Helm Creek Hike RatingHelm Creek is a cute, meandering creek that winds its way from beyond Black Tusk, down the valley to the wonderful campground that takes its name. From the Helm Creek campground, Helm Creek descends further along the Helm Creek trail, until it joins Cheakamus River, not far from where it leaves Cheakamus Lake. The location of Helm Creek campground is pretty amazing for a variety of reasons.

  • Spread out and serene campsite setting
  • Well organized campground in deep wilderness
  • Connects to Black Tusk via gorgeous ridge route
  • Very serene setting next to idyllic creek
  • Endless unmarked routes to amazing sights
  • Black Tusk looms beautifully very near
  • More of a crossroads than a destination
  • No glacier views like you get at Garibaldi Lake
  • No convenient lake to swim in
  • Fills up fast with just a few tent pads

Whistler & Garibaldi Hiking

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First it is just a great location. About halfway between Cheakamus Lake and Black Tusk it lays in some amazingly scenic areas. Beautiful, climbable mountains all around. Amazing fields of snow that run all the way to the base of Black Tusk well into July. Rivers, creeks and waterfalls everywhere you look from the idyllic campground. A large, grassy field ringed by trees and Helm Creek.  What you always want from a campground is a convenient and clean water source and of course Helm Creek is both.  Another aspect of a great campground is a variety of beautiful views and a serene setting and again Helm Creek has both of these.  The campground is so widespread that even if the area becomes busy, you can still manage to not hear your neighbours.  The area really has no defined trails except the Helm Creek trail that runs past the campsite, but there are infinitely numerous directions you can wander.  Exploring in any direction takes you to more and more pristine, green fields, streams, pocket lakes and mountain views.  Though most just use it as a base to extend onto Black Tusk, it is a great base for so much more. Helm Creek, Corrie Peak, Cinder Cone, Empetrum Peak as well as the more frequented Panorama Ridge, Black Tusk and Garibaldi Lake.

Helm Creek Map Large v14a

Possibly the nicest aspect of Helm Creek as a campground is that it is quiet and serene when compared with the other two area campgrounds. Garibaldi Lake and Taylor Meadows are very busy all summer long. In fact there is a posting part way up the trail to Garibaldi Lake indicating how crowded it is and if it is full. At Helm Creek you find yourself in a remote and quiet valley in the midst of paradise. From the trail junction in the campground you see the enticing sign indicating what is around you. The nice, well marked trail continues to Panorama Ridge in 7 kilometres.  Black Tusk in 9.5 kilometres or Garibaldi Lake in 9 kilometres.  All of these destinations branch off the main trail that ascends away from Helm Creek. Another popular, yet unmarked destination from Helm Creek is Helm Glacier.  Though unmarked, it is very easy to find on the trail from Helm Creek that leads to Black Tusk, Panorama Ridge and Garibaldi Lake. Just keep your eyes out for the fantastic erratic(see a picture of the erratic here), with the tree growing out of it along the trail.  It is obvious when you spot it(about 20 minutes from the Helm Creek campground).  At this marvellous display of glacier power and a hardy krummholz breaking apart this huge glacier deposited boulder, turn left and walk up the open valley and you will arrive at the amazing Helm Glacier in just 45 minutes.  In the opposite direction from Helm Creek from where you just came the sign shows Cheakamus Lake to be 8.5 kilometres away and the Cheakamus Lake trailhead and parking lot to be 8.5 kilometres away.  This trail slowly descends the valley for a couple kilometres before more steeply zig-zagging down to the Cheakamus River crossing.

Helm Creek Trail Cheakamus River Bridge

Helm Creek Trail Cheakamus River Bridge

Beautiful Helm Creek Trail

Helm Creek Trail

Black Tusk from Helm Creek

Black Tusk from Helm Creek

Helm Creek Campground

Helm Creek Campground

Helm Creek Zoom View of Black Tusk

Helm Creek View of Black Tusk

Black Tusk from the Helm Creek Trail

Black Tusk from the Helm Creek Trail

Helm Creek Continued...

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