Interactive Metro Vancouver

At 62,540 hectares, Golden Ears Provincial Park is one of the largest in B.C. Playing host to the relatively large Alouette Lake and rugged backcountry, it forest is composed of second growth Western Hemlock, with Douglas-fir and Western Red Cedar interspersed. The park contains several serviced campsites, in addition to a number of picnic and beach areas, and a network of trails.

Originally part of Garibaldi Provincial Park, Golden Ears Provincial Park was formed in 1927 in recognition of a largely impenetrable mountain barrier between the Golden Ears and Garibaldi areas. The park was named after the twin peaks of Mount Blanshard, which is commonly referred to as Golden Ears due to its ‘rabbit ears’ shape. Initially the traditional hunting and fishing grounds of the Douglas-Lillooet and Katzie First Nations peoples, the areas is not without some historical drama. While human activity was at first confined to the valley, in 1920 it became the site of B.C.’s larges railroad logging operation. This project, however, came to an abrupt halt when a fire devastating fire scoured parts of the valley in 1931. The park now supports a second-growth western hemlock forest.

Day facilities and boat launch:

Several picnic spots are located around Alouette Lake. Most notable is the large day area at the southernmost tip of the lake, where a boat launch, a large beech and a cordoned off swimming area are available. This site is a popular recreation destination during the summer, and provides numerous picnic tables (with several barbeque fixtures), washroom facilities, ample space for beachside amusements and swimming and boating (with towed accompaniments) opportunities.

Camping:

The park has three full service campgrounds located along the North West side of Alouette Lake: Alouette campground and North Beach campground (which operate during the late spring/summer months, and Gold Creek campground (which operates during the fall/winter months). The three campgrounds together offer a total of 408 car accessible campsites. Certain areas also offer walk in camping, but few or no facilities are provided and operate under a “pack out what you pack in” policy. Additionally, two group campsites for between 15-30 person groups are available.

Trails:

An extensive network of trails exists that facilitate horseback riding and hiking at various levels of difficulty. These trails range from short (1 hour strolls) to long (full day excisions). There are also two lengthy trails up to the mountain’s peaks that require intermediate mountain climbing ability and proper equipment.