Are you ready for it? If you want to see the all the best of what the Whistler Valley has to offer, this is it!
Starting out the same as our quick 1 - 2 Hour Ride and Half Day Adventure, this all day route starts by taking you South out of the village and under Highway 99 to access the Valley Trail, around the Whistler Golf Course (don’t forget to keep an eye out for Whistler’s infamous Black Bears roaming the greens) and through Lakeside Park & Wayside Park on Alta Lake’s South Eastern bank.
Unlike the 1 - 2 Hour Ride and Half Day Adventure, this route continues South on the Valley Trail after Alta Lake, tracing the Eastern bank of Nita Lake, past the Nita Lake Lodge, through gorgeous Alpha Lake Park and alongside Alpha Lake’s Eastern bank before again crossing the Highway 99 to enter the neighbourhood of Bayshores. Once in the neighbourhood of Bayshores there is a short stretch of uphill on the Valley Trail to really get those legs burning , because so far they’ve been enjoying calm and steady peddling on flat/downhill slopes.
Following this short uphill the Valley Trail again sends you downhill and South towards one of Whistler’s most underrated regions, Function Junction, where you’ll again cross onto the Western side of the Highway 99…fancy squeezing in a hike? The trailhead for Whistler’s famous Train Wreck Hike starts just before you cross the Highway into Function Junction. While you’re in Function we highly recommend grabbing yourself a tasty bite or a refreshing smoothy from The Green Moustache, or why not a delicious ice cold ale from either Whistler Brewing Co or Coast Mountain Brewing (two of British Columbia’s finest craft breweries).
Once you’ve had your fill and are sufficiently rested/supplied (yes the breweries and cafe’s have takeaway options), you’ll start your journey North on the Valley Trail back to the trail junction between the Nita & Alta Lakes, from where you’ll continue North along the Valley Trail along the Western bank of Alta Lake, heading to Rainbow Park (an absolute must see stop along this, and all or our suggested routes) to enjoy one of Whistler’s finest views across the lake looking up towards the Whistler & Blackcomb Mountains.
When you manage to pull yourself away from the phenominal views and vibes of Rainbow Park you’ll continue on the Valley Trail North towards Meadow Park, which is home to one of Whistler’s finest playgrounds, as well as a splash-park for the kids to enjoy (just in case you can’t get them into one of Whistler’s many lakes on those hot summer days), not to mention an array of sporting fields and unsurprisingly, more incredible mountain views, making it a perfect picnic spot for families (hint, hint).
Heading further North towards the spectacular Green Lake Lookout and the Northernmost tip of the Valley Trail you can expect to be blown away yet again (yes, again) as you cruise alongside Green Lake taking in it’s beauty and looking across it towards Wedge Mountain and the Armchair Glacier, before paying your dues and earning these views by powering through the slight uphill on the way back towards the Southern bank of Green Lake, where the Valley Trail will take you over the Green Lake Boardwalk and past The Spit for one last breathtaking view experience across Green Lake (one of our favourites), before leading you back South towards the village and your well earned dinner destination (hit us up, we have a few next level recommendations here).
Just in case this ride hasn’t been enough for you, as you renter the village you can take a very easy left to squeeze in one last hurrah on the Valley Trail, heading to Lost Lake…this would also make for an excellent time and place to enjoy that last beverage you’ve been carrying with you most of the day - if you haven’t done so already.
Cheers!