Valemount & Mount Robson / Full trip pack
Colley Lakes / Porcupine Cabin
- Round trip
- 9 km
- Elevation gain
- 700 m Published route measurement
- Walking time
- 6–7 hours return
- Difficulty
- Hard Out and back
return to the back of the alpine basin
https://hikingprincegeorge.com/hikes/colley-lakes-porcupine-cabin
Route-finding, sidehill and boulders reach alpine lakes; cabin near approach.
1. Getting there and parking
On Highway 5 near Clemina Creek, use the steep pipeline/logging-road turnoff on the east side of the highway. About 3 km along, turn left onto the smaller steep forest road marked by a small hiker symbol. Continue several kilometres; a large drainage ditch makes high clearance essential. The trailhead is approximately 1 km beyond the ditch and is marked by a yellow cabin/YORA sign. Use the steward’s access-road map to identify the forks, because ordinary driving directions may end at the highway turnoff.
Road and vehicle: The local guide recommends a high-clearance 4WD vehicle for the trailhead road.
2. Walking the route
Follow the route from the Porcupine Cabin area toward the upper basin and its three alpine lakes. The approximately 4.5 km outward distance involves about 700 m of climbing, sidehill travel and extensive boulder negotiation, so it is substantially harder than that short distance may suggest. Flagging can stop or be difficult to see; identify the continuation before leaving the last clear marker. The local guide reports deteriorated wooden crossings, which require assessment rather than blind reliance on an old track. The lake basin contains wet peat, creeks and rock slabs; return along a line you can safely reverse.
3. Route map
Published locations only. A complete route line is still needed.
Published locations
Numbered points match the map. Use the role beside each point. A summit or park reference point is not a parking location.
| Place and role | Coordinates | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Colley Lakes / Porcupine Cabin trailhead | 52.591220 -119.075840 | source-published; not field-verified https://hikevalemount.com/colley-lakes/ |
5. Camping, facilities and seasons
Camping and tenting
Porcupine Cabin near the trailhead is described as sleeping about four people, with an outhouse, basic cookware, a wood stove and a cooking stove that needs the visitor’s own propane canister. Confirm the booking contact and current equipment with the operator before relying on those facilities. The guide does not establish serviced camps at the upper lakes.
Toilets
An outhouse is listed near Porcupine Cabin.
Season and access
The usual hiking window is late June through late September, subject to alpine snow and the forest-road condition. The cabin’s ski-touring history does not make the summer lake route a verified winter approach.
Mobile service
The local guide reports intermittent cell reception.
Practical details checked 2026-10-17.
Your trip notes
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