Crater Lake, British Columbia, Canada

5.0 (9 reviews) Spent Ranking #7 in Smithers Bodies of Water

Worth the walk

It's a 20km+ drive up a steep hill from Smithers and there is a large area for parking near the end of the road (parking is discouraged right at the end). The walk starts under the ski lift and the initial 15 minutes is quite steep. Keep at it though as you are soon rewarded with a easier walk through wild flower meadow. The landscape gets a bit rougher but the path is good and you come upon crater lake between 1-2 hours. A short descent takes you to the lake shore. We continued our climb up the left hand side of the lake and followed the crater rim round. It was a bit loose over shattered rock scree but once up the going was better. Well worth the extra hour or so for the fabulous views. Return from the lake by way of ascent
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Address

, Smithers, Canada.

Current local date and time now

Friday, May 10, 2024, 2:48

User Ratings

5.0 based on (9 reviews)

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Reviews

  • 5richard c 5:00 PM Sep 20, 2020
    Challenging hike with nice views.
    The drive up to the entrance of the Crater Lake Trail was interesting as you have to drive about 19 kms on a gravel road to reach the Hudson Bay Mountain Ski Resort. The hike starts off quite steep as you walk between chalets on either side. After 20 mins or so, the trail levels off and the rest of the hike is not that bad. You'll be trekking through a vast field and from here you can see exactly where you need to go....towards the base of the glacier. As you approach the lake, the winds pick up and it can become quite chilly. I only stayed about 10 mins for a snack, then started heading back down due to the cold. You will be hiking on rocks, so it can be dangerous if it's raining. It took me about 1 hr 45 mins to go up and back down, stopping only for drinks and photos. The view of the lake was good, but I actually enjoyed the section near the start of the hike because you are hiking past beautiful pine trees.
  • 5Carrie C 5:00 PM Sep 11, 2020
    Brilliant
    This hike was amazing! The lake is fantastic to see so many families with little ones doing it. The lake was Christine and we swim in it! The dogs loved it! There were still wildflowers the first week of September.

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