I’m always looking for great outdoors destinations and hiking trips ideas, with stunning landscapes that make a trip of a lifetime. I recently discovered Squamish Mountains, which opened me to a great new world! In this post, I wanted to share informations I’ve found about this epic destination: Welcome to Squamish, British Columbia, Canada.

Choose your own adventure…

Squamish is located halfway between downtown Vancouver and Whistler’s high alpine. People refer Squamish as ”Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada.” Sounds pretty good… It is mainly renowned as a world-class location for windsurfing & kiteboarding, rock climbing, mountain biking, backcountry skiing… But it is also a great playground for hiking and backpacking lovers.

I heard about Squamish the 1st time viewing this beautiful video – When the way out is only going down…

… And enjoy your playground

This place just sounds amazing for those, like me, who love bluffs view points, rugged landscapes and epic views. The ocean meets the mountains in a Sea to Sky country.

The sheer variety of hiking and sightseeing opportunities in the Squamish area is truly staggering to the imagination. No matter where, or what type of hiking experience you seek, the Squamish area can deliver it in awe-inspiring beauty. From gentle strolls along to ocean to riverside explorations, walks in the ancient rain forests to strenuous treks up a mountain – everyone will find a trail to love. The views are simply spectacular, with snow-capped peaks all around, ocean views and of course, there’s always a chance you will catch a glimpse of eagles, falcons, bears, cougars and more of the area’s fascinating wildlife.

Full article and more details for exploring Squamish by foot here (source www.tourismsquamish.com)

[...] having spent only a fews hours here it was obvious to us that the Tourism bigwigs weren’t overselling!

Lucy and Sam, who are taking a year long break discovering Canada, recently went hiking there. They recommend in their blog to climb The Chief, a 700m granit dome with epic view, which appears to be “one of the most popular summit hikes in British Columbia”. Read full article here (source www.lucyandsam.wordpress.com)

Many other trails are just an invitation to explore more of the Squamish: “Wonderland” trail, “Four lakes” trail, “Ocean front interpretive” trail, “Smoke bluffs view points”…

You may want to plan a trip for an upcoming event

If you’re passionate about climbing, you should plan your hiking trip to Squamish in July when they celebrate the annual Squamish Mountain Festival (July 17-21 2013).

A five-day celebration of all things rock, SQUMF unites international with home-grown participants and appreciators of climbing culture. For sticky fingers that can’t get enough of boulders, spires, walls and cracks, this year’s featured events include Instructional climbing clinics, Films, Trail days, Parties, Adventure Photography Clinics.

Full program here

But you can also enjoy many mountain bike races, triathlon, music festivals…to know more follow the facebook page The Spirit Of Squamish here. I Just love their basline “Fueld by Nature”. Who would disagree…?

Squamish seems a great place for many outdoor sports plus hiking. I wonder where in your country would be your Squamish? Let’s share some of your hiking trips ideas…And please don’t forget to vote above and let your comments at the bottom. Thanks for reading!