexander Falls, however this is no longer allowed. Also, keep in mind that this whole area in the winter is taken over by Callaghan Country and Whistler Olympic Park so access via skis comes with a usage charge. Another campsite option in the area is the beautiful and large campsite area at Callaghan Lake Provincial Park nearby. Both Madeley Lake campsite and Callaghan Lake are free of charge for camping.
Madeley Lake is a wonderfully remote feeling place and the campsite is not maintained. There are a few picnic tables, an outhouse, several fire rings and several clearings for tents. Madeley Lake sits in a forgotten corner of Whistler's Callaghan Valley. Camping here is free and compared to every other campsite in and around Whistler, it is arguably the nicest. Tranquil, great rocky beach with a crashing river flowing by. Well laid out tent sites in a deep forest, sun facing and you can drink straight from the river which comes from a glacier at nearby Telemagique Lake.
There are not really any restrictions at Madeley Lake. Free camping, dog friendly, and fires are OK in the fire rings. Though during the most dangerous months for a fire, you will see a "no fires" sign in the campground. The Madeley Lake trail to Hanging Lake is very dog friendly but keep in mind that it is often a muddy trail so your car will get muddy if you don't take him for a swim at the end. Beyond Hanging Lake you will come to a large sign indicating that Rainbow Lake is Whistler's water source and dogs, swimming, fishing, etc are prohibited. There are plenty of other dog friendly trails around Whistler.
Lots of black bears inhabit the forest around Madeley Lake and the Callaghan Valley. So many that you will occasionally see a bear watching tour across the lake. They drive up Callaghan Valley road and then up to Madeley Lake. Often seeing multiple bears on the drive to the lake. The Callaghan Valley is also home to grizzly bears. Occasionally you hear of someone photographing a grizzly bear in the area. If you encounter a black bear, don't worry too much as they are rarely aggressive in Whistler. If you encounter a grizzly bear, you should be worried. Though sightings are rare and there has never been a grizzly bear attack, or unprovoked black bear attack in Whistler, it is still possible. Much more so than an encounter with a black bear. Black bears are timid and fearful of humans, whereas grizzly bears are far more likely to become aggressive if you get in their space. The worrying thing about grizzly bears is though you are extremely unlikely to ever see one in and around Whistler, if you do happen upon one, you will be in a lot of danger if it is inclined to find you a threat.
Madeley Lake has been locally known by that name in recent memory as well as identified at Madeley Lake in many Forest Service records. Madeley Lake is named as a memorial to remember Canadian Army Lieutenant William A. Madeley, from Squamish; killed in action 15 June 1945. In the 1970's the Lakewood Mining Company worked in the area and discovered a high tungsten geochemistry in the west shore of the lake. A yellow fluorescent material named powellite, an extremely rare material discovered in Utah and named after one of the directors of the US Geological Survey, Major JW Powell. Lakewood Mining Company geologists called Madeley Lake, Powell Lake. It is possible that Madeley Lake appeared unnamed on their maps at the time. Madeley Lake and Powell Lake are both used for the same lake today. On many maps, including google maps, you will see it named Powell Lake. On many other maps you will see it named Madeley Lake. Around the lake itself, signs and mapboards show it as Madeley Lake, which seems to reinforce this name as the correct, and official name to use.
Biking and public transit options to get to Madeley Lake are not good. Far away from any bus routes, you may be able to make your way to Whistler Olympic Park by a local tour or taxi, but then you still have a fair distance to hike to the lake. Driving to Madeley Lake is the only realistic and convenient option for most. From Whistler drive 13.8 kilometres towards Vancouver on the Sea to Sky highway, then turn right at the sign for Whistler Olympic Park. Drive up the beautiful, winding road for 9.6 kilometres. The sign for Callaghan Lake will be just after Alexander Falls and just before Whistler Olympic Park, you will turn left, cross a bridge and after about 300 metres turn right onto another logging road(Madeley Lake FSR). In about 700 metres bear left and drive past the rock quarry on your left. At the next fork in the road(see map below) continue straight. Madeley Lake is about 3 kilometres past the rock quarry. At Madeley Lake you will see a large info board at the trailhead to Hanging Lake and Rainbow Lake. If you are camping or want to see the nice little rocky beach at the end of Madeley Lake, then continue to the end of the road where the campsite is and the top of the trail. If you try to find Madeley Lake on Google Maps it is named incorrectly as Powell Lake. **the access road to Madeley Lake is often impassible due to snow until mid June. In 2018, June 12th was the first day a high clearance 4x4 made it through the last deep snow section about 1 kilometre from the lake. Most SUV's managed to get through by about the 16th of June. Cars had to wait until late June to get through.
