Golden Ears Summit Trail

Golden Ears Summit Trail in Golden Ears Provincial Park near Maple Ridge is one of those hikes that will absolutely empty the tank and still have you grinning at the top. The stats alone are serious: roughly 22–26 km out and back, close to 1,700 m of gain, and usually a 9–10 hour day for strong hikers. This is a true “very difficult” objective, more like a mountain climb than a casual day hike, but the summit views over the Fraser Valley and Coast Range are legendary on a clear day.

The Golden Ears Summit Trail starts off deceptively friendly, rolling through forest and along the river to Alder Flats with only mild effort. Past Alder Flats, the character changes fast: steep, rooty, rocky grind, creekbed switchbacks, and sections where you’re using hands on roots and rocks. Above the emergency shelter, the terrain opens up to alpine slabs, short scrambles, and then a rough, lightly marked final push to the summit with cairns and bits of flagging leading you to those full 360-degree cloud and peak views.

Recent hikers are calling out a few key things: start very early to avoid hiking down in the dark, bring lots of water (4 L isn’t overkill in late summer, with limited water between Alder Flats and the upper stream near the summit), and expect route-finding near the top, especially in fog or smoke. The tent pads near the ridge can be windy and often fill up on weekends, but camping up high turns a brutal day trip into a more manageable overnight. Golden Ears Summit Trail is best done in stable summer weather with long daylight; shoulder season can mean slick, risky steep sections and low visibility that erase the views you worked so hard for.