Golden Ears Trail

Length: 9.6 km
Condition:  Some parts newly built, some very heavily eroded
General Route:  Follows above and west of Gold Creek in a northerly direction on an old logging road. From the Gold Creek Lookout the path deviates west to Alder Flats and Panorama Ridge. 

Note:  The PARK GATES are open from 7am to 11pm sharp, during summer

Trail Description:  After entering Golden Ears Provincial Park, follow signs indicating "West Canyon Trail". You will reach a parking lot of decent size , and find a sign board and an outhouse in the southwest corner. 

The start of the trail is an old, mostly level, logging road in good condition. You will travel it for just over 3 km, so a bike is a great idea for this portion of the trail (there is a sign indicating "no bikes allowed", but looks very dated). The rocky trail now ascends to Alder Flats (5 km from the start) where there is good camping. The trail gains most of its elevation from here to Panorama Ridge, and is a little rougher. The trail meets up with a very old and washed out logging spur (basically a dry creek bed).

The trail becomes a little stiffer as it reaches sub-alpine, and the views down the Gold Creek Valley are stellar. Ascend to a new, small, A-Frame emergency shelter just above Panorama Ridge (great views of Pitt Lake), and come to a permanent snowfield (neve). An ice axe is recommended for the snowfield, although it is not too steep or precarious, and it is possible to stay on the rocks in late summer. The summit is a short Class 2 scramble.