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.
Madeley Lake is located high up in Callaghan Valley. This enormous, wild and beautiful valley is surrounded by mountains and a variety of gorgeous mountains, lakes, waterfalls, glaciers and hiking trails. Callaghan Lake Provincial Park is located up the logging road you would have turned off of to drive up to Madeley Lake. Callaghan Lake is a large and very tranquil lake in a pristine forest surrounded by snowy mountains. The small campsite is right on the shore of the lake and you can drive right to the edge of the water. Canoeing on Callaghan Lake is about as peaceful an experience you can get as you often have the entire lake and surrounding wilderness to yourself. Sometimes the campsite gets busy, but rarely the lake. At the far end of the lake is the unmarked and hard to spot trailhead to Cirque Lake, an even more remote and idyllic lake. Steep sided, almost like a large volcano's crater, Cirque Lake is a little corner of paradise far removed from the increasingly chaotic Garibaldi Park across the valley. Back at Madeley Lake you will find the Madeley to Hanging Lake trail. Hanging Lake is a good place to camp as you cannot camp in the watershed around Rainbow Lake, which Hanging Lake is close to. Rainbow Lake is where Whistler's water supply comes from and though you cannot camp in the watershed, the hiking is terrific. The Rainbow Trail starts down in the Whistler Valley, not far from Rainbow Park on Alta Lake.
Alexander Falls is a very impressive 43 metre/141 foot waterfall just 30 to 40 minutes south of Whistler in the Callaghan Valley. Open year-round and located just before Whistler Olympic Park where several of the 2010 Olympic events were held. There is a nice viewing platform on the edge of the cliff across from the falls which crash fantastically into the valley below. The parking area and viewing platform at Alexander Falls is one big area just 40 metres from the main road, just before Whistler Olympic Park. The adventurous can find the obscure trail that leads to both the top of the falls as well as, with great difficulty, to the base of the falls. Alexander Falls is certainly one of the nicest spots for a picnic in Whistler. The picnic areas are numerous, the surrounding forest is gorgeous and wild and Alexander Falls crashes loud and beautiful in the background. Continued here...
Callaghan Lake Provincial Park is a relatively untouched wilderness of rugged mountainous terrain. The valley walls were formed by relatively recent glaciation. Evidence of this can be seen in the considerable glacial till and slide materials visible across the lake. Around the lake you will see talus slopes, flat rock benches, cirques, hanging valleys, tarns, waterfalls and upland plateaus with bogs. The wildlife that reside in the area include bobcats, cougars, coyotes, minks, wolverines, wolves, bears, deer, mountain goats and occasionally moose and grizzly bears. Callaghan Lake is not really a hiking destination but more of a drive to campsite on a beautiful lake, and gateway to some beautiful intermediate hikes. The campsite is small and looks a bit like a parking lot with about a dozen spots to put up a tent near your vehicle. There is a small boat launch at the campsite and the lake is large and beautiful to paddle. Surrounded by snowy mountains and nice rock outcrops the lake is good for fishing. The hiking trails are minimal here due to the steepness and deep forest surrounding the lake. From the main parking area some short trails extend in either direction. Continued here...
