Joffre Lakes
50°22′ N 122°30′ WJune to OctoberDay-use pass
Joffre Lakes Park, on Highway 99 east of Pemberton, suits hikers who want to climb past three glacier-fed lakes to Upper Joffre Lake beneath the Matier Glacier, about 400 m above the parking lot by BC Parks' figure. The trade-off is access, because in 2026 BC Parks required a free trail pass for every hiker from May to late October and closed the park during two reconnection periods for the Líl̓wat Nation and N'Quatqua.
Photo by Philipp on Unsplash and others, credited in the gallery
Field card · Hike · No. 007 · checked 16 Oct 2026
Save your pass before Pemberton, as the park has no cell service.
Book the free day-use pass before you go
The pass window runs May 11 to Oct 25, 2026 (confirmed).
BC Parks releases free trail passes online at 7 am two days before your visit, one for each hiker and up to four per booking each day. From 22 September 2026 you need a BC Parks account with a verified identity to book.
Is it for you?
Joffre Lakes packs three glacier-fed lakes and a glacier view into one climb, as long as you plan around the pass and the closure dates.
You’ll love Joffre Lakes if
- You can book a pass at 7 am two days ahead.
- You're comfortable on a trail that gets steeper and rougher toward the top.
Think twice if
- You're travelling with a dog.
- Your dates fall in a reconnection period, when the park is closed to visitors.
Pick the right months for this hike
BC Parks keeps the park open all year and expects severe winter conditions from November to the end of May, when only experienced, properly equipped visitors should go. Vehicle access depends on the weather from November to May, and camping at Upper Joffre Lake stops in winter because of avalanche risk.
Know what catches hikers out here
- In the warm afternoon sun at Upper Joffre Lake, ice crashes off the Matier Glacier and rock falls from the slopes, and BC Parks strongly discourages scrambling higher.
- The glacier-fed lakes are very cold, BC Parks says, and it doesn't recommend swimming.
- From November to the end of May the trail carries deep snow and ice and you're exposed to avalanche risk, so BC Parks recommends microspikes or snowshoes plus avalanche rescue gear.
- BC Parks warns of thieves here, so leave no valuables or personal information in the car.
- The park has no drinking water, so treat anything you take from the lakes or streams.
Give the wildlife room
Deer, black bears, grizzly bears and mountain goats live in Joffre Lakes Park, BC Parks says, and you may spot pikas along the trail. Campers store their food in the metal cache at Upper Joffre Lake Campground. WildSafeBC says bears usually den from December to April, and feeding one or leaving an attractant out breaks section 33.1 of BC's Wildlife Act.
Follow North Shore Rescue's advice
BC Parks says the park is remote, with no emergency services and no cell service, so leave a trip plan with someone reliable before you lose signal and carry North Shore Rescue's 10 essentials, headlamp first. Call 911 once you can reach it, and know that rescue costs nothing in British Columbia.
The Lower Joffre Lake viewpoint is a five-minute walk from the parking lot. From there the trail climbs through old-growth hemlock and spruce and along talus slopes toward Middle Joffre Lake, where it steepens. The last stretch to Upper Joffre Lake turns narrower and rougher and ends under the Matier Glacier and the 2,721 m Joffre Peak. BC Parks puts Upper Joffre Lake Campground 4.5 km from the lot and the gain to the upper lake at about 400 m. It traces the lakes' colour to glacial silt suspended in the water.
Joffre Lakes Park lies within the unceded territories of the Líl̓wat Nation and N'Quatqua, and BC Parks manages it collaboratively with both Nations. In 2026 BC Parks closed the park to recreational visitors from 20 to 27 June for National Indigenous Peoples Day and summer solstice celebrations, and from 8 to 30 September for fall harvesting celebrations and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The Líl̓wat Nation, in a letter N'Quatqua also signed, had identified longer reconnection periods, including 23 August to 5 October, which it says it requires "so our people can harvest, hold ceremony, teach our children on the land." Political Chief Dean Nelson said the Nation's dates "were not requests."
Every hiker needed a trail pass each day from 11 May to 25 October 2026 outside the closures, and BC Parks manages the park for 500 visitors a day. Passes are free online at 7 am two days before your visit, up to four per booking, and children 12 and under with a parent or guardian holding a pass don't need one. From 22 September 2026 booking needs a BC Parks account with a verified identity. From November to the end of May BC Parks expects severe winter conditions here, and only experienced, properly equipped visitors should go.
Worth knowing
- Download or print your pass before you leave Pemberton, because BC Parks says there's no cell service in the park.
- Bring your own toilet paper. BC Parks doesn't supply it at Joffre Lakes.
- Park only in the designated lots, since BC Parks bans parking along the edge of Highway 99 and tows illegally parked cars.
- Check BC Parks' advisories before planning a 2027 visit, because the province announced the 2026 closure dates on 7 May.
- From July to September, check the BC Wildfire Service before you go, since wildfire smoke and closures shape Sea to Sky plans.
Quick answers about Joffre Lakes
Do you need a pass for Joffre Lakes?
Yes, in season. In 2026 BC Parks required a free day-use trail pass for every hiker daily from 11 May to 25 October, released online at 7 am two days ahead, and children 12 and under with a pass-holding parent or guardian needed none.
When is Joffre Lakes closed?
In 2026 BC Parks closed Joffre Lakes Park to visitors from 20 to 27 June and from 8 to 30 September for reconnection periods with the Líl̓wat Nation and N'Quatqua. The Líl̓wat Nation had asked for longer closures, including 23 August to 5 October.
Are dogs allowed at Joffre Lakes?
No. BC Parks has banned dogs and other pets from Joffre Lakes Park since May 2018.
Can you swim in Joffre Lakes?
BC Parks advises against it. The glacier-fed lakes are very cold, and BC Parks has no lifeguards on duty in any of its parks.
Can you hike Joffre Lakes in winter?
Yes, with winter gear and avalanche training. BC Parks keeps the park open all year and expects severe winter conditions from November to the end of May. It recommends microspikes or snowshoes along with avalanche rescue gear.
How long is the Joffre Lakes hike?
BC Parks gives Joffre Lakes as 4.5 km from the parking lot to Upper Joffre Lake Campground, approximately 400 m from the parking lot to Upper Joffre Lake.
Do you need a day-use pass for Joffre Lakes?
Yes. Joffre Lakes needs a free BC Parks day-use pass from May 11 to Oct 25, 2026. BC Parks releases free trail passes online at 7 am two days before your visit, one for each hiker and up to four per booking each day. From 22 September 2026 you need a BC Parks account with a verified identity to book.
When is the season for Joffre Lakes?
Joffre Lakes is in season from June to October. BC Parks keeps the park open all year and expects severe winter conditions from November to the end of May, when only experienced, properly equipped visitors should go.
