Sea to Sky. 
Know before you go
Advisories
Visitor guidelines
Get park information
Look in this ‘visitor guidelines’ section for general safety instructions and other important information about this park. For the latest information, see advisories.
Drive safely on access roads
Callaghan Lake Park is accessed via an unpaved forest service road. For details, see maps and location. Before heading out, check the forest service road conditions in the Sea to Sky district.
When driving on the forest service road, use extra caution. Pull over to let forestry vehicles pass. Watch for wildlife crossing the road and areas that have been eroded by winter weather.
The road includes several deep water-bars and is only suitable for high-clearance vehicles.
Practice campfire safety
Closely follow our guidance on campfires. Check the advisories for campfire restrictions.
Campfires are only allowed in the fire rings provided at campsites. Fires are not allowed anywhere else in Callaghan Lake Park.
Keep campfires small. Bring a gas stove for cooking. Cutting or gathering wood in the park is not allowed.
Current information on fire restrictions can be found through the BC Wildfire Service.
For detailed information on campfire safety, see the responsible recreation page.
Camp on designated sites
Camping in Callaghan Lake Park is allowed only in the designated campground at Callaghan Lake. For more information on the campground, see the frontcountry camping section.
To protect grizzly bear habitat and to avoid human-wildlife conflict, camping anywhere else in the park is not allowed. This includes all lakeshore camping.
No pets in Cirque Lake Basin
Dogs and other pets are only allowed at the campground, the day-use area next to the campground, and in boats. Pets are not allowed in the Cirque Lake Basin, to preserve grizzly bear habitat and prevent dangerous wildlife encounters.
Stay safe around wildlife
Potentially dangerous animals live in this park. On trails, make noise, to prevent unexpected encounters. Be aware that food waste and other scents will attract wildlife.
To learn how to avoid encounters and ensure unavoidable encounters do not escalate, see the wildlife safety page.
Leave No Trace
Always follow Leave No Trace outdoor ethics. Minimize your impact on plant and animal life and be considerate of other visitors. Dispose of waste properly.
For detailed information on outdoor ethics, visit the Leave No Trace Canada website.
No garbage
Callaghan Lake Park has no garbage or recycling facilities. Pack out everything you pack in. Do not bury or burn garbage under any circumstances.
No snowmobiles
To protect the local environment, snowmobiles, ATVs, and other off-road vehicles are not allowed in this park. This includes vehicles registered under the Off-Road Vehicles Act.
No drones
Operating drones without permission is illegal in BC Parks. In the rare cases when we grant permission, you must keep your drone away from wildlife and other visitors.
No harvesting
Harvesting mushrooms or any other crops is forbidden in all BC Parks. The only exceptions are for Indigenous Peoples and research permit holders.
Review the detailed guides under visit responsibly for more information on staying safe and preserving our natural spaces.
Visit responsibly
Follow these guides to ensure your activities are safe, respectful, and ecologically friendly:
Maps and location
Getting there
The closest community to Callaghan Lake Park is Whistler. In summer, you can access the park from a turnoff on Highway 99. This turnoff is 70 km north of Vancouver or 20 km south of Whistler.
Turn north off the highway onto the paved Callaghan Valley Road for 8 km. Then turn left and follow Callaghan Forest Service Road 01 for 8 km. This is a rough gravel road only suitable for high-clearance vehicles due to deep cross-ditches.
The Forest Service Road is closed when it is covered with snow (usually from November to early June). During this period, the road is groomed for cross-country skiing and there is no vehicle access to the park.
For gate opening and closing dates, see the top of this page.
Things to do
There are no formally developed and maintained hiking tails in Callaghan Lake Park. However, you can access various backcountry routes via a rough marked trail, which leads to Conflict Lake and Ring Lake. For a park map, see the maps and location section.
There are opportunities for canoeing and kayaking in Callaghan Lake Park. Powerboats (including electric) and floatation devices are also allowed. However, powerboats must be under 10 horsepower.
