Hike Rating 7The Ancient Cedars trail is well marked and well worn and only gradually uphill for the 2.5 kilometre hike.  At the Ancient Cedars forest there is a short circle trail that takes you throughout the giants then leads you back to the main trail for the return journey.  An unmarked trailhead to Newt Lake starts at the end of the Ancient Cedars trail.  The Newt Lake trail is wild, overgrown and fairly steep, but surprisingly enjoyable.  Lots of wild forest scenery and constantly changing topography.  

  • Easy trail to huge & ancient trees
  • A quick, far feeling escape from civilisation
  • A relatively quiet hiking trail that is dog friendly!
  • Serene backcountry, drive-in camping for free
  • Lots of hidden & amazing tent sites
  • Newt Lake is wild, hidden & serene
  • Abandoned cabin at Showh Lakes
  • Lots of mosquitoes in June to August
  • ATV's tours in the area are noisy
  • The access logging road is brutally potholed

Whistler & Garibaldi Park

Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerAlexander Falls  Moderate Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyAncient Cedars  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerBlack Tusk  Pay Use Hiking Trail WhistlerBlackcomb Mountain  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerBrandywine Falls  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyBrandywine Meadows  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyBrew Lake  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerCallaghan Lake  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerCheakamus Lake  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyCheakamus River  Whistler Hiking Trail HardCirque Lake  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyFlank Trail  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerGaribaldi Lake  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerGaribaldi Park  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerHelm Creek  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyJane Lakes  Joffre Lakes Hike in Whistler in SeptemberJoffre Lakes  Moderate Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyKeyhole Hot Springs  Hiking Trail Hard Dog FriendlyLogger’s Lake  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyMadeley Lake  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyMeager Hot Springs Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerNairn Falls  Whistler Hiking Trail HardNewt Lake  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerPanorama Ridge  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerParkhurst Ghost Town  Hiking Trail ModerateRainbow Falls  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerRainbow Lake  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlyRing Lake  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerRusset Lake  Whistler Hiking Trail EasySea to Sky Trail  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerSkookumchuck Hot Springs  Easy Hiking Trail WhistlerSloquet Hot Springs  Moderate/Hard Hiking Trail Whistler Dog FriendlySproatt East  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerSproatt West  Moderate Hiking Trail WhistlerTaylor Meadows  Whistler Hiking Trail EasyTrain Wreck  Hiking Trail Hard - Whistler TrailsWedgemount Lake  Pay Use Hiking Trail WhistlerWhistler Mountain

At the end of the wild Newt Lake trail is the beautifully hidden and remote feeling Newt Lake.  Relatively unknown, this lake is rarely visited and you will often have it all to yourself.  Fantastic!  The huge western redcedars at Ancient Cedars are huge and some are estimated to be a thousand years old.  Most of these giants stretch toward the sky, but some lay along the forest floor giving you an even closer grasp of their size. If you bring kids along, they will disappear into the endless, natural playground.  Ancient Cedars is great to visit in the spring and fall months as you rarely see people and never feel mosquitoes. The problem is the trailhead is up a long way into the mountains and snow at this elevation persists until April and sometimes May. Snow, along with the steep access road make driving to the trailhead impossible for most cars until it disappears. Summer is great for seeing Ancient Cedars and Showh Lakes in particular.  There are branching trails to both Showh Lakes and Newt Lake.  These three lakes are very beautiful and remote feeling.  Ancient Cedars is a comparatively quiet hiking trail and you usually see only a couple cars at the trailhead.  Hikers rarely hike beyond the Ancient Cedars trail and encountering someone at Showh Lakes or Newt Lake would be surprising.

 

Beautiful Ancient Cedars in Whistler

Ancient Cedars Hike in Whistler

Ancient Cedars Hike in Whistler

Ancient Cedars in Whistler

Stunning and Serene Showh Lakes

Beautiful Showh Lakes

Newt Lake Alpine Paradise

Newt Lake Alpine Paradise

Ancient Cedars Trailhead to Newt Lake

From the Ancient Cedars trailhead to Newt Lake you gain 366 metres(1201 feet) in 5 kilometres(3.1 miles).  That's a challenging elevation gain, however the first half to Ancient Cedars is a pretty relaxing, steadily uphill route with the occasional bend in the trail.  The easy to follow, well used trail is nice, scenic and feels like an easy walk in the woods..  The Newt Lake trail, however, is quite wild by comparison.  The trail snakes through the thick forest in a constantly ascending and zigzagging route that would be impossible to follow without the very frequent trail markers.  From your car to Ancient Cedars takes only 45 minutes to hike, but from Ancient Cedars to Newt Lake expect to be hiking more than an hour.

Ancient Cedars, Showh Lakes and Newt Lake Map

Ancient Cedars Map Large v10

Ancient Cedars Directions Map

Ancient Cedars Directions Map v2

Complete Ancient Cedars Hiking Guide: HikeInWhistler.com

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