Jade Lakes

Upper and Lower Jade lakes are located in the Selkirk mountains in Mount Revelstoke National Park near Revelstoke. The trail to Jade Lakes traverses through sub-alpine and alpine environments. It crosses creeks, scree and boulders. It offers stunning views of surrounding mountains.

We hiked to Jade Lakes without stopping at Miller Lake or Eva Lake. According to my Coros Pace 3, we hiked 11.49km with 586 metres of elevation gain to Jade Lakes. These numbers were nearly identical for the return trip to the car. We parked quite far from the start of the Upper Summit Trail so it added some distance to the trip.

The Hike

To reach the trailhead for Jade lakes, we took the exit to Mount Revelstoke National Park about 1km northeast of Revelstoke. From the entrance to the park, we drove about 26km up the Meadows in the Sky Parkway to the Balsalm Lake parking lot. From the parking lot, we hiked the Upper Summit Trail for 1km to the Jade Lakes trailhead.

The Upper Summit Trail is quite straightforward. After walking along the path, you'll reach the sign below.

Not far along the trail, we enjoyed the views. It's not often that you can start a hike in an alpine environment.

Some information signs along the way...

Views of the meadows...

The trail was well-established through the boulder-field. No need to boulder hop.

The boulders were arranged to making hiking through them easy.

After hiking a while, the trail splits to Miller Lake. Shortly afterwards, it splits to Jade Lakes and Eva Lake.

Ascending the trail further, we could see Miller Lake below.

After passing Miller Lake, the trail continues to climb toward Jade Pass.

The trail follows several switch backs continuing to gain elevation toward Jade Pass

Jade Pass comes into view...

From Jade Pass, the views are beautiful.

Jade Lakes come into view below the pass...

From Jade Pass, the trail descends toward Jade Lakes.

As we descended, our view of Upper Jade Lake took shape.

Upon arriving at Upper Jade Lake, there is a sign indicating the location of the four tent pads, bear lockers, and toilet.

Upper Jade Lake is stunning.

Final Thoughts

The trail to Jade Lakes is accessible way to enjoy the alpine in the Selkirk mountains. By spending the night at Upper Jade Lake, we had time to take in the views, explore around the lake, and watch the fish rising. There are many opportunities to scramble nearby peaks. Upper Jade Lake would likely be a great place for a base camp to explore the surrounding mountains.

While we enjoyed the experience at Upper Jade Lake, it is a very busy trail. It is particularly busy at Miller Lake and Eva Lake. During this part of the hike, there were many people hiking the trail. On the way to Upper Jade Lake, the trail was busy but not quite as much. If you are looking for a less travelled destination, this may not be the best fit during peak season.