Cirque Lake is a wild and beautiful lake that hides high above and beyond Callaghan Lake in Callaghan Lake Provincial Park. What makes Cirque Lake special among the other sensationally beautiful lakes in the Whistler area is both its location and geologically formed shape. It sits high above Callaghan Lake, which itself is a gorgeous, mountain lake. The remoteness of Callaghan Lake is a bit of a mirage due to the fact that you can drive right to it! Callaghan Lake is accessible via an 8 kilometre weather battered and very potholed forest service road. The entire road is cratered with deep potholes, cut by frequent cross-ditches, and more recently a small section collapsing into the valley below. This logging road begins high up in the Callaghan Valley, which itself is largely overlooked by travellers to Whistler. The Callaghan Valley is home to quite a few natural and man-made attractions. Brandywine Meadows, Alexander Falls, Northair Mine and Mount Sproatt are all found in the valley. Recently, the 2010 Olympic Games produced the largest man-made attraction in Callaghan Valley, Whistler Olympic Park. Though Cirque Lake is tremendously far into the wilderness, the amount of hiking required to reach it is effectively less than two kilometres. Another two kilometres of canoeing is required to reach the trailhead at the far end of Callaghan Lake. But for such an enchantingly beautiful, mountain lake, the exertion to reach it is remarkably little. The other attribute of Cirque Lake that makes it special, is its cirque structure. From the moment you catch sight of Cirque Lake, the abruptly steep sides all around give you the humbling feeling that you are inside a volcano. A volcano filled with emerald water and ringed by grassy meadows and crumbling, near vertical cliffs. Where you stand, at the entrance to the cirque, is not far from the only water channel out of the cirque. An ever narrowing gap in the cliffs spills water down one cliff after another until reaching Callaghan Lake just 1.4 kilometres away. Continued here...
Ring Lake is a fantastically serene and wonderfully remote lake similar to Cirque Lake, but considerably farther to hike to reach it. The 10 kilometre(6.2 mile) hike takes you through a rarely hiked forest, then to an idyllic meadow filled with ponds and ringed with distant, mountains, then finally up an over some steep terrain to reveal this very hidden lake. 5 kilometres(3.1 miles) into the hike you come to Conflict Lake with trails running around it. Journeyman Lodge sits near Conflict Lake. A wilderness lodge operated by Callaghan Country, a tour company that operates in the valley. They offer a range of alpine activities, far more serene than across the valley on Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain. Signs along the trail and at Conflict Lake indicate which trail to take to reach Ring Lake, a further 5 kilometres from Conflict Lake. The trail from Conflict Lake to Ring Lake passes through a huge valley for a couple kilometres, then abruptly ascends on the right side of the valley. The trail is poorly marked in this section and you have to keep bearing right to avoid descending back into the valley. The trail is occasionally maintained, however owing to heavy winter snow, the trail gets pretty brutalized every winter. Because of the winter destruction, the visible trail in some parts disappears and you find yourself wondering if you are still on your way to Ring Lake. The key to staying on the right route, you quickly figure out, is to keep to the right side of the valley. Three kilometres of, at times very steep, but not technical trail gets you to the magnificent Ring Lake and the imposing Ring Mountain across the emerald green water. Continued here...
Rainbow Lake is one of the original hiking trails in Whistler that has existed well before Whistler was called Whistler. The 8 kilometre trail is challenging though beautiful as it passes through an impressively huge forest of giant trees. There are several wonderful bridge crossings and crashing river views. Rainbow Lake itself is surreal and beautiful. An unnaturally bright, green meadow extends from one side of the lake and a field of starkly white erratics litter the landscape along the shores of the crystal clear lake. Rainbow Lake is Whistler's water source so swimming, fishing, dogs and camping are not allowed. There are, you will quickly notice upon reaching Rainbow Lake, that a trail continues past the lake then forks. If you hiked up from the Madeley Lake trail to Hanging Lake, Rainbow Lake is just a 20 minute hike past Hanging Lake.The Rainbow Trail is a convenient and popular trail near Whistler Village that takes you to Rainbow Lake as well as the Rainbow-Sproatt Flank Trail, Rainbow Falls, Hanging Lake, Madeley Lake, Beverley Lake, Rainbow Mountain... and even Whistler Olympic Park if you are determined. It is a consistently uphill and very beautiful trail with several water (bridge) crossings and waterfalls on the way to the picture-perfect lake. There are a few views of the valley across to Whistler Mountain, Blackcomb Mountain, and Wedge Mountain. Few views, though fantastic. Rainbow Lake itself is in a gorgeous alpine valley with branching trails that extend further beyond the lake in at least three directions. Along with the waterfalls, bridge crossings and valley views, the Rainbow Trail passes through deep forest with some impressively huge trees. Continued here...
