When I decided to hike the Berg Lake Trail this summer, it was only out of necessity. Having hiked more than 500 kilometres in the last four summers of being in Prince George, I knew it was one of the bucket-list hikes I had to complete. The Berg Lake trail has worldwide popularity, despite being in a sparsely populated area of British Columbia. The Berg Lake Trail is located in Mount Robson Provincial Park and at 3,954 metres, Mount Robson is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. The best part is it’s only three and a half hours (driving) from Prince George. Can you imagine that people travel from all parts of the world to complete this trip and us Prince George locals can take a short-day trip to see this sight in all its glory?! Another major perk of living in Prince George.
Planning your hike
We booked our trip for July 2019 in October 2018. Due to its popularity, I would recommend booking as ahead of time as possible. You can check the current fees and make reservations directly with BC Parks Discover Camping Reservation Centre.
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On the drive to Mount Robson.
The hiking trail
The 23-kilometre hiking trail (one-way) lead us along meadows, glaciers, river beds and incredible waterfalls. It really was a feast for my eyes. We spent three days and two nights on the trail. The elevation gain is just 800 meters over the whole trip, so even a beginner backcountry hiker can take this on. There are seven different backcountry campsites to choose from along the trail including Kinney Lake, Whitehorn, Emperor Falls, Marmot, Berg Lake, Rearguard and Robson Pass. We stayed at Whitehorn and Berg Lake.
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The valley by Berg Lake.
What to bring
I won’t bore you with a packing list, a recommended campsite list or a day-to-day itinerary as there are plenty of blogs online to get that information from. What I will say is that wilderness regions of Prince George have so much to offer and this is a trip that is a must-do in my eyes. Fully embracing the mountain life after to moving to Prince George was the best thing I could do.
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Emperor Falls.
The Berg Lake Trail provides easy access to such a powerful place in nature. The views are magic and the feeling you get looking up at Mount Robson electrifies the soul. Whether you are a mountaineer, ultra-marathon runner or a beginner hiker, I assure you this trail has something to offer. As the reservations for 2020 are opening up soon in October 2019, I encourage you to set away some time next year to do this trip.
