Quality Time
Family Adventures in Whistler
By Dee Raffo | Images By Joern Rohde
Exploring Whistler’s Valley Trail, Lakes & Parks
One of the unsung heroes of Whistler is its 50-kilometre (30-mile) Valley Trail system. A car-free trail that weaves its way through neighbourhoods, parks, lakes, and family-photo-worthy viewpoints, it’s where my kids learned to ride their bikes, and now we head off on pedal-powered adventures to wherever their little legs can take them.
Rent bikes, e-bikes, or a child carrier for little riders, load up a backpack with snacks and swimsuits, and head toward Alta Lake. There are three main parks located around this lake, each with its own appeal: Lakeside Park, just two km from Whistler Village, is a family favourite, for its playground, picnic tables, sandy beach, and two docks. You can also rent canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, and what the kids love the most — pedal boats. It also has a small concession for a sweet treat or a cool drink.
Wayside Park offers a quieter space, with shady spots, a small beach, and a mellow dock scene, making it ideal for relaxation. Rainbow Park, the largest of the three is located on the far side of Alta Lake. It has a sandy beach, several docks (we love the one with the swim pad), shaded areas, and volleyball courts, which are great for older kiddos.
Another option is to cycle to Lost Lake Park, which is close to Whistler Village and offers some more secluded spots. The latter two parks often have rotating food trucks in the summer season — yum!
To make your day less stressful with kids in tow, and to avoid parking lot congestion, consider using the free Lost Lake Park shuttle (daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) or the Rainbow Park service (weekends and holidays, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), with both available until Sept. 7. whistler.ca
Heading Into the Alpine
on Whistler Blackcomb
Sightseeing on Whistler Blackcomb gives you access to the record-breaking Peak 2 Peak Gondola and the Cloudraker Skybridge (the bridge is accessed via the Peak Express; guests must be 40 inches/1 metre tall to ride the chair). On the gondola, my kids press their faces to the glass, scanning for black bears, deer, and marmots. For mini engineers, there are some great facts and figures about the Peak 2 Peak inside the gondola building, including its world-record-setting longest unsupported span and highest lift of its kind.
The Alpine Loop trail on Blackcomb Mountain is a go-to because about halfway along, there’s the option to take the kids’ adventure trail, which has signage and interactive elements about local animals. The Alpine Loop trail is 1.4 km (0.9 mi.) long, and the map says it should take around half an hour, but with wildflowers and curious kids, that’s optimistic. On Whistler Mountain, for adventurous children, there’s the 90-minute, moderate, Harmony Lake Loop.
Whether you’ve earned it or not, you can get locally made Lucia Gelato for the kids and sit with a cold drink on the sunny patio of the Roundhouse (Whistler) or Rendezvous (Blackcomb) lodges. Or, from Friday to Sunday until Sept. 6, you could take them to a Mountain Top Summer Feast (kids 6 and under are free). It’s typically a few degrees cooler up top, so remember to pack an extra layer. whistlerblackcomb.com
Finding Whistler’s Bears
Around 50 resident black bears call Whistler home, and you might get a chance encounter with one as you explore, but the safest way for you, and the bear, is on a tour. I took my eldest daughter on a bear tour with Whistler Photo Safaris when she was 6, and she still talks about it. We piled into a fun, open-topped Jeep with a local guide and headed to Whistler Olympic Park in the Callaghan Valley.
We opted to go in the early evening because when the weather cools, the bears come out to graze on lush grasses and clover. Ella, armed with her own binoculars, scanned the roadside and spotted the first black bear. Our guide introduced her as Priscilla, one of the valley's main matriarchs. Having an expert who could answer our seemingly never-ending questions was key. As we both looked into Priscilla’s dark brown eyes, we knew this was an experience we’d never forget. whistlerphotosafaris.com
IMAGE COURTESY CWA
Paddling Glacial Waters
Seeing a place from the water often gives you a different perspective, and the mountain views from the middle of Alta Lake are breathtaking. It also scratches that kid-itch to explore and splash water on you and/or a sibling.
