Beth Lake via Furry Downing Road

Beth Lake via Furry Downing Road is one of those Squamish-area hikes that flies under the radar but leaves a mark on your legs and your memory. It’s a challenging out-and-back, roughly 17.5 km with over 1000 m of gain, and most people clock around 6 to 7 hours. Expect a quiet day; more than one hiker has done this route without seeing another person from car to car.

The approach is straightforward but a bit of a grind: about 6–7 km on a forest service road, gradually climbing with loose gravel that’s nicer once it dries out later in the day. The unmarked turnoff to the Beth Lake trail on the left is easy to miss, so keep your GPS handy and your eyes open. From there, the character changes to a narrow, sometimes overgrown singletrack with fun, punchy uphills, boulder steps, roots, and log step-cutouts, getting steep in the last kilometre or two before easing off as you hit the lake. Beth Lake itself is a solid reward, swimmable on warm days, though the rocks underfoot are slick.

Recent hikers report that AllTrails likely underestimates the distance, with some tracking closer to 23 km return, especially if you wander on the FSR. In shoulder season, expect snow from about 5–7 km onward, creek crossings that can soak your boots, and deeper snow (up to a few feet) on the steep final push, which has turned some solo hikers back. In summer and early fall the trail is usually clear, well marked in the upper section, and offers a surprisingly quiet option near Squamish and Furry Creek, but go prepared for a real workout, limited parking, and very few good camping spots if you’re hauling an overnight pack.