Disclaimer
This is not a sponsored post. Our blog has no affiliation with the Sea to Sky Gondola. We live just a few minutes down the road and have a season's pass, so we spend a fair amount of time up at the summit. Sometimes we're hiking, sometimes we bring our laptops and get some work done on the patio, and other times we're just heading up with friends to catch a concert or an event. Everything in this guide is our opinion based on our many visits.
Getting To The Gondola
The parking lot sits just off the highway a few minutes south of downtown. Pulling in and parking is simple, but only if you're heading northbound. If you're coming from the south, you'll need to drive past the gondola to the intersection by Klahanie Campground and use the left turn lane to do a U-turn. If traffic's too heavy for that, you can also pull into the campground, turn around, and wait for the light to make a left instead. Once you're northbound again, just follow the signs into the lot.
Getting Up To The Summit Lodge
The gondola ride takes about ten minutes and covers 885 metres of vertical. The views are excellent right from the start; you're looking straight out over Howe Sound with the mountains stacking up behind it.
The lift sits right in the middle of the parking lot, so it's impossible to miss, and the queue is just as obvious. If you've booked online, head straight into line, and they'll scan you in for the next available gondola.
Book your tickets online in advance, especially on weekends and in summer. Walk-up tickets exist, but they can sell out.
| Visitor | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult (19-64) | $76.95 |
| Senior (65+) | $71.95 |
| Youth (13-18) | $43.95 |
| Child (6-12) | $30.95 |
| Family (2 Adults, 2 Child/Youth) | $171.95 |
| Children 5 and under | Free |
| Ride Down Only | $25 |
Summit Lodge
The gondola drops you right next to the Summit Lodge, a 9,000-square-foot building where most visitors start and end their trip up the mountain.
The main draw for me is the patio. It's a massive wooden deck hanging off the side of the mountain, looking straight out over Howe Sound, with plenty of seating if you need to rest after a hike.
Inside, there's a gift shop with a surprisingly solid lineup of clothing and gear. You'll find the usual gimmicky souvenirs, but also a genuinely good selection of brands like Helly Hansen, The North Face, and Tentree.
Squamish's shopping scene is honestly a bit sparse, so this ends up being one of the better retailers in town.
The food court is small but does the job, with four main stops:
- Sky Pilot Smokehouse: the only full restaurant, serving sandwiches, bowls, poutine, and typical Canadian fare
- Co-Pilot Cafe: solid coffee, baked goods, and ready-to-go sandwiches
- Edge Bar: local craft beers, BC wines, handcrafted cocktails, non-alcoholic options, and seasonal offerings
- Backyard Burgers: a food truck-style stand out back serving classic burgers and fries
Between the four, you're pretty well set whether you need to fuel up before a hike or just want something to sip while taking in the view.
Is the food good? That's debatable. Nothing I've had up here has been bad, but you're at the top of a mountain in the most touristy spot in Squamish, so it's not the best food in town, and you'll pay a premium on everything from a coffee to a pint to a full meal. If you're spending the whole day up here, it's a fine lunch option. If you're heading into town afterward and can hold out, I'd wait and eat somewhere else once you're back on the ground.
Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge
Attached to the Summit Lodge deck is the Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge, a hanging bridge with big views of Sky Pilot Mountain in one direction and Howe Sound in the other. It's decently long, with a serious drop below that it sways over with every step, so it'll test anyone with a fear of heights. You can cross it and turn straight back around, or continue on into the short Spirit Loop Trail on the other side.
Hiking From The Summit
There's a great spread of trail options up here, ranging from an easy stroll to a proper backcountry mission.
Sparky's Spin is a steeper, single-track trail for intermediate hikers that drops down under the gondola through open old-growth forest and across moss-covered granite bluffs.
It's a moderate downhill hike with mountain views and peek-a-boo glimpses of Howe Sound, eventually connecting with the Upper Sea to Summit trail for the last 700 metres back up to the lodge.
Highline Trail is a newer addition, a short 1km loop rated intermediate to advanced, with a few steep scrambles. It zigzags above the Summit Lodge with views of Howe Sound, the Stawamus Chief, the town of Squamish, Sky Pilot and Co-Pilot Mountains, and Goat Ridge.
It starts on the Backcountry Access Road, just past the start of Al's Habrich Trail, and after a short climb opens onto a ridge looking back over the Summit Lodge toward Howe Sound and the Tantalus Range.
Spirit Trail is an easy loop through old-growth forest, a nice way to wind down after crossing the suspension bridge. About 45 minutes at a relaxed pace.
Panorama Loop is an easy to medium loop through old-growth forest leading to a sweeping view of The Chief and the Squamish Valley.
Wonderland Lake Loop is an easy to moderate hike circling a small lake near the summit.
Al's Habrich Ridge Trail is the big one, and the most challenging trail up here by a wide margin. It's a proper backcountry hike, a 6.9km round trip with about 409m of elevation gain, taking 2.5 to 3 hours depending on your pace. The reward is the best viewpoint on the whole mountain, sweeping views of Howe Sound, the Squamish Valley, and Mount Garibaldi from a ridge sitting about 600 metres above The Chief. We've got a full write-up on this one if you want all the details before attempting it.
