The High Note Trail is one of Whistler’s best hikes, offering stunning panoramic views from the top of Whistler Mountain. You’ll get some jaw dropping views of Cheakamus Lake and the surrounding mountains and unbelievably it’s not at all crowded.

If you have the chance (and can stomach the $69 (children over six are $35) gondola fee then this hike should definitely be on your Whistler bucket list.

Planning the High Note Trail - Whistler

High Note Trail stats

Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 9.29km (5.7 miles)
Elevation: 382 metres (1,253 feet)
Time taken: 2 hours 50

There are two ways to do the High Note Trail - starting from the summit and hiking down to Whistler Village gondola, or going the other way round.

We recommend starting at the summit as the trail was a little easier in this direction and the Whistler Village gondola ran later than the Peak Express chairlift, meaning you won’t have to rush to make the last chairlift - this is not a place where you even want to chance missing it, we couldn’t imagine just how horrendous a hike down from the top would be. You’ll see the track as you go up in the gondola and it looks brutal!

You should start before midday to ensure you don’t end up rushing the hike to make the last gondola. We were able to do this hike in 2 hours 45 but it wasn’t an enjoyable way to do it as we feared we were going to be stranded at the top! If you give yourself four hours you will have a much more relaxed hike and can stop whenever you want for the views.

The Whistler Village Gondola takes about 15-20 minutes to reach the first station. From there, walk a few minutes over to the Peak Express chairlift which then takes about 5-10 minutes to get to the very summit. This is where the epic views begin. The chairlift is included in your gondola ticket.

The start of the High Note Trail

The trail starts by crossing the Cloudraker Skybridge, a new attraction on the mountain top. It’s a nice novelty and offers a unique way to start the trail but it is pretty busy. If you go early it would likely be less busy and you could take better photos.

*High Note Trail: The Cloudraker Bridge*

After the bridge the most precarious part of the trail begins. The trail heads steeply downhill and has a sign giving you a chance to bail out if you don’t feel up to it (you can simply loop back to the summit chairlift).

At first the path is rocky, but then it turns dusty and very slippery. It’s not a pleasant start as you feel your feet going from under you for a lot of the way. Walking poles were helpful here but there are also some sections with chains to hold on to.

Eventually the path begins to flatten, but it will still have some slippery sections until you pass the junction for the Half Note trail. Luckily this section does not go on for too long and the rest of the hike is well worth the effort.

The section after the slippery downhill path was the best part of the whole hike as you’ll walk towards Cheakamus Lake, which we thought rivals the best in the Rockies!

The trail also looks out to the neighbouring peaks which were under a rain storm when we were there (our trail was beautifully sunny so we were feeling extra lucky we managed to escape it!).

The path is no longer slippery and the views of snow-capped mountains from the ridge are absolutely stunning and well worth taking on the slippery beginning of the trail for.

You can stop at several viewpoints of the lake and a good path means you can keep your head up which is perfect because this section of track offers some of the most picturesque views in BC.

After 3km you’ll reach a junction for the Half Note trail. This is a short cut if you’re not sure you have enough time for the whole trail. This is where the majority of people turn back and we only saw two other people on the whole of the rest of the High Note trail.

Continuing the High Note trail

The next section gets a bit rough again as the trail turns rocky and undulates a lot. There was even a section which had a small bridge where they have put a rope in to help you across.

The gnarly section of the High Note Trail

It isn’t difficult, but it isn’t a leisurely section. You have to watch your footing more but when you do stop and take in the views they are spectacular.

The trail undulates until you reach the junction for the Musical Bumps trail. Turning round the corner you’ll soon see Blackcomb Mountain and views on the other side of the mountain which you haven’t seen until this point. There are also marmots and pikas on this section of trail, even if you don’t spot them you will probably hear them calling. The trail here is really open which differs from the rest of the track which is narrow on the hillside.

Pushing on to Roundhouse Lodge

From here the trail continues to undulate but eventually reaches a pretty lake. Once past this, there’s a steep section which is hard work going up, but would be precarious going down (hence why we recommend going this direction!).

The trail eventually heads towards an almost cliff edge view of Blackcomb (one of the best on the trail) before heading upwards once again and then down another steepish section to Symphony Lake.

Once you’re here the hard work is done. You can take the boardwalk around the lake and then the gradual uphill path to back to the gondola. Then you can hop back on the cable car down to Whistler Village.

Before you go

Parking for the High Note trail

Whistler is an extortionately expensive place and the gondola and parking is no different. The majority of gondolas we’ve done anywhere in Canada and the rest of the world offer free parking: Whistler charges $10. You need to find one of the huge parking lots and pay for the day (there’s no hourly charge).

Gondola Fee

The gondola costs an eye watering $69 for adults in summer - one of the most expensive in Whistler. Don’t expect anything too special from the ride, the views are all from the top. The fee also includes use of the chairlift to the trail head and the new sky bridge. Due to the high cost of the gondola we’d recommend heading up early and spending all day on top, there’s a cafe as well as other side trails you could take.

Best time to hike the High Note Trail

Depending on snow conditions you can generally hike the High Note between July and October. It would be worth checking on trail conditions in case you need traction devices. You can get a pair of Yak Trax for between $20 - $30 on Amazon or REI.

When we hiked in August there was no snow whatsoever on the trail.

Bears on the High Note Trail

There’s a chance you might spot a black bear on the trail but we were told it is quite rare. It’s always important to be bear aware though and we always carry bear spray as a precaution.

Facilities on the High Note Trail

At the trail head after you have taken the Peak Express chairlift there is a cafe but the toilets here are emergency only. Therefore we’d recommend using the bathroom at the bottom of the gondola before you head up.

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