Everything You Need To Know About Visiting Joffre Lakes

BC is home to rugged peaks, rushing streams and radiant turquoise waters — and you can experience all of that (and more) just at Joffre Lakes Provincial Park near Pemberton.

This stunning natural area is made up of three main areas, known as the Lower, Middle and Upper Joffre Lakes. All three of the lakes are nestled along the trail from the parking lot, and each is more magical than the last.

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One of the park’s biggest draws is the striking colour of the lakes — caused by glacial silt, also known as “rockflour”. This phenomenon is suspended in the water and reflects green and blue wavelengths of sunlight, which give the lakes their saturated blue hue.

The park’s glacier-laden peaks rise steeply from Lower Joffre Lake. They are visible from an easily accessible viewpoint 500 metres from the parking lot.

If you carry on towards the Middle and Upper Joffre Lakes, the trail becomes steeper and more challenging.

Beyond the glacial slits, evidence of the park’s glacial history can be found in U-shaped valleys and lateral moraines.

The park was established as a recreation area in 1988 and became a class A park shortly afterwards in 1996.

Joffre Lakes offers endless opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts — with everything from hiking, mountaineering and camping to wildlife viewing, and fishing.

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There are a few rules to keep in mind when visiting the park:

Parking on the edges of highway 99 is not permitted. Use the designated parking lot only
The parking lot fills up very quickly, particularly on the weekends. A reservation does not guarantee a parking space in the lot, so plan ahead and arrive early
There are no garbage cans in the park. Please pack out what you pack in
This is a very high-use park. It is busy seven days per week and extremely busy on weekends
Camping is only allowed in the designated area at the Upper Lake
A reservation is required for any overnight stay in Joffre Lakes Park. Camping is unavailable from November 15 to June 13 due to avalanche risk
Campers without a reservation will not be permitted to stay overnight

A BC park pass is also needed to access this park on select dates. Implemented by BC Parks, the pass system is in effect during peak hours at four of the province’s most popular parks, including Joffre Lakes.

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BC Park Pass – What you need to know

According to BC Parks, the free day-use pass program is designed to “maintain a balance between growing numbers of visitors and conserving the natural environment.”

The passes are available online and can be reserved at 7 a.m., two days prior to the planned visit. Visit their website to reserve a pass. Keep in mind passes cannot be transferred to another date, time, location or person.

People will also be able to cancel a pass if they don’t intend to use it.

Visitors exploring Joffre Lakes Provincial Park require an individual trail pass. The free passes are required during peak hours and will be checked by Discover Parks ambassadors. If you have a valid reservation for overnight camping, you do not need a day-use pass. Instead, carry your reservation with you at all times.

Day-use passes are required May 6 to Oct. 9 for visitors to Joffre Lakes trailhead.

It’s super accessible even if you don’t have your own vehicle. This park is serviced by Parkbus, an environmentally friendly and affordable transportation service from downtown Vancouver to select BC Parks.

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