Mount Mulligan Trail

Mount Mulligan Trail near Squamish, BC is a long, steady grind with a huge payoff in views and solitude. At 15.3 km out-and-back with about 1,136 m of elevation gain to roughly 1,534 m, it’s a full-day effort and firmly in the difficult category. This one is more about endurance and route-finding than technical scrambling.

The Mount Mulligan Trail starts up Mamquam Road FSR and follows an old logging road for most of the approach, which makes for straightforward walking but a sustained climb. Once you leave the road, the route weaves through willows and open forest, where the path can fade and you’ll need to pay attention to navigation. On a clear day you’re rewarded with wide views toward Mamquam, Garibaldi, the Stawamus Chief, and a lineup of surrounding Squamish peaks that make the grind feel worth it.

Access to the Mount Mulligan Trail depends heavily on Mamquam Road FSR conditions; lower sections can be done with a cautious 2WD, but a higher-clearance 4WD is often needed to reach the upper parking, especially in winter and shoulder seasons. The trail itself is not very technical and the grade is mostly moderate, but snow, ice, and route-finding challenges ramp up the difficulty in colder months, which is when many people tackle it for ski touring. Bring a GPS track, start early, and be prepared for changing weather and limited signage, and you’ll get a quiet, demanding Squamish objective with big-mountain views and very few crowds.