Vancouver Hiking Trails in South Western British Columbia, Canada

What Makes A Great Trail?

The question was asked to Vancouver Trails, What makes a great trail and what's your favorite example of one?

While a great hiking trail is made up of several elements, it should always have a scenic place to stop and enjoy the surrounding environment that you are in. Being able to see something of natural beauty that you wouldn't normally see is what drives a lot of people to go hiking.

There are many elements that make up a great hike. Here are a few of those elements that Vancouver Trails believes makes a great trail:

1. A Breathtaking View or Some Sort of Incredible Scenery

Seeing a view from the top of a mountain can be an exhilarating experience. The site of a fast flowing waterfall cascading over a cliff can captivate one's attention. The most important factor in determining a great trail is that it must have some sort of amazing view or scenery. One that makes a person say "wow" and want to stop and enjoy that scenery for sometime. It makes sense that a lot of hiking trails are designed around such scenic goals.

2. A Variety of Terrain

Trails that are long with little changing terrain can become boring and turn relatively new hikers off of hiking. Trails that cross creeks, have uphill and downhill sections, pass through meadows, or up into alpine regions keep you interested and moving as you wonder what's around the next corner.

3. Not Too Busy

Hiking is most enjoyable away from huge crowds of people. This can be challenging on many trails as the sunny weather brings lots of people and families outside. However, choosing to hike during a week day can make a huge difference in the number of people on the trail. Even avoiding some trail areas on long weekends can make for a much more enjoyable outdoor experience.

4. A Challenge

Getting a good workout without feeling like you are obligated to do so is important as well. The combination of being outdoors, breathing in fresh air, and hearing the relaxing sounds of nature can be much more enjoyable than working out at the gym.

What is Your Favorite Trail?

While it's difficult to find a trail that has the best of all of the above elements, Panorama Ridge in Garibaldi Provincial Park is certainly near the top of the list of trails. On a clear sunny day, the views taken in during your ascent and at the top are spectacular. The trail is very long but it passes through a variety of terrain and hikers can even take a slightly different route past Garibaldi Lake to make the hike into a partial loop. Garibaldi Lake can be busy but the crowds tend to thin out after passing through Taylor's Meadows. It's definitely a challenging hike!