Joffre Lakes Hike and Directions (Pemberton, BC)

After years of wanting to check out this place, I finally brought my friend Brandi on a lil hike to the lower, middle and upper Joffre lakes.  When I first heard about this spot it was not very well known but with increased popularity it has now become a mainstream BC hike. In 2024 you will not be alone here! The word is out and for good reason these lakes are some of the prettiest in Canada.

Joffre Lakes Stats

• easy
• 11km (5.5km one way)
• 370m elevation gain
• 4-6 hours
• backcountry camping
• swimming spots

Directions

We left Port Coquitlam around 6am to avoid traffic, and with a couple quick stops along the way we reached the packed parking lot around 9:30am. The trail started just North of Pemberton and was easily accessible by a fully paved road- Joffre Lakes Provincial Park Map.The lot had a bathroom and a well mapped sign of the trail, and only about 50m from the beginning of the trail head lied the lower Joffre lake.

The trail was not too busy when we went, but i did hear that this trail gets really busy on long weekends. In fact, this labor day (2016) , there was hundreds of people wanting to hike this destination, and the parking lot was so overflowed that there were cars parked for about 3 kilometers on the road  CBC parking fiasco.

The trail had a steady incline that was a bit of a work out, but it was not too difficult all in all. After about 4.5 kilometers we approached the middle Joffre lake and shortly after was a decent sized waterfall. I would say this whole trail would be a photographers dream.

The Upper Joffre Lake is at the end of the 5.5km one way hike, and it is a great lake to swim, eat lunch, and relax. You  will also find a backcountry camping spot at the far end of the lake, equipped with a safety bin for food in case of bears. Just make sure you pay for the camping permit because rangers do come up and check!  This hike is a definite must see!

Lets face it the lakes were not that hard! Why not check out Tunnel Bluffs on your way back to Vancouver. It’s a completely different type of hike but it has amazing views of Howe Sound.