Whistler Walk - Nita Lake to Alta Lake Park

Another short Whistler walk to do is from Nita Lake to Alta Lake Park.  You can start at the Nita Lake Lodge and stroll along the Valley Trail towards Alta Lake.

Check out the Leaning Tree on the trail.

A short distance further on the trail you will come to a junction at the giant pinecone statue.

Public Art On The Valley Trail 

Keep to the left at the junction, walking alongside the trail near the railway tracks.  A very short distance later you will come to the sign for Alta Lake Park on the right hand side.

Follow the trail into this small park. This park has beautiful views of Alta Lake and of the mountains.

The Beauty of Whistler 

Check out the giant chairs. This is a fun place to take a break.

Enormous Chairs To Sit In The Sun 

There are some old cars and remnants of old machinery, I guess from the property's former past, which adds to the eclectic nature of the space.

Remnants Of The Past 

Chimes 

Check out the dock for a premier view of the lake and mountains.

Follow the trail back to the Valley Trail. There are still some small cabins near the lake.

Rustic Cabin 

Enjoy the park and your walk!

Springtime Whistler Walk - Alpha Lake to Nita Lake

A short but scenic walk in Whistler is the section of the Valley Trail from Alpha Lake to Nita Lake.

Still Snow On The Mountains In Springtime

Alpha Lake's Beaver Dam 

Check out the beaver dam on Alpha Lake. Beavers in Whistler have to watch out , as bears sometimes prey on them. This dam is fairly safe as it is away from the shore, on an island in the water.  Alpha Lake has lots of evidence of the beavers chewing on trees. Many trees in Alpha Lake Park have their bases covered in wire netting to prevent the beavers from doing too much damage.

Beaver Chop

Another spring time sign in Whistler is the emergence of Skunk Cabbage plants, otherwise referred to as Swamp Lanterns (I like this name better). They add much colour to the landscape at this time of year, and are quite pretty if you can overlook their smell.

Swamp Lanterns 

Alpha Lake also has a nice park and dock.

Now head along the Valley Trail, past the beautiful Nita Lake Lodge to Nita Lake.

Nita Lake 

You can finish your walk here at Nita Lake or if you like keep on going along the trail. There is lots of scenery to enjoy.

Springtime Colour

Waterfalls Near Whistler

Here are some beautiful waterfalls near Whistler. All these are within reasonable driving or walking distance from Whistler.

Alexandra Falls is a beautiful, cascading waterfall. This one turned out to be my favourite one, a real hidden gem. We were the only ones there to view it at the time, and it's very easily accessible. It's located about 10 km south of Whistler, drive south until you see the sign for Callaghan Valley, then turn right. At the end of the road, on the left hand side is the parking lot for Alexandra Falls. The falls can then be viewed right there from a platform, no walking needed.

Alexandra Falls

Also nearby to Alexandra Falls, just a bit further south back on the highway is Brandywine Falls. This is a popular stop and well marked by signs on the highway. It's located about 11km south of Whistler. A 1 km stroll to the viewing platform provides a nice way to stretch your legs, and is an easy walk for all.

Brandywine Falls 

About 29 km north of Whistler, and just south of Pemberton is Nairn Falls. There is a parking lot just off Highway 99. This hike is not difficult, just a little longer than the others, and is about a 3km walk round trip. The trail does not have a lot of elevation, it just follows the river, but watch along the side as there is a bit of a drop off down. I saw all kinds of people walking it though, young and old.

Nairn Falls 

The water has carved though the rock

Nairn Falls 

Another hidden waterfall, but still very beautiful, is the one on the way to the Whistler Train Wreck (see my other blog posting for hiking directions).

Waterfall on hike to Whistler Train Wreck

Overall, there is much beauty in Whistler and much more to discover, as I find out each time I go there.

Have fun discovering it for yourself!

Hike to Whistler Train Wreck

Here is an easy hike to do in Whistler, and is about 6 km in total length. It took about 1.5 hours to do return with stops to see the viewpoints and to spend time at the train wreck too.

Start at Function Junction to get to the trailhead. The path is behind Olive's Organic Market (a great place to stop for some food and bakery items if you need some). The path is right behind the building, through the parking lot. 

Once on the trail, look for a sign directing you towards the train wreck.  This should be the path straight ahead, not the Flank Trail heading back to Alpha Lake. 

Walk along the trail for a while and then you will come to a gravel clearing. Look for two painted rocks on the left hand side. This leads you to the continuing trail. 

Turn down this trail on the left hand side, and soon you will go under the highway underpass , walking along the rocks by the river for a short section. 

Continue along the trail and soon you will come to some railway tracks. Cross tracks and look for a pathway on the opposite side. Some people walk along the tracks to the train wreck, but I would avoid doing this, as you will miss the viewpoint of a beautiful waterfall, and also the tracks are still live and trains do run along them at least once a day, so try to stay off the tracks and be aware when you are near them. 

Find the trail once again across the tracks and follow it .

 Soon you will see a gorgeous waterfall and viewpoints of the river. I love the blue green color of the water, so vibrant! This is a nice place to stop and enjoy the beauty of the area. 

The trail will pop out again at the train tracks. Just follow to the left of the tracks for a moment and you will find the trail again on the left hand side. 

Keep to the left of the tracks

The trail on the left hand side of the tracks will now lead you to the train wreck. Soon you will see the train cars though the trees, a somewhat eerie sight. It is estimated that a train crashed in the late 1950's, but clean up of the wreck was deemed to be too expensive so the cars were just left. 

The forest has grown in around the cars, with the train cars now just a scar on the landscape. A unique part of this story is the way in which what was deemed to be garbage has now turned into a feature, both artistically and recreationally. The cars are covered in graffiti and some really beautiful and interesting artwork, ever evolving as others come to leave their mark on the cars.

There are also remnants of mountain bike ramps and jumps around the train cars, signs of life in an otherwise quiet place in the forest. 

Stay for a while and explore, then turn around and head back the same way you came, back to Function Junction. 

A side note: Be sure to check out Function Junction when you are done, there are lots of great retail stores there, like Purebread  (delicious bakery), Whistler Brewing Company, Olive's Organic Market, as noted above and it's even fun to check out the Whistler thrift store , The Re-Use It Centre, just to see what they have (sometimes this is a good place to get used ski gear, bindings, etc.. for cheap). 

Have fun exploring!