Parkhurst Ghost Town

The Parkhurst Ghost Town is located off the north east corner of Green Lake, just north of Whistler, BC. The small settlement existed as a logging town from the 1920's to the 1960's before it was abandoned. Today, there are a couple of structures still standing and several artifacts and other pieces of history.

The hike is best done as a loop. From the parking area, walk to the end of the gravel road and pass the large cement blocks, continuing towards an old bridge. Be careful crossing this bridge as it has several holes in it and has fallen into a state of disrepair. Continue following the old road until it reaches train tracks and stay on the left side of the tracks. These tracks are still in active use, so make sure not to walk on the tracks and just follow them off to the left. A switch track marks the start of a turnaround that the trains can use should they need to change the direction of travel of the engine. Cross the tracks going to the left and keep following the main line, then cross the second set of tracks that mark the end of the train turnaround.

Watch for a sign to the left side of the train tracks that says "Green Lake" and follow that trail as it heads into the forest. The trail climbs gently through the forest, as you make quick time through the area. At a junction, go left and continue to follow the well defined route to Parkhurst. The trail has its ups and downs and a few sections can be narrow but the route is not too difficult. There are a couple of spots where the trail arrives at a rocky opening that were once viewpoints, but the trees have grown over the years and now block the view towards Green Lake.

Eventually the trail will reach its end and meet with another trail and a sign that says "Ghost Town Loop". Go right and head towards the Parkhurst Ghost Town. A short distance further, a junction marks the start of the loop that passes through the Parkhurst Ghost Town. Go left and follow the trail down a slight hill until it veers sharply to the right and you can begin to see remnants of old buildings and other artifacts.

As you walk through the ghost town, there is another trail to the left that goes to Green Lake. Walk down this trail and carefully cross the train tracks where there is a short trail that goes to the shore of Green Lake.

Return to the old Parkhurst Ghost Town and continue following the loop as you see more old artifacts, including an old truck, an old car, some buildings that are still standing, some that are not standing, and lots of pieces of metal that have been abandoned. After the trail veers right and begins to gradually head uphill, you will walk back to the junction where you started the loop around the old settlement. Leave the Parkhurst Ghost Town and continue to the 3-way junction of the trail that you arrived at with the sign that says "Recreational Trail" on one side and "Ghost Town Loop" on the other.

This time, take the other route back by going straight and continuing uphill, passing a rocky hill to the left and eventually reaching a clearing under powerlines. At the sign, go left and walk down the hill to another junction and go right, continuing to follow the road. The road veers left and then reaches a sign for the Sea To Sky Trail. Continue to follow the gravel road as it is part of the Sea To Sky Trail.

A few more minutes of walking along the road and it joins another road. Go right and continue to follow this road, which is still part of the Sea To Sky Trail. Following this road will take you right back to the beginning of the trail where you began, however there is still quite a distance to cover as you head down the steep hill. The road also crosses a bridge over Wedge Creek offering a scenic view of a waterfall. As you descend the final section, you begin to see the parking area below until you finally reach the end.