Chester Lake Trail

Nicely packed trail for Snowshoeing. Would recommend this trail for both winter and summer.

Great day at Chester Lake today! Definite incline at the beginning to get things going but levels out further into the trail. Has been snowing pretty good but the trail is relatively packed still. Definitely recommend either snowshoes or spikes and poles. Friend did manage the trail with just hikers and poles however it made for a couple of slippery descents in areas. Got on the trailhead at 9am so it was a nice and quiet hike on the way to Chester Lake. Trail was definitely getting busier on the way down. Would do this hike again!

Great hike. Lots of skiers coming down the northern side of the loop.

Hiked on Saturday was a beautiful sunny day, no need for snowshoes as it was packed snow. It was not icy at all, but spikes or poles would be helpful for the upward and downward climbs and descents. I did it with just hiking boots and poles and was just fine. For those that have not done this trail it is easy going for about a km then it’s a steady climb for approximately 2km, then it levels off. Bring something to sit on ( small tarp will do) to have your lunch or snack when you get to the top!

Excellent hike. Beautiful winter views. You would be fine to hike it with ice spikes if it has not snowed in a while.

Hear about Chester Lake all the time and been wanting to try it since we moved here four years ago. Beautiful blue sky day. Fair number of cars in the lot (20 or so) when we started but when we left at 4:30 we were the only ones there. We used ice trackers. It's possible to go with just boots (trail is hard packed) but later in the day the sun warmed the snow and some of the downhill sections (it's all downhill on the way back) were really slippery. I must admit the long uphill was a little more than I expected but I made it.

Gorgeous hike. We didn’t need our snowshoes because the snow was so packed down. But, spikes were helpful. We’ll be doing this hike again soon.

We visited Chester Lake yesterday and it was beautiful! Fresh snow and lovely scenery. We used snowshoes, but could’ve gotten away with just spikes because the snow wasn’t too high. The trails are well-marked and not too busy. We also brought our dog (on-leash) and he had the time of his life :) Will definitely be back!

Climbed to the elephant rocks today. Trail was in great shape with fresh snow. Highly recommended.

climbed from chester lake to summit,great time

The views are totally worth it when you get to the top. We were snowshoeing, so the signs directed us to the Chester Lake Snowshoeing Trail, which is not the trail that is listed above. About 1/3 to 1/2 of the snowshoeing trail I would have rated as hard (very steep), but the rest of it was beautiful and relatively flat. I recommend starting earlier in the day (at least by 10 AM) so that you have good light when you get to the meadow. It took us about 4 hours to get up and back.

Trails are pretty packed down. Micro spikes are all that’s required.

Nice day but overcast. Busy but polite group. Easy level and up and down under 2 hrs. 7.7 km round trip with 351 meters in elevation. Trail well groomed by use. Up top views are stupendous!

Great hike. Incline at the beginning and needed to take some breaks but flattens out at the top as you walk towards the lake. We had snow shoes but you would have been fine without until it flattens out. Past the uphill part snowshoes were a must as it got a lot of snow overnight. This took us 3 hours and I recorded 8.2km.

awesome hike. tons of people on the trail. We wore spikes because the trail was packed down enough so we didn't need snowshoes. Brought the pups and they had no problem on the trail. 1 hour 20 min up, 40 min down.
we lost a tri-coloured ring on the trail or parking lot. so if anyone has seen it please let me know!

Dec 29, 2018: Windy and easy

Had a great snowshoe today, sun wasn’t out and it was snowing but it was spectacular.

Did the hike today. Beautiful!!!! We had crampons/spikes and most other folks were in snowshoes. Stunning views with the snow and sun!

It was a BEAUTIFUL day out there! Snowshoe trails are a bit packed down but well worth the journey. The first 1/3 of the trek was straight up hill. Good quad burn but since it was an ‘out and back’ the way back was a breeze. Highly recommend this trail to all levels.

Wide open vistas and well marked. Winter paradise for sure

Completed Chester Lake two weeks ago and it was a wonderful trail! Beautiful scenery, good steep sections to warm you up, and very rewarding lake at the end to sit and relax, have some lunch, and watch some of the backcountry skiers.

Very well marked, great views, will do this one again come summer.

Trailhead was well marked with parking. Many different routes you can take (hike, snowshoe, ski...etc.)Took a few beginners up this trail, and didn't seem to have many issues. Views from the top were beautiful. Lots of Gray Jays and they are not shy, they will land on your hands if you let them!

Just finished this snowshoe trail and it was pretty good. first 1.5km will get you warmed up and your legs going. After that it is pretty much smooth sailing. The mountains surrounding the area are beautiful but since this is 'winter' the lake area is somewhat anticlimactic. Will enjoy coming back in the summer to do this one again.

I LOVED this hike today. It was stunning with all the snow, reminded me of a winter wonderland. Such a nice and easy hike. Highly recommended

Super fun and relatively easy hike! The view at the top is amazing. Can’t wait to snowshoe this trail once more snow comes along.

Did this last year with snowshoes. Super fun!

she didn't have a lot of fun out there today cut the temperature was very mild and the trail was not at all icy.

Amazing hike we took the snow shoe trail. Came down to face 3 moose but apart from that loved it

Completed this one two days ago. The trail is already snowed in, but well used so it's doable in hiking boots only.
This is an easy walk with lightly ascending towards the lake. Very appropriate for kids, pups and cross country skiing as well.
The views are more than amazing this time of the year.