Meadow of the Grizzly via Stl'lhalem Sintl'

Meadow of the Grizzly via Stl'lhalem Sintl' is a serious leg-burner above Squamish, British Columbia, and it earns its “challenging” label. This 15.6 km loop with about 818 m of gain tops out around 924 m and usually takes close to 6.5 hours on foot, less if you’re a strong rider. It’s built as a mountain bike loop, but hikers who don’t mind sharing the trail and working hard for views will get a solid day out of it.

You start from the Climbing Trail parking area and grind up the Stl'lhalem Sintl' climb trail, a steady, engineered ascent through coastal forest with plenty of switchbacks. The payoff is the Meadow of the Grizzly descent line, a narrow singletrack that dives down forested slopes with quick corners, steep pitches, and short openings where you can catch glimpses over the valley toward the Squamish area. It feels remote compared with more crowded Squamish hikes, and the loop format keeps things interesting the whole way.

Recent reports say conditions on Meadow of the Grizzly via Stl'lhalem Sintl' have been dry and in great shape, with very light crowds, so you can often move without much traffic. This is still a bike-first trail, so if you’re hiking, go early, keep your ears open, and step aside quickly for riders, especially on the descent. Snow and mud can linger in shoulder seasons at higher spots, so late spring through fall is the most reliable time, and carrying extra water and decent footwear is smart given the sustained climbing and technical, rooty sections on the way down.