Adventure & Outdoors
Hike to a Secluded Swim at Whyte Lake
West Van's secret swim spot: 5 km of forest trail, 200 metres up, and a dock built for cannonballs.
Whyte Lake Park, off Nelson Creek, near Horseshoe Bay
More infoAdventure & Outdoors
West Van's secret swim spot: 5 km of forest trail, 200 metres up, and a dock built for cannonballs.
Whyte Lake Park, off Nelson Creek, near Horseshoe Bay
More infoWhyte Lake is what happens when you read past the first page of the guidebook. You start near Horseshoe Bay, climb 200 metres through second-growth forest, cross a creek doing its best waterfall impression, and arrive at a small dock that exists purely so you can cannonball off it. The 5 km round trip leaves you virtuous, not destroyed. Pack a towel. Cannonball technique is not graded.
Start from the Whyte Lake trailhead off the Nelson Creek frontage road near Horseshoe Bay (reached via the Upper Levels Highway exit area); the small lot and trail sign mark the start. Climb through forest along Nelson Creek, crossing the creek and passing little cascades, then follow signs to the lake, roughly 5 km round trip with about 200 m of gain, an easy-to-moderate 1.5-2 hours plus swim time. Don't miss the small dock at the lake, the whole point of the trip on a warm day, and the creek crossings on the way up for a photo. Want it shorter? Walk in to the first creek and waterfall and turn back for a quick forest stroll. Pack a towel and suit in summer when the shallow lake warms up; in cooler months it's a peaceful, much-quieter alternative to the North Shore's famous trails.
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