Valemount & Mount Robson / Full trip pack
Mount Fitzwilliam alpine lakes
- Published distance
- 13.5 km One way only
- Elevation gain
- Not established Cumulative ascent for this outing has not been established.
- Walking time
- Unconfirmed
- Difficulty
- Unconfirmed
one way, derived from the official 11 km headwall plus 2.5 km; parking approach may be additional
https://hikingprincegeorge.com/hikes/mount-fitzwilliam-alpine-lakes
Access and trail reports
Fitzwilliam bridge work: October closure
The Mount Fitzwilliam Trail is closed October 11–31, 2026 for bridge construction. The notice schedules winter access to resume November 1; verify that reopening before a later trip.
Reported date not supplied · checked 2026-10-17 · BC Parks
Robson watercraft and wading equipment restriction
From May 4, 2026, BC Parks prohibits watercraft and wading equipment throughout Mount Robson Park waters to limit aquatic disease spread. This includes powered and unpowered craft, inflatables, wading clothing and boots. The hiking trails are not closed by this notice.
Reported date not supplied · checked 2026-10-17 · BC Parks
Reports describe the cited dates. An expected reopening date does not establish reopened access.
Rougher route beyond creek to headwall and lakes.
1. Getting there and parking
The signed parking area is beside Yellowhead Lake on Highway 16, approximately 54 km east of Mount Robson Welcome Centre. It has a kiosk and pit toilets. Cross carefully to the south side of the highway, then walk west along the pipeline right-of-way for about 1.2 km to the smaller trailhead kiosk. Register there before starting. The initial right-of-way walk is part of access and should not be confused with parking directly at the forest trail.
- From the Yellowhead Lake parking, cross Highway 16 to its south side.
- Walk west along the pipeline corridor for about 1.2 km to the second information kiosk and register before entering the mountain trail.
Parking: Use the signed Yellowhead Lake parking on Highway 16, approximately 54 km east of Mount Robson Welcome Centre. BC Parks identifies an information kiosk and pit toilets there.
2. Walking the route
From the trailhead kiosk, climb the maintained lower path through a series of switchbacks. Most of the initial ascent is concentrated in the first 2 km, and the grade becomes gentler around kilometre 3.2. BC Parks places the Rockingham Creek campground at about kilometre 7.2, after approximately 600 m of climbing. Cross the Rockingham Creek bridge and continue east around the foot of Mount Fitzwilliam. Beyond the campground the route becomes rougher, less distinct and often wet. It crosses meadows below a rockslide and reaches a headwall around kilometre 11. Follow the markers up the left side of the gully, watching for loose rock and slippery footing. The second campground is another approximately 2.5 km farther on, at the north end of the first alpine lake. This is a lake-basin hike, not a route to the mountain summit.
- Climb the maintained lower trail through switchbacks during the first 2 km. The gradient eases around trail kilometre 3.2.
- Continue to the Rockingham Creek campground at approximately trail kilometre 7.2, after about 600 m of ascent.
- Cross the Rockingham Creek bridge and continue east around the mountain base. The upper route is rougher, less distinct and can be very wet.
- Traverse the meadows below the rockslide to the headwall around trail kilometre 11. Follow markers up the left side of the gully; loose rock and rockfall are concerns.
- Continue roughly another 2.5 km to the campground at the north end of the first alpine lake. This is a lake-basin route, not a summit ascent.
The return
Retrace the upper route to Rockingham Creek, then the lower trail and pipeline approach. The official stages imply approximately 13.5 km one way from the mountain trail kiosk; the 1.2 km parking connection is described separately and must be accounted for in the outing.
3. Route map
Mapped named trail
© OpenStreetMap contributors. Route geometry is available under the Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0. · Line source · Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0 · Source-line database: https://hikingprincegeorge.com/data/osm-route-lines.geojson
Partial elevation profile
Partial elevation profile
This chart covers only part of the route. It does not establish the full hike or a return journey.
12.50 km along source section 1 of 1, in its mapped direction.
Approximate 90 m terrain model along this mapped section. Separate sections are not joined. This chart does not measure total trail ascent or establish current access; use the guide’s published outing measurements.
Copernicus GLO-90 terrain elevations via Open-Meteo (CC BY4.0); linework: Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0
Copernicus DEM 2021 GLO-90 via Open-Meteo. Linework source: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/541648448. Sampled and rounded for display.
Source: https://open-meteo.com/en/licence
Licence: CC BY4.0 elevation data; Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0 linework · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Profile source checked: 2026-10-18
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Fitzwilliam alpine lakes start point of published trip track (parking unverified) | 52.860756 -118.534719 | Embedded trip-map feature 'Mt Fitzwilliam Hike': first recorded coordinate [-118.534719, 52.860756].
Point extracted from the original public trip map. A track start is evidence of where recording began, not certification of parking, legal access, road suitability or the complete route. This is the shared Fitzwilliam approach, not the campground or alpine-lake destination. Source date: 2024 https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/mt-fitzwilliam/ |
5. Camping, facilities and seasons
Camping and tenting
The first alpine-lake campground has four tent pads, food caches and a pit toilet. Rockingham Creek below also has four pads and those facilities. Use the established pads to protect the alpine ground.
Toilets
Pit toilets are available at the highway parking and the Rockingham Creek campground. The alpine-lake campground also has a pit toilet.
Season and access
The alpine continuation is especially wet in spring and can retain snow. A BC Parks advisory closes the Mount Fitzwilliam Trail from October 11–31, 2026 for bridge work; check the live notice for changes before visiting.
Mobile service
BC Parks reports mobile service only around the Welcome Centre, not at the eastern wilderness trails.
Practical details checked 2026-10-17.
Measurement notes
Independent recorded alpine-lakes outing: 28.4 km return with 953 m ascent and 948 m descent. This is a separate source claim from the official 13.5 km one-way trail chainage; its parking/pipeline start basis has not been reconciled.
Your trip notes
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