Callaghan Lake offers easily accessible subalpine fishing for trout and char, from the shoreline or a small boat. For information on where to launch, see the boat launch section.
Anyone fishing in British Columbia must have an appropriate licence. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Dogs and other pets are welcome in some parts of Callaghan Lake Park, but they must be leashed. Pets are allowed at the campground, the day-use area next to the campground, or in your boat. You must be in control of your pets and dispose of their waste appropriately.
Pets are not allowed anywhere else in the park. It is particularly important that you do not take dogs into the Cirque Lake Basin area. This is a vital grizzly bear habitat. Taking dogs into the area damages the habitat and creates a high risk of dangerous encounters with bears.
Hunting is only allowed in certain parts of Callaghan Lake Park during open season. See the B.C. government hunting and trapping regulations synopsis for more information. Contact BC Parks at parkinfo@gov.bc.ca with any specific questions.
Anyone hunting in British Columbia must comply with BC hunting regulations. To learn more, see the fishing and hunting guide.
Callaghan Lake Park is home to Whistler Olympic Park and is a popular destination for winter recreation. There are opportunities for snowshoeing and Nordic skiing.
The rolling subalpine terrain with interspersed meadows is well suited to cross-country skiing. The steeper slopes, meanwhile, offer telemark and alpine ski touring opportunities.
The access road is closed when it is covered with snow (usually late October to mid June). During this time, it is groomed to allow cross-country skiing to Callaghan Lake.
Commercial companies operate ski and snowshoe trails within the park. There are fees for using these trails. The park operator sometimes offers a shuttle service to Callaghan Lake.
Responsible recreation
The park’s weather is often severe and can change quickly. Ensure your whole party is properly prepared and equipped. For details, see the winter safety page. Cell coverage is minimal. Consider bringing a satellite phone for emergencies.
Ice on the lakes may be unsafe and avalanche risk is significant. Take avalanche rescue training before your visit. Check the Avalanche Canada forecast before heading out. Bring transceivers, probes, and snow shovels to the park.
There are no garbage facilities. Take all your garbage and anything else you bring when you leave. There is a pit toilet at the campground. However, BC Parks does not maintain this toilet during winter.
Snowmobiles and other off-road vehicles are not allowed in Callaghan Lake Park.
About this park
Callaghan Lake Park lies within the relatively rugged mountainous terrain of the Coast Mountain Range. The park ranges in elevation from wooded slopes at approximately 1,160 m to alpine peaks at approximately 2,270 m.
The mountains have been strongly glaciated and contain typical features of post-glacial alpine terrain. These include talus slopes, flat-lying rocky benches, cirques, hanging valleys, tarns, waterfalls, and upland plateaus with bogs.
Callaghan Lake is a single large valley-bottom lake found at 1200 m. Cirque Lake, to the northwest at 1,500 m, is the largest of several tarns suspended in cirque basins. Numerous wetlands lie downstream of Callaghan Lake.
Boggy areas of Callaghan Lake Park are known to contain nodding semaphore grass (pleuropogon refractus), which is a protected species.
A variety of wildlife lives in Callaghan Lake and the surrounding area. This includes bobcat, cougar, coyote, mink, Douglas squirrel, and weasel.
Large mammal species include black bear, grizzly bear, Columbian black-tailed deer, and mountain goat.
Transient species that may be in this park, depending on when you visit, include moose, wolverine, and wolf.
For information on staying safe around wild animals, please visit the wildlife safety page.
Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples
BC Parks honours Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land and respects the importance of their diverse teachings, traditions, and practices within these territories. This park webpage may not adequately represent the full history of this park and the connection of Indigenous Peoples to this land. We are working in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to update our websites so that they better reflect the history and cultures of these special places.
Contact
| General questions and feedback for BC Parks | We answer emails weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm Pacific Time. |
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