Rainbow Lake Hike Review: Everything You Need to Know

This is a stunning alpine hikes that rewards you with pristine views and serene wilderness. There's lush forests, creeks, and waterfalls on the road to Rainbow Lake, which in itself is a beautiful sight to behold. Highly recommend this hike if you love breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and wildflowers meadows blooming during the summer!

Type of hike: Out and back

Length and time: 16.1km and estimated to take around 6 hours on AllTrails

Difficulty: Hard but I found it moderately challenging really.

Elevation Gain: 925m

Distance from Vancouver: About 1 hour and 50 minutes

Dog friendly? No

Parking? Yes, at the trailhead just off Alta Lake Road. It's pretty limited though so try to arrive early on weekends! You can also park on the side of road, but it adds distance to the hike.

What to expect for this hike:

• I personally found the forested section to be quite boring, and you don't really get any views until you break out of it. So be prepared and bring an audiobook, a podcast or a chatty friend to keep you company. However, there are reports of bear activity in this area (even as of 2024), so also do be aware of that.

• Prepared to be blown away by the beauty of Rainbow Lake - it's jaw-droppingly gorgeous. It is Whistler's source of drinking water though, so people aren't allowed to swim in it!

• There are three outhouses on this trail, and are surprisingly very well maintained.

• Always practice Leave No Trace principles.

Suggestions on what to bring:

• Bug spray. It is not enough to douse yourself at the start. I think I reapplied at least ten times.

• Bear spray and bear bell. Some reviews had stated they saw bears (I was fortunate to not encounter one) so you are going to want this, especially if going solo. There has been sightings of a grizzly bear past Rainbow Lake as well.

• Hydration pack. I brought 2.5L of water and I still ran out of water on the way back to the parking lot. Whistler is surprisingly dry when the sun is out. Luckily you can refill at the lake, but remember to bring your purification system and tablets!

• Portable charger. I ran out of juice on this trail as well, so this was handy.

• Small trash bag to pack garbage out.

  
  

August 15th, 2020

Time: 6 hours 10 minutes

Distance: Around 21.9km

This was my second attempt at hiking alone and I was starting to really enjoy the solitude. I was glad I went early because the parking lot at the trailhead was fairly small. If you could not get a spot, you had to park on the side of the road further away, which required even more walking.

The trail is decently easy and well maintained for the first few kilometers. Incline was minimal. After passing by a large building that apparently is used for processing the water supply, you will enter the forested section of the hike. This section was honestly a bit underwhelming for me and it went on for almost two hours.

Fortunately, the trail eventually opens up, revealing breathtaking views of distant mountain ranges, treetops, and vibrant wildflowers. I was relieved to finally be out in the sunlight. During this stretch, you also get a stunning glimpse of Rainbow Mountain off in the distance, adding to the scenery's beauty.

Rainbow Lake

About 20 minutes later, Rainbow Lake finally came into view! The water was this stunning, crystal-clear turquoise, and the alpine meadows in the background made it even more breathtaking. It almost felt like a hidden gem!

The trail had been pretty empty, so I wasn’t surprised to find the lake almost deserted. It felt like I had the whole place to myself, which was perfect for soaking in all the beauty without any distractions.

A nice couple showed up not long after and took an amazing photo of me with the lake behind me (it’s the one at the top of this post). It’s now my absolute favourite picture!

The water supply system they have going at Rainbow Lake is amazing because they managed to keep the water so clear despite visitors every year. They do have a bunch of rules about keep the lake clean, including no swimming, so I am glad people are taking those rules and regulations seriously.

Most people end their journey here but if you have time to spare, you can make an extra 2km trek to Hanging Lake. Apparently you can swim in that lake, so if you are looking for an afternoon dip, that is the place to be.

On the way to Hanging Lake, there were so many wildflower patches, I felt like I was walking through a flower festival.

I unfortunately did not get any good photos of Hanging Lake but to be honest, it was pretty lackluster in comparison to Rainbow Lake (just look at that beauty!). The extra 2km trek had a few switchbacks, so keep that in mind. It is one trail back and forth, so what goes down has to come up and vice versa.