Echo Falls is the moment. The lake above it is the bonus. This is a hard, half-day climb on the west bank of the Squamish River — a side of the valley you can’t drive to — and the waterfall halfway up is what people come back for. The lake at the top is small, quiet, and feels like a reward for the legs.
The trailhead sits across the river from town, with no road in. You paddle across an intertidal channel, pull your boat well up into the trees, and start climbing. From the river bank to the lake it’s 6 km, 950 metres of gain, three to three-and-a-half hours up. Locals describe it as “hiking the Stawamus Chief twice.” They are not exaggerating.
Most groups stop at the falls and turn around happy. The trail is marked through, and the final push to Echo Lake passes through quieter old growth before it opens to the small alpine pool at the top. You will likely see no one all day.
Halfway up. The waterfall, not the lake, is what people remember.
No road in. Intertidal launch, short crossing of the Squamish River.
“Like hiking the Chief twice.” Pace yourself. Bring poles.
Refreshed this season. Easy to follow if you stay attentive.
Intertidal launch. Crossing is far easier at high tide.
Few people. Often you’ll see none. Plan accordingly.
Pull your canoe or raft all the way up to the treeline. The river is intertidal — what looks like the high-water mark in the morning is not.
Hide the paddles in the brush before you start climbing. They’ve been stolen before. Out of sight is the rule.
Time the crossing for high tide. The river runs strong against a paddle at low water; the higher the water, the easier the cross.
Coming back, float down to a culvert near the take-out. Don’t try to paddle upstream — let the river do the work.
Renting a raft? Bring a hand pump. Slow leaks are normal on warm afternoons — top it up before re-launching.
No road in — no signage, no garbage cans, no rescue nearby. Pack out what you bring; tell someone your plan.
Hand-delivered to the east-bank launch. Paddles, PFDs, and tide-timing included. Best for groups of two or three crossing together.
Book a canoeStand-up boards to the same launch. Best for confident paddlers on a calm morning tide window — not for first-timers in moving water.
Book a boardLocal guide for the river crossing, the climb to the falls, and the tide-timing call. Best for first-time paddlers or anyone new to moving water.
Book a guide“The falls are the whole story. We made it that far, sat on a rock, ate everything we brought, and didn’t even push on to the lake. No regrets. Hardest hike I’ve done in BC this year.”
“River crossing took us four tries to time. Came back from the falls to a canoe pulled half into the river because we didn’t tie it up high enough. Listen to the field notes on this page — they’re not joking.”
“Took the water taxi over and saved ourselves the paddle. Worth every dollar after the climb — we were finished. Echo Lake itself is small and quiet, a perfect lunch spot above the falls.”
“Brutal climb. 950 metres in 6 km is no joke and the trail kicks up steep in the middle third. Falls are gorgeous but the lake at the top was a bit anticlimactic for the work. Go for the waterfall.”
“Hired a guide for the crossing because I’d never paddled moving water. Best decision of the trip. He read the tide, parked the boat properly, and we made it up and back in daylight.”
“Marked trail this year was a real improvement — we lost the route on the bluff section last time we came. Falls in full flow late August, lake mirror-still at the top. Saw no one all day.”
This is not a casual day hike. It is genuinely hard. The river crossing alone turns away parties every season — an intertidal channel is not a calm lake, and a canoe loaded with two people and dry bags handles differently than the one you rented on Alice Lake last summer. If you’ve never paddled a moving river, hire a guide or take the water taxi.
The climb itself is unrelenting. Six kilometres, 950 metres, no real flat. Most people stop at the falls and turn around — which is the right call. The lake at the top is lovely, but the falls are what earn the postcard.
This is Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation territory. There’s no garbage service, no signage, and no help nearby. Pack out everything. Tell someone your plan. Watch the tide on your way back.
The falls. Echo Falls sits roughly halfway up the trail and is what most people come for. The lake at the top is a smaller, quieter alpine pool — a nice bonus if you have the legs left, but the postcard moment is the waterfall.
There’s no road. The trailhead is on the west bank of the Squamish River, reachable only by water. You either paddle across in a canoe or raft (intertidal channel, time it for high tide), or you book the Squamish Water Taxi to drop you off and pick you up.
Six kilometres one way, 950 metres of gain, three to three-and-a-half hours up. Locals describe it as hiking the Stawamus Chief twice. That’s a fair summary. Bring poles, snacks, and more water than you think you need.
Yes. The launch is intertidal — what looks like deep water at noon can be a mudflat by evening. High tide makes the crossing far easier and the landing safer. Pull the boat all the way up to the treeline so it’s still there when you get back.
Yes — markers were refreshed this season and the route is easy to follow if you stay attentive on the bluff sections. It’s not signed at the trailhead, so drop a pin at the landing before you start climbing.
Late June to mid-September. Earlier and the trail is still snow-bound; later and the river runs cold and the falls thin out. August is prime — long days, warm river, falls still flowing. Go on a weekday if you can.
Yes — if the dog will sit calmly in a canoe or take the water taxi. The Squamish Water Taxi welcomes dogs. The hike itself is rough on paws; the climb is steep; the descent is steeper. Bring water and decide honestly whether your dog wants this day.
If you’d rather a friendlier paddle day, see the Sea to Sky Trails guides for nearby Alice Lake and Levette Lake.