Trail: Elk Mountain
Date Completed: September 2023
Distance: 8.2 km
Elevation: 791 m
Time to complete: Approximately 4 hours
Type of trail: Out and back
Location: Chilliwack BC
Distance from Vancouver: Approximately 2 hours
Directions: Click here for Google Map directions
Adults: 1
Ages of children: 7, 9
Stroller Friendly: No
Bathrooms: Yes – outhouses at trail head
Dog-friendly: Yes, on leash
Cell Service: Spotty
Jellybean Rating: 5/5
Elk Mountain in Chilliwack, BC is one that was on our bucket list for quite some time…until we finally did it!
We got to the trailhead nice and early, which is what you want to make sure you do because that parking lot fills up FAST, especially on a weekend. Make sure you use the washroom here. There’s one toilet located by the trail map sign and then another one up the trail about a minute. You won’t find another one until you get to the top (but that’s sure a nice thing to have up there).
The first kilometer of the trail is a fairly steady incline. There are a couple of bridges that keep the kids going, but this first bit feels like the longest on the entire trail. We took a lot of breaks, had a lot of fun conversations, and…dipped into our candy stash (yep, at 8 am).
You’ll come across a spur road that you cross and continue on the trail. There is a sign there to direct you the right way.
Eventually, you come out of the forest a bit and get a little sneak preview of what you’re about to experience at the top. This viewpoint was enough to keep the kids motivated to keep going.
The trail gets a bit steeper here, but there are also a lot of focal points that keep you going. “Let’s get to that next tree stump” was my favourite. It kept the girls motivated.
As we got along the trail I started to tell the girls about the stairs that were coming up. When you get to the stairs it’s a good indication that you’re getting closer to the summit of Elk Mountain.
