Brunswick Mountain via Deeks Lake

Brunswick Mountain via Deeks Lake is one of the toughest slogs on the North Shore, sitting just north of Lions Bay and usually accessed from the Porteau Cove side off Highway 99. You’re looking at roughly 24 km return with around 1,850 m of gain, so this is a big day or a solid overnight, not a casual after‑work wander. The payoff is a chain of classic Howe Sound lakes, a rugged summit, and the kind of exhaustion that feels earned.

The first stretch up to Deeks Lake is a grind through forest and old roads, and most locals agree it’s the least exciting part of the day. Things improve fast once you hit Deeks and then head toward Brunswick Lake: clear water, mountain views, and a wilder feel with some fun scrambling as you push toward the summit ridge. The final climb to Brunswick Mountain is steep, loose in spots, and can involve hands-on rock and snow travel early in the season, but the views over Howe Sound and the nearby peaks easily rival the classic Lions Bay hikes.

Recent hikers report that Brunswick Mountain via Deeks Lake is still very snowed in above Brunswick Lake well into early July, with crampons, ice axe, and solid navigation skills strongly recommended. Expect cold stream crossings, a short wade at the lake outlet, bugs that mean business, and long dry sections where you’ll be grateful for a filter and electrolytes. Many people are breaking it into two days by camping at Brunswick Lake, dropping overnight packs before the summit push, and treating this as a serious alpine outing best tackled July to October in stable weather rather than a rushed single-day sufferfest.