Sea to Summit Trail
49°41′ N 123°09′ W6.5 km one way918 m up
The Sea to Summit Trail suits strong hikers who want to earn the Sea to Sky Gondola's summit on foot and ride back down, climbing 918 m over 6.5 km from the base on Highway 99 just south of Squamish. The trade-off is the descent rule, because the gondola designed the trail for uphill hikers and your day depends on the gondola running.
Closed
The Sea to Sky Gondola shuts for its annual maintenance in November
The Sea to Sky Gondola's hours page closes it for annual maintenance from 16 to 26 November 2026, and its FAQ starts the closure on 9 November. Both put the reopening on 27 November, with the gondola running daily from 9 am to 5 pm, and the gondola's shop sells dated tickets only up to 15 November, which matches the hours page. The FAQ says Guest Services and the Basecamp shop stay open every day through the closure. Hikers finishing the Sea to Summit Trail and ski tourers heading for Sky Pilot depend on the gondola, so plan those trips outside 9 to 26 November.
Checked 2026-10-16 · seatoskygondola.com
Photo Daniel Lu · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Field card · Hike · No. 014 · checked 16 Oct 2026
Carry at least a litre of water, because the trail has none.
Is it for you?
The Sea to Summit gives strong hikers a hard climb with the gondola's summit lodge and a ride down waiting at the top.
You’ll love Sea to Summit Trail if
- You want a big climb with food at the top and no knee-pounding descent.
- You can arrive on the Squamish Connector and leave on its afternoon pickup.
Think twice if
- Your date falls in the gondola's November maintenance closure.
- You'd rather walk down than ride, since the gondola advises against descending the trail.
Pick the right months for this hike
The gondola lists the trail for summer and winter. Its hours page closes the gondola for annual maintenance from 16 to 26 November 2026 and its FAQ from 9 November, with both reopening it on 27 November, so plan the hike around the longer window.
Plan how you get back down
Ride the gondola down. The Sea to Sky Gondola designed the Sea to Summit for uphill travel with every marker facing uphill, and it doesn't recommend hiking down. Buy a download-only ticket online or at the Summit Gift Shop, and know that children up to 12 ride down free with an adult and that dogs need their own ticket.
Know what catches hikers out here
- The gondola rates the trail advanced, with fixed lines, roots, granite bluffs and steep technical ground.
- Severe weather can move the last ride down earlier, and the gondola asks backcountry hikers to be ready to hike out on their own.
- Cell reception covers most of the Sea to Summit and fades once you branch onto the Shannon Basin Loop.
- The gondola recommends leashing dogs and keeping well back from the water's edge by Shannon Creek, which feeds Shannon Falls.
Give the wildlife room
The gondola says wildlife sightings on the trail are rare and that you're passing through wilderness where any local animal could appear, so it advises never hiking alone. WildSafeBC says black bears usually den from December to April, and feeding or attracting one is an offence under section 33.1 of BC's Wildlife Act.
Follow North Shore Rescue's advice
Call 911 in an emergency, and call the gondola on (604) 892-2555 when you need help short of that. North Shore Rescue asks for a trip plan with your turnaround time and the 10 essentials on every hike, headlamp first. Rescue costs nothing in British Columbia, Lions Bay Search and Rescue reminds hikers.
The trail starts in the gondola's base parking lot at 35 m and follows the lower Stawamus Chief trail until marker 20, where you keep right and pass under the gondola line. From there it traverses toward Shannon Creek and rises past the halfway point to a viewpoint over Howe Sound. After the junction with the Shannon Basin Loop, a final climb under the gondola reaches the Summit Lodge at 885 m. Green diamond markers printed with the trail's name stand every 50 m, numbered from 1 at the trailhead to 128 at the top. The gondola rates the trail advanced and allows 3 to 5 hours for it.
Plan the way down before you start up. The gondola tells hikers to ride down, and it sells a download-only ticket online and at the Summit Gift Shop, with a free ride down for children up to 12 who hike with an adult. Severe weather can bring the last ride down forward, and the gondola asks backcountry hikers to be ready to hike out on their own. In late 2026 its FAQ closes it for annual maintenance from 9 November and its hours page from 16 November, and both reopen it on 27 November.
The trail climbs Mount Habrich in the traditional territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), whose land page takes in the whole of Howe Sound and the Squamish Valley. None of the gondola's trails need a BC Parks pass. Without a car, book the Squamish Connector's drop-off at the gondola, then catch its walk-on pickup in the gondola lot at 3 pm on weekdays, or at 3 pm or 4:40 pm at weekends and holidays, on the schedule for 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027.
Worth knowing
- Buy the download-only ticket online or through the QR code by the loading area, where the gondola prices it below the Summit Gift Shop rate.
- Carry at least a litre of water, and more in warm weather, since the trail has no water stations.
- Check the last download time before you start and give yourself a margin, because weather can move it earlier.
- 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 Sea to Summit Trail
How long is the Sea to Summit Trail?
The Sea to Sky Gondola puts the Sea to Summit at 6.5 km one way with 918 m of total gain, from 35 m at the base to the summit at 885 m. It allows 3 to 5 hours.
Can you hike down the Sea to Summit Trail?
No. The Sea to Sky Gondola designed the trail for uphill hikers with every marker facing uphill, and it doesn't recommend hiking down, so plan to ride the gondola.
Do you need a BC Parks pass for the Sea to Summit Trail?
No. The Sea to Sky Gondola says BC Parks permits aren't required for any of its trails.
Can dogs hike the Sea to Summit Trail?
Yes. The Sea to Sky Gondola lets dogs hike it off leash if they stay under control, and at the top they wait in the summit's Dog Parking area and ride down on their own download ticket.
When is the Sea to Sky Gondola closed in November 2026?
The Sea to Sky Gondola's hours page closes it for annual maintenance from 16 to 26 November 2026, and its FAQ gives a start of 9 November, with the reopening on 27 November in both. Plan the Sea to Summit outside 9 to 26 November, since the trail has no ride down while the gondola is shut.
Can you get to Sea to Summit Trail by bus?
Yes. The Squamish Connector stops at Sea to Sky Gondola, in front of the Guest Services doors (Squamish Connector).
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