Shannon Basin Loop is an intermediate, winding route following the Shannon Creek watershed, with scenic views of Goat Ridge, Shannon Creek, and Sky Pilot.
It starts on the Backcountry Access Road, crosses the upper Shannon Creek pedestrian bridge, then drops down an old roadbed for 3.2km to the lower Shannon Creek bridge, passing two viewpoints along the way. From there you can either continue down the Sea to Summit Trail to the base of the gondola, or stay right and take the Upper Sea to Summit Trail back to the lodge for a moderately technical 2-3 hour return trip.
Which trail you should do depends on how much of a challenge you're looking for and how much time you have.
Panorama Loop: If you want a quick and easy hike with amazing views.
Al's Habrich Ridge Trail: If you're okay committing to a challenging 3-4 hour backcountry hike that rewards you with one of the best viewpoints in Squamish.
Wonderland Lake Loop: If you're looking for an easy to moderate forest walk.
Events
The Summit Lodge hosts a Mountain Music Series with live music every Friday night, a nice reason to time a visit for the evening instead of the usual daytime crowd.
There's also Taste of the Summit, a Mediterranean-inspired dining experience up at the top as the sun sets behind the alpine peaks. Seating is limited and fills up fast, so it's worth booking well ahead if this is the kind of evening you're after.
Best Viewpoints
If you only have time for one or two stops, here's where to prioritize.
Al's Habrich Ridge Line is the best view on the mountain, and arguably one of the best viewpoints of the Squamish Valley anywhere. Getting there isn't easy; it's the hardest hike up here and takes about 3 hours round trip over genuinely challenging terrain. But if you make it, you're rewarded with sweeping views of the entire sound and valley from about 600 metres above The Chief, with a stunning angle on Mount Garibaldi. Not for everyone, but if you're up for the challenge, it's a view most visitors never see.
Panorama Lookout is the far more accessible option. The Panorama Loop trail starts right next to the gondola platform, an easy, wide, well-maintained path with no challenging terrain. About halfway through, a wooden platform hangs off the mountainside, giving you a stunning view of the back side of The Chief and the Howe Sound and Squamish Valley beyond it.
Summit Lodge Patio might be the best perk of all, since it requires zero hiking. You're nearly a full kilometre above Howe Sound, and the turquoise water is stunning from up there. It's also the best spot to see Sky Pilot Mountain, a dramatic rocky peak that holds onto snow year-round.
Riding The Gondola
A quick note on directions here, since left and right get confusing in a gondola where you could be sitting facing either way. When I say left or right, picture yourself riding up the mountain, facing the direction of travel.
Don't spend the whole ride on your phone. The view of Howe Sound below slowly opens up as you climb. Look to your right during the first third or so of the ride, and you'll catch Shannon Falls gushing down the mountainside, and to your left, Garibaldi rising up behind The Chief as you gain elevation.
Cost Saving Tips
The easiest cost-saving tip is booking your lift ticket in advance. They are cheaper online, and it saves you the time of queuing in line when you arrive.
Also, families should consider planning their visit for a Wednesday for Family Fun Night from 4-8 pm. There are Guided Family Hikes from 6 pm at Alpine Alley, and kids eat free at Backyard Burgers.
You can also get 40% off your ticket when you visit after 4 pm all summer (except on Fridays).
A family of 4 visiting on Wednesday after 4 pm could save nearly half of the lift ticket cost and get dinner for the whole family for under $50!
Weather And Webcam
Weather can make or break the whole experience. On a clear, sunny day, the Summit Lodge patio is the best spot on the entire Sea to Sky corridor for a pint with a view. But if clouds roll in, winds pick up, or rain's in the forecast, that ticket price starts to feel a lot steeper.
There's a live webcam feed and real-time weather monitoring at the summit to help you plan your visit before you commit to the drive up.
So Is it Worth it?
The short answer is that it can be.
The longer answer is that it really depends on what kind of trip you're on. If you're flying over here from Germany for a jam-packed 10-day trip, then the gondola is well worth the money for all the time you're going to save. There are plenty of hikes in Squamish and across the Sea to Sky that will give you equal or even better views, but these are all gruelling full-day missions. You could fit a visit up the Sea to Sky gondola in a single afternoon and not even break a sweat.
The gondola is also an amazing improvement for accessibility. People of any mobility level can climb up into the alpine, enjoy the view from the lodge, and even take on one of the easier trails. This is pretty much impossible for some people elsewhere in Squamish, so for those people the ticket price is well worth it.
But, let's be honest, the price of taking your whole family up and sharing a meal at the top will put a serious dent in your wallet. If you're just coming up from the city and you have the ability to visit Squamish as much as you like and you don't mind getting sweaty, I would definitely skip it.
There are a lot of other ways to get out into the mountains in Squamish, and most of them don't cost a dime.
If you're up for a bit more of an adventure, there are better places for it than the gondola. You can check out our Squamish Hiking Guide and our Comprehensive Guide for all the best things to do in Squamish.
And if Squamish is just a stop-off on a longer trip for you, check out our Sea to Sky road trip itinerary for some more inspiration.
FAQ
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