Hike to Brandywine Meadows

This is one of my favorite places to hike around Whistler. If you love a challenging 4x4 road and are kind of a lazy hiker, taking the upper road to Brandywine Meadows is going to be your best option. With access that brings you within just 20 minutes of the meadows, there's a huge scenic reward for very little physical effort. If you don't have a 4x4 vehicle, you can park at the lower trailhead, and make your way up from there. Distance and elevation are from the lower parking area.

From the