Whether you’re doing the paddling, or that’s what you brought the kids for, a Canadian Wilderness Adventures guide can give you tips on your strokes along with a bit of Whistler’s history as you cruise Alta Lake on a guided tour. Whistler, as a tourism destination, began with a small fishing lodge operation on this lake, and it’s not hard to see why as you take in the incredible scenery.
You can take the exploration and the paddle strokes up a notch and do the River of Golden Dreams Guided Tour, which takes you from Alta Lake toward Green Lake. Your guide will help you manoeuvre through the lily pads as you look out for beavers, otters, and a host of water birds. It’s a three-hour round trip, so pack your camera and snacks — aye, aye, captain! canadianwilderness.com
Taking to the Trees
We love how connected we are to nature; it’s one of the reasons we decided to raise a family here. Whistler is surrounded by temperate rainforest, and on a hot summer’s day, a trip into the tree canopy is a great call. Ziptrek Ecotours’ Treetrek tour is suitable for all ages (kids 5 and under are free) and does not require any zipping. You’re guided through a network of suspension bridges, suspended stairways, and boardwalks as you learn about the surrounding environment on a local and global stage. Just remember: If you have a kid on your back, they’re more exposed to the elements and tree branches!
Kids often like to up the ante, so for the adventurous-at-heart, Ziptrek’s Bear Tour is a great family option. There are four ziplines on this tour, ranging from 122 to 335 m (400 to 1,100 ft.) in length over the valley between Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. Kids need to be 6 years old and weigh at least 30 kilograms (65 pounds) to zip solo; under that weight, they go tandem with the guide. Having done this tour, I remember how it felt bird-like to be up so high before soaring over the valley. We’ve got this activity slated for Ella’s upcoming 10th birthday and have no doubt that she’ll be asking how she can go upside down by the last zip. whistler.ziptrek.com
Discovering Whistler with a Twist
Kids relish a mission, so consider including a guided walking tour in your itinerary. Local company Trail Quest Adventures offers a Scavenger Quest Adventure, a guided, immersive family activity that includes geocaching, reading maps, and solving clues and riddles to uncover hidden caches. You get to learn about the region’s history, culture, and natural wonders from a local guide, while your kids put on their Trail Quest backpack and try to find the next hidden treasure. It’s a unique blending of adult and kid fun, where you get to explore together. trailquestadventures.com
Tourism Whistler’s free app, Go Whistler Tours, features a series of self-guided exploration routes. We’re fans of the Lost Lake Nature Walk, which takes you on a 1 km (.6 mi.) walk with 10 stops that tell you about some of the species that call Whistler home. We put the audio on as we walk and explore, and now my kids know how to spot a Douglas fir tree thanks to a story about little mice escaping a forest fire. They also have a Sweet Treats tour, which is always a hit for some reason. whistler.stqry.app/en
Letting Loose at the Family Adventure Zone
At the Upper Village base of Blackcomb Mountain is the Family Adventure Zone. Open until Sept. 7, it’s a mini fairground of bouncy castles, rope courses, bungee trampolines, climbing walls, and mini golf — everything that kids go ga-ga for. We often find ourselves there on a Sunday, as I’m trying to gather fresh veggies at the Whistler Farmers’ Market while all they want to do is tackle the human gyroscope. And I’ll admit that I have used the sweet treats at the market to lure them away! whistler.com/family
Getting Artsy at the Audain Art Museum
It’s worth balancing all that outdoor energy with something slower and creative. We have a family pass to the Audain Art Museum, and we’ll often wander in with sketch pads in hand (youth 18 and under are free).
During the summer, they offer additional programming, including drop-in art classes on Mondays and Thursdays in July and August for grades K to 6 (registration required). Local artist Debra Hillary leads the sessions, which explore a variety of materials and techniques in a relaxed, supportive environment. The sessions are free for members, and $5 for non-members, and they’re a perfect opportunity for you to explore the Audain’s stunning collections while your child gets creative. audainartmuseum.com
Exploring Whistler with my kids feels like a privilege every single day. They remind me to stop and appreciate the little things, dive in with curiosity, and that I can usually do more than I thought, especially if there’s an ice cream stop at the end.
We hope that you and your family enjoy your adventures here, too!
whistler.com/summer
IMAGE COURTESY AUDAIN ART MUSEUM