Scramble to Goat Mountain Above Grouse

Goat Mountain is the move when you want to look like you've summited something properly wild without climbing the North Shore from scratch. Take the Grouse Mountain gondola to the top (or hike the Grind and buy the download at the summit, which is a real option), then follow the backcountry trail past the alpine ponds toward Goat. It's about 7 km return with 370 m of gain from the gondola, very reasonable until the final stretch, where fixed ropes and chains suddenly appear and you'll find yourselves laughing, swearing and grabbing each other for balance in roughly equal measure. The summit reward is a big flat top with Crown Mountain, the Needles, Mount Baker and Garibaldi all showing off at once. Register at the trail kiosk before you head out, and go July through October before the snow makes a different point.

Duration

3–4 hours

Best time

Daytime

Price / person

~$25–90 / person

Setting

Outdoor

Neighbourhood

Grouse Mountain alpine, top of Nancy Greene Way

Best season

summer, fall

Estimated ~$25–90 / person for Grouse gondola: full mountain admission round trip (~$80-90 adult) or download-only ticket (~$25) if you hike the Grind up, as of 2026-06-22. A ballpark, not a quote. Call ahead or check the website for exact pricing.