Northair Mine is a surreal little world of colourful murals on abandoned cement foundations, surrounded by an astoundingly tranquil little lake in a secluded forest. Just a short logging road off of the Callaghan Valley Road takes you to this unusual little abandoned mine. You would have driven by the turnoff if you have been to Whistler Olympic Park or Alexander Falls, both of which are just a couple kilometres away. Northair Mine gets its name from the Vancouver based mining company the Northair Group. The mine was in production from 1976 and extracted 5 tons of gold before being abandoned in 1982. Today it is a bizarre little world in the mountains that has become an incredible place to escape the world and camp out under the stars. Northair Mine is tricky to find and even when you near it, the turnoff is not obvious. The access road takes you high into the mountains and is only free of snow in May most years. In 2016, for example, the snow melted enough for vehicle access during the first week in May. Driving to Northair Mine is along a bumpy, potholed, old logging road drivable by most vehicles, though at least one deep washout may give even SUV's some difficulty. Once Northair Mine comes into view it is quite a sight. The area that surrounds the old ruins is unexpectedly huge. About 2 kilometres long, edged by a cliff on one side and a beautiful lake on the other. Graffiti art covers some of the cement pilings and scattered remnants indicate that this skeleton of a building has been home to its share of gatherings since being abandoned. Whistler's cherished Flank Trail passes right by Northair Mine near its terminus at Whistler Olympic Park. Although, the Rainbow-Sproatt Flank Trail effectively ends far south of the Northair Mine, it piggybacks on the logging road that extends up and past the mine. With the massive construction that preceded the 2010 Olympics, the Callaghan Valley had a luxuriously wide, paved road built high up into the mountains here.
Northair Mine is located way up in the beautiful Callaghan Valley. From Whistler Village, drive south on the Sea to Sky Highway for 13.8 kilometres and turn right onto Callaghan Valley Road. Drive up into the Callaghan Valley for 7.6 kilometres and just after you cross the bridge over Callaghan Creek turn right onto the Callaghan Creek forest service road. The gravel road is pretty good for the first couple kilometres until you make a sharp left turn and the road deteriorates quickly. Still manageable by most vehicles, however there are a couple very deep waterbars that might surprise you. Northair Mine is very close to, and on the way to one of the access trailheads to Mount Sproatt.
Mount Sproatt, or as it is known locally as just Sproatt, is one of the many towering mountains visible from Whistler Village. Above and beyond Alta Lake, directly across from Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain, you will see this quiet giant. Its unremarkable appearance hides the growing network of trails that stretch through some startlingly beautiful terrain. Next time you walk through Whistler Village and cross the pedestrian bridge(with Village Gate Boulevard below you), you will see Mount Sproatt in the distance. It is the rocky giant, abruptly steep on one end and gently sloping on the other. At its summit you may be able to make out the small weather recording structure. What you can't see from Whistler Village is the extraordinarily beautiful alpine paradise that lays beyond it. Lakes and tarns everywhere you look. Fields of alpine flowers and wonderfully mangled, yet strikingly beautiful forests of krummholz. Hostile looking fields of boulders and absurdly placed erratics the size of RV's. Beyond, of course, endless stunning view of distant, snowy mountains. From the towering elevation of much of the Mount Sproatt hiking trail network, you often look across or even down on distant mountains. Continued here...
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 Joffre Lakes Keyhole Hot Springs Logger’s Lake Madeley Lake Meager Hot Springs Nairn Falls Panorama Ridge Parkhurst Ghost Town Rainbow Falls Rainbow Lake Ring Lake Russet Lake Sea to Sky Trail Skookumchuck Hot Springs Sloquet Hot Springs Mount Sproatt Taylor Meadows Train Wreck Wedgemount Lake Whistler Mountain
Alexander Brandywine Blackcomb Callaghan Cirque Joffre Keyhole Logger's Madeley Panorama Sproatt Parkhurst Rainbow Russet Train Wreck Wedge Glacier Wedgemount Whistler
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