Sigurd Peak

Sigurd Peak is one of the burliest hikes in the Squamish area, and it absolutely feels like it. The stats alone are intense: roughly 15 to 24 km round trip depending on your GPS and side loops, over 2,000 m of gain, and a full-day grind that often pushes past 10 hours. This is an extreme out-and-back route for strong, experienced hikers who are comfortable with long, steep days and some scrambling.

The trail to Sigurd Peak starts in dense coastal forest, climbing aggressively right from the parking area with roots, rocks, and some fixed ropes to help on the steeper sections. After three to four hours of slogging in the trees, you finally pop into the alpine where the views toward the Tantalus Range, valley, and surrounding peaks open up and make all that climbing feel worth it. The final approach to the summit has a fun, exposed feel, and on a clear day you get huge mountain and glacier views that rival better-known Squamish hikes.

Recent hikers report that AllTrails underplays both the distance and how overgrown the trail gets after the junction, so expect brushy sections and a rougher feel beyond the split. It’s seriously steep almost the entire way, so trekking poles help on the descent, and a water filter is key because you’ll burn through a lot of fluids on this kind of vertical. Snow can linger near the top into late spring, so microspikes and even an ice axe are smart in the shoulder seasons, while summer and early fall usually offer the most straightforward conditions for tackling Sigurd Peak.