Whistler is famous for its winter, and we went in August. What we found was a mountain town that works just as well without snow: chairlifts running all summer, a cycle trail linking five lakes, marmots on the hiking paths and a snowball fight at the top of the mountain in the middle of August. We had three days here on our Pacific Northwest road trip and could easily have stayed longer.
Whistler in summer is a walking, cycling and gondola town rather than a ski one, and three days is about right. Ride the chairlifts to the Top of the World and hike the High Note Trail from there, cycle the Valley Trail between the lakes, and take the Peak-to-Peak Gondola across to Blackcomb. Add white-water rafting on the Green River if you want a wet afternoon. Whistler Village is the base for all of it.
Whistler is a summer mountain resort and well-known winter ski resort in British Columbia (BC), about 125 km (78 miles) north of Vancouver. It sits in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains (not the Rocky Mountains).
Most people drive – The route up from Vancouver is a scenic run in its own right, and we have written it up separately in our guide to the Sea-to-Sky Highway. There are also coach services from Vancouver and from Vancouver International Airport if you would rather not drive.
Whistler Village is at the heart of the Whistler resort area and the place to go for Visitor Information, tour bookings, shops, restaurants and to take the main gondola up the mountain. As you enter Whistler Village you will see the first of several Inuksuk sculptures in the area.
There are often events and festivals happening in Whistler village, so it’s worth checking what’s going to be on when you visit – our August visit overlapped with an international mountain biking festival, so the town was awash with bikes and lycra.
Rather than ride mountain bikes, we hired peddle bikes to ride the Whistler Valley Trail, which we mistakenly thought would be flat. The Whistler Valley Trail is a network of cycle paths which weave around the valley and several lakes, including Lost Lake, Green Lake, Alta Lake, Nita Lake, and Alpha Lake.
We picked up bikes from the hire shop at Whistler Creekside and rode along the Whistler Valley Trail to Green Lake where we had lunch on the outdoor terrace at Whistler Golf Club and watched the Whistler Air float planes taking off and landing. According to my daughter, the golf club makes an excellent burger.
We passed lots of signage along the way warning of bear encounters, so we made sure to ‘be bear aware’!
The Whistler Valley Trail was very enjoyable, cycling through the shade of the trees and around the pale green lakes, however just because it says Valley in the title, doesn’t mean that the route is flat – the Whistler Valley Trail certainly gave our legs a good workout.
Whilst you are at the lakes, you could park up your bikes for a while and take out a kayak or boat on the lake.
Catch your first chairlift from Whistler Village up to The Roundhouse on Whistler Mountain for coffee and to admire the gorgeous views. You can pose for some good photos at the Olympic Rings standing outside The Roundhouse (Whistler hosted the Winter Olympics in 2010), or at one of the strategically placed Inuksuks, before taking a second chair lift further up the mountain.
The second chairlift flies above rocky mountain slopes complete with some patches of snow, to get you to The Top of the World experience.
At the Top of the World you can walk along a metal bridge to a platform overhanging the mountain – not for those with vertigo but the views are stunning from here. Be prepared for some movement on the bridge…
Unsurprisingly there are a lot of options for hiking trails in Whistler, and so you are spoilt for choice. We decided to pick up the High Note Trail because it conveniently started near The Top of the World experience.
The first few minutes of the High Note Trail involved some scrambling downhill on loose gravel with chains for assistance – watch out for those knees! However, then the path flattens out and traverses the mountain side through green pastures with marmots and endless scenic viewpoints. We followed the cute wooden signposts carved in the form of bears, marmots, and golden eagles.
Eventually a view of Cheakamus Lake came into view, and we were taken aback by the colour of the lake – a pure turquoise blue – so we found a spot to sit down and soak the view in. Such a magical view with trees in the foreground, the colour of the lake and snow-capped mountain peaks in the background. Canada at its best!
At the end of the High Note Trail, we found a big patch of snow which led to a family snowball fight in the height of August – brilliant. Once back at The Roundhouse on Whistler Mountain we sat outside on the terrace to recover from our walk with a bowl of fries and a beer. The High Note Trail was only 3.5 km but it felt much longer due to the ups and downs of the trail and gravelly bits.
The Peak-to-Peak Gondola is the highest and longest gondola in North America. The large red gondola cabins have glass bottoms allowing you to gaze at the tree-tops as you sail over the forest or admire the 360-degree mountain views from the windows as you are transported from Whistler Mountain to Blackcomb Peak.
Once at Blackcomb Peak you can explore further hiking opportunities, or head straight down the mountain on a small gondola to Blackcomb Village. A regular bus service runs from Blackcomb Village to Whistler Village and Whistler Creekside.
