I decided to walk this trail to train for the Camino de Santiago (Portuguese route from Lisbon) as it offers long fairly flat days with a mixture of paved and unpaved trail, plus opportunities to resupply along the way. I parked in Pemberton and took transit to Squamish (public bus to Whistler then ride share to Squamish), staying the night there before starting in the morning. I began walking near the floatplane terminal, and ended at the Village of Pemberton sign.
The trail was a beautiful mix of paved multi-use paths, forested singletrack, hydro access roads, and some roads. It passed through both remote and well-trafficked areas, offering a balance of wilderness experience with the comfort of being close to services. The stretch through Gord’s Garden was a standout highlight.
I carried some food and resupplied along the trail, It was fun to be able to enjoy a steak dinner while hiking:
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Day 1: Had breakfast at the hostel in Squamish, bought lunch in Garibaldi Village, and stopped for a snack at Fergie’s Café, dinner and snack on the trail
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Day 2: Breakfast, lunch and snacks on the trail, then got a ride into Creekside in the evening and visited the grocery store to resupply for dinner and breakfast.
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Day 3: Ate lunch in Function Junction, dinner in Whistler Village, and did a quick grocery stop for breakfast before continuing north.
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Day 4: lunch, snacks and dinner on the trail.
Water access was mostly reliable, except for two long stretches: Between Starvation Lake and Cal-Cheak Campground, and North of Whistler until reaching the Green River in Gord’s Garden
Camping
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Night 1: Starvation Lake
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Night 2: Cal-Cheak Campground
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Night 3: Riverside Resort, Whistler (hot showers!)
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Night 4: Nairn Falls Provincial Park (after having completed the hike)
I was really impressed that over the full 111.87 km length of the Sea to Sky Trail, only 10 kilometers total were on the highway. That makes this a fantastic trail for getting into the backcountry while still being close to exit points and civilization.
The three highway sections are: Two 4 km stretches between Cheakamus Canyon and Brandywine Falls, and one 2 km section near the Pemberton Speedway