Semaphore Lakes near Pemberton in British Columbia, Canada, stands out as a precious discovery, a camping hike that offers accessible pathways leading to genuinely exquisite alpine vistas. I found myself repeatedly amazed by the fact that we were able to witness these gem-like glacial lakes surrounded by awe-inspiring snow-capped peaks.

Semaphore Lakes trail information in detail:
Distance: 5.8 km to the lakes, around 12km to the ridge below Locomotive Mountain
Elevation gain: 408m
High Points: Upper Semaphore Lake is at 1660m The ridge is at 1870m
Time: 3-6 hours (depending how much time you spend at the top!)
What to bring:
Water, snacks and your camera!
The 10 essentials. This walk is high in the alpine so you need to stay safe!
Bring bear spray
Facilities: There are places to camp, but no facilities. If you want to camp, you need to be self-sufficient, leave no trace, and be ready to poop responsibly.
Dogs: Dogs are allowed on this trail, but it is a delicate alpine area, so it is best not to bring them (for the same reason dogs are banned in Garibaldi Provincial Park and Joffre Lakes.) You can read more about that here.
How hard is it? Easy to intermediate. The trail is steep, but not long.

Here are the time stamps:
00:00 Semaphore lakes Hike preview

00:35 Driving to Semaphore lakes
We departed Vancouver on a Saturday early morning and reached the trailhead early morning around 8'o clock in the morning. The final stretch of the approximately 20-kilometer drive led us along the rugged gravel Hurley River Forest Service Road. Usually marked by potholes, rough patches, and washboard textures, the road remained passable for two-wheel-drive vehicles. However, on this occasion, heavy rains earlier in the week had transformed the last few kilometers of road before the trailhead into a challenging journey. In some segments, a layer of mud as deep as 6 inches coated the path.

It is recommended to start from Vancouver early because it takes around 4 hours of driving to the Semaphore lake trailhead. The last 20 Kms of forest service road drive after Pemberton takes around one hours. 4x4 vehicle with high clarence is recommended but we also saw 2x4 vehicle like sedan make it to the parking lot.

00:43 Trailhead
There is ample parking spots at the trailhead. We saw at least 20 cars parked there. The trail starts right from the parking lot. It can be a bit tricky to find the trailhead as there is no proper sign or mark so, carry AllTrails app to avoid confusion and time searching for the trailhead. The hike from the trailhead to the primary lake spans only about 2.5 kilometers, yet the trail ascends around 350 meters in elevation during that relatively short distance. The path occasionally steepens, requiring us to clamber over slippery roots, rocks, and muddy terrain. After a little over an hour of uphill trekking, the trail emerged from the forest, revealing the alpine landscape, and before long, the first among many lakes appeared before us. The area was adorned with numerous lakes and small ponds, creating a labyrinth of informal trails that crisscrossed the terrain.

01:29 Steep section
After the first 300 meters, the steep trail starts but it does not last for long. Merely up to 30 minutes and then it opens up into a wide meadow with 360-degree view. Since we started the hike early, we did not much bugs enroute.

03:45 Meadow
Once you hit the meadow, the trail becomes easy and you get a 360-degree view of the surrounding mountains and hills. From the meadow onwards, the trail is in open so, it's recommended to carry hat and sun screen on a hot day to avoid sunburn.

05:08 Semaphore lakes welcome sign
The 'welcome to Semaphore lakes' sign is at around 1.8 KM from the trailhead. Once you reach this point, you can either take left trail or the right trail to the Semaphore lakes. Both of the trails take you to the lake. The right trail also covers the first lake so, it's recommended to take the right trail. The first lake is around 300 meters from this junction.

05:42 Semaphore First lake
Soon, you reach the first lake. You can spend some time there. But, it's recommended to keep following the trail till the third lake via the second lake because the third lake not more than 20 minutes from the first lake. Though the first lake is biggest of all the three lakes.

06:24 Semaphore Second lake
There is an outhouse and food shelter near the second as well as the third lake along with designated camping area. The two most sought-after camping spots are the pair of larger lakes: the first lake encountered along the trail, and a slightly larger one situated a bit downhill to the north.

07:12 Semaphore Third lake
The third lake is most scenic lake of all surrounded amid mountains and glaciers.

Overall, Semaphore Lakes stands as a timeless day hike close to Pemberton, offering expansive mountain vistas and a sequence of tranquil alpine lakes.

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