Hiking Elfin Lakes and Gargoyles
Length: 26 km
Elevation Gain: 1,230 m
Difficulty Level: Hard
Garibaldi Provincial Park offers some beautiful (but often long and challenging) hiking trails, like Garibaldi Lake, Panorama Ridge, Mount Price Hiking Trail, The Black Tusk, and Wedgemount Lake.
Elfin Lakes and the Gargoyles can be done as a day hike as long as you start early because it’s a long hike. The trailhead starts at Diamond Head Trailhead. During the Summer hiking season, you will need a day pass (unless you have a camping pass) to hike on this trail.
The trail to Elfin Lakes is primaryly a wide service road with steady incline. The first 5 km is mostly through the woods. After 5 km, the views open up. The nice views continue all the way to Elfin Lakes.
The trail from Elfin Lakes to the Gargoyles is a different story. First of all it doesn’t have any trail markers, so bring an offline map. It’s also narrow and wet. The last 200 meters ascending to the peak is steep and slippery. But it’s a short stretch, so push through. You will be rewarded with 360 degree views on top.