We booked a white-water rafting adventure with Wedge Rafting who are based in Whistler Village.
We arrived at Wedge Rafting HQ at the required time and were ushered into changing rooms in military fashion to get changed into wetsuits, before jumping on minibuses for a 20-minute transfer to Green Lake to board our rafts with our guide.
After the safety briefing, we set off on a gentle paddle across serene (but glacial) Green Lake before picking up Green River to ride the rapids. The rapids were family friendly Grade 2 and 3 rapids, although children need to be 10 plus to take this tour.
We all got very wet, but luckily no-one fell in. We had fun with our guide and just followed his instruction to “Let me do the thinking for you!”.
After our cycling trip we had a decent meal at Caramba in Whistler Village, which was wood-fired pizza in a lively room with a proper patio. Beyond that, most of our meals were functional. We were either eating on the go at The Roundhouse up the mountain, or grabbing whatever we could face after a day of hiking or cycling.
That is not a reflection on Whistler, which has far more good food than we managed to try. It is more that in summer the village is set up for eating outside, and if you pick your table well you will do considerably better than we did. Sun, a view of the bike park, or a plaza that still catches the light at 5pm makes more difference here than the menu does.
These sit at the base of the mountain and catch the late afternoon sun while the mountain bikers come down:
Garibaldi Lift Co: Known as the GLC, with a patio looking straight onto the bike park. Cold beer, loud music and the sense that the day is not quite finished.
Longhorn Saloon: A big, colourful patio right at the Whistler base, with nachos, pitchers, fire pits and umbrellas. Good for watching the last runs come down.
Dubh Linn Gate: A sunny Irish pub patio a few steps from the gondola, with live music, a fire pit and plenty of people-watching.
Black's Pub: Front row at the gondolas and about as central as it gets. Simple, and fine for a celebratory pint without any planning.
The pedestrian plazas fill up on warm afternoons, and these are the places to sit still for a while:
Caramba: Our pick after cycling. Mediterranean comfort food and wood-fired pizza, with a patio properly set up for summer and dog-friendly tables.
The Brewhouse: Near Olympic Plaza, brewing its own beer on site, with a large patio that works as the village beer garden.
Hunter Gather: Garden-style outdoor seating, local craft taps and smoked plates. More relaxed than the circus at the lift base.
Tapley's: An unpretentious sunny patio with sport on the screens and locals mixed in with the visitors. Fine for a pint and something fried.
La Bocca: Long-running Italian on the Village Stroll, with an all-day patio in the central courtyard.
La Cantina: Casual tacos on Olympic Plaza for when you want sunshine and something quick rather than a full sit-down.
Earls: A front patio with mountain views, and reliable when you want a proper dinner without going out for a fine-dining evening.
Wild Blue: A garden patio and a more serious kitchen, with Pacific Northwest cooking and seafood. Book it if you want one memorable night.
Braidwood Tavern: Over in the Upper Village at the Blackcomb base, and quieter than the main village. Patio, fire pit and mountain views if the Village Stroll feels too busy.
The Roundhouse is still the practical lunch stop if you are already up there, and the Umbrella Bar outside it is the better summer version of the same idea. A drink and a view from under the giant umbrella on a clear day. Do not expect a destination meal, expect fuel with a panorama.
In summer the difference between a forgettable meal in Whistler and a good one is almost always the table rather than the kitchen. Look for a south-facing patio, a bike park view, or a plaza that still has sun at 5pm. Book the nicer patios at weekends, though you can usually walk up at the pubs if you arrive before the après crowd.
Whistler is set up for ski season visitors and so there is an excellent range of accommodation options, from the expensive hotels to affordable ski apartments.
We booked into the Evolution Apart-Hotel which offered two bedrooms, with a shared lounge and small kitchenette. There is a small pool at Evolution and so you can enjoy a soothing soak in the jacuzzi after any hiking or cycling on your stay. The Evolution Apart-Hotel is located in the Whistler Creekside area, just south of Whistler Village, connected to the main resort by a free bus shuttle.
Whistler Creekside has a grocery shop, bike rental outlet, clothes, and equipment shops and the Creekside chairlift up to The Roundhouse. Unfortunately, the Creekside Chairlift was only allowing passengers with bikes during the mountain biking festival.
Wow, what a place – it is so pretty and there is so much to do in the outdoors. I instantly felt 10 times healthier after 3 days in the fresh mountain air and would have been happier for a longer stay.
If you love trees, turquoise lakes, and mountains, then you’ll love Whistler – it is a special treat waiting for you at the end of the Sea-to-Sky Highway!
I am so glad that we included Whistler on our Pacific Northwest road trip. Next stop Vancouver…
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