17 Lower Mainland lakes that offer the perfect summer swimming spot
Now that the heat is here for the foreseeable future, it’s a given that many people will be looking for a variety of ways to keep cool.
See also
- Environment Canada calling for a warmer and drier summer in BC
- It's expected to feel like 31° C in Vancouver this week
- The Weather Network has released Canada's long-term summer forecast
And while there’s no shortage of oceanfront beach areas in Vancouver, it’s tough to beat the feeling of diving into a freshwater swimming hole to keep your cool when the heat is on.
Luckily, there are loads of lakes located around the region which offer the perfect opportunity to soak up all of summer’s glory with a refreshing swim.
Here are our picks of some the best lakes in and around Vancouver – and how to find them.
Metro Vancouver
Sasamat Lake
Sasamat Lake (Pete/Flickr)
Sasamat Lake is warm to swim in, lined with a scenic forest and trails, and is home to White Pine Beach, a beautiful white sand beach. Bliss. The beach is a very popular summer Sunday destination for Vancouverites and a great spot to picnic, swim and sunbathe.
Where: Approximately 45 minutes’ drive from downtown Vancouver, in Belcarra Regional Park, Port Moody
Whyte Lake
Whyte Lake in West Vancouver (Kyle Pearce/Flickr)
Whyte Lake Park is a small, peaceful lake in the hills above Horseshoe Bay, in the largest park in West Vancouver. The lake, which is an hour’s walk from the road, is surrounded by trails, wetlands, creeks and old-growth forest, and features a dock and a boardwalk.
Where: About 30 minutes’ drive from downtown Vancouver, near Horsehoe Bay, in West Vancouver
Cabin Lake
Cabin Lake (Chris Morisawa/Flickr)
Cabin Lake is one of the best swimming holes on the North Shore, and can get quite busy in summer, with plenty of areas for relaxing and diving spots easily accessible from Cypress Mountain Parking Lot, if you’re happy with a 3.5 km hike to get there.
Where: About 45 minutes’ drive from downtown Vancouver, near Cypress Mountain, in West Vancouver
Buntzen Lake
Buntzen Lake (Colin Zhu/Flickr)
Buntzen Lake is a great hiking lake, flanked by Eagle Ridge and Buntzen Ridge, with Indian Arm Provincial Park and Belcarra Regional Park making up a large portion of the surrounding hiking trails – but you can also swim, fish, and boat on the lake.
Where: About an hour’s drive from downtown Vancouver, north of Anmore.
Rice Lake
Rice Lake (fishbulb9/Flickr)
This is a calm, quiet lake, full of life and natural beauty, on the edge of the Lynn Headwaters Regional Park in North Vancouver. There are several viewpoints and trails around the lake with benches to relax and take in the natural beauty of the area. No swimming permitted.
Where: About 40 minutes’ drive from downtown Vancouver, on Lillooet Road in North Vancouver
Trout Lake
Trout Lake (Bill Stilwell/Flickr)
This lake in the heart of East Vancouver offers swimming, concessions, a picnic area, shelters, BBQ pits, sports facilities and lifeguards. It’s also dog-friendly with free parking.
Where: About 20 minutes’ drive from downtown Vancouver, in John Hendry Park at 3300 Victoria Drive, Vancouver
Lower Mainland
Cultus Lake
Cultus Lake (Ruth Hartnup/Flickr)
One of the most popular destinations in the Lower Mainland, Cultus Lake is a large, warm freshwater lake surrounded by scenic forest-clad mountains. Enjoy picnicking, swimming, boating, fishing, water skiing, windsurfing and hiking there throughout the summer.
Where: A two-hour drive from downtown Vancouver, off the Vedder Mountain Road south of Chilliwack
Pitt Lake
Pitt Lake (flightlog/Flickr)
This is the second-largest lake in the Lower Mainland, and one of the world’s largest tidal lakes. A nature lover’s haven, the vast shoreline alternates between steep shorelines with tumbling streams and secret coves and islands, with sandy beaches for swimming or fishing.
Where: About 1.5 hours’ drive from downtown Vancouver, off Rannie Road in Grant Narrows Regional Park, northeast of Coquitlam
Rolley Lake
Rolley Lake (Kyle Pearce/Flickr)
Rolley Lake Provincial Park is a flat, wilderness area blanketed with tall, second-growth conifers. The small, warm-water lake provides opportunities for swimming, fishing, canoeing, picnicking and hiking. Campsites are nestled in the trees minutes from the shore.
Where: About a one hour and 20 minutes drive from downtown Vancouver, on Bell Street north of Mission
Sea To Sky
Lost Lake
Lost Lake near Whistler (Pierre Leclerc/Shutterstock)
Lost Lake is walking distance from Whistler Village, and has all the facilities you need to spend the day – washrooms, picnic tables, swimming docks, BBQ facilities, and a concession stand. It’s also dog-friendly and a great spot for watching the sunsets over Whistler.
Where: Approximately two hours drive from Vancouver, near Whistler
Alice Lake
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Alice Lake is surrounded by towering mountains, dense forests and grassy areas – a very popular family swimming spot during the summer. The trail around the lake is also popular with excellent views of the Tantalus Range from the DeBeck’s Hill Trail.
Where: About one hour and 10 minutes’ drive from downtown Vancouver, off Highway 99, approximately 13 km north of Squamish
Alta Lake
Alta Lake (Sujohn Das/Flickr)
There are four parks around this huge lake, but Alta Lake Park is most off the beaten track, with two serene piers for lounging around, jumping off or admiring the excellent views of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Other parks also offer sandy beaches and picnic tables.
Where: About one hour and 40 minutes’ drive from downtown Vancouver, off Highway 99 about five kilometres south of Whistler
Alpha Lake
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Alpha Lake, just south of Whistler, offers sandy beaches, docks, fishing, BBQs and great swimming, as well as trails everywhere you look. It’s also known for a dodgy rope swing, which may or may not have been torn down again by the time you visit.
Where: About one hour and 40 minutes’ drive from downtown Vancouver, off Highway 99, about five kilometres south of Whistler
Cat Lake
Cat Lake (Tucker Sherman/Flickr)
This lake near Squamish has been the subject of crackdowns due to rowdy parties going on late into the night, but there’s a reason it’s so much fun – it’s fairly isolated down a gravel road, the lake water is warm and inviting, and there are loads of rope swings too.
Where: About one hour and 15 minutes’ drive from downtown Vancouver, off Highway 99, about 15 km north of Squamish
Brohm Lake
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This gorgeous lake surrounded by lush, quiet forest with a shoreline of huge boulders is easily missable. You’ll have to delve through the forest and over rocks to find an outcrop to spend the day, but once you jump off that rock into the warm glacial water… it’s all worth it.
Where: About 90 minutes’ drive from downtown Vancouver, off Highway 99, about 15 km north of Squamish
Lucille Lake
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Lucille Lake is somewhat of a local secret in Whistler and Squamish, with a sandy beach, clear, glacial waters and an island that makes a nice challenge for those swimming out further. There are no facilities around though — you’re on your own.
Where: About 90 minutes’ drive from downtown Vancouver, off Highway 99, about 30 km north of Squamish
Garibaldi Lake
Lake Garibaldi (Dan Breckwoldt/Shutterstock)
Garibaldi Lake is pretty isolated, but this stunning lake is worth the two to three-hour steep uphill hike to get there. You’ll feel as though you’ve entered some parallel universe, as you marvel at the turquoise-blue lake lined with glacier-capped mountains and lush green trees.
Where: Approximately 1.5 hours drive from Vancouver, 35 km north of Squamish and 20 km south of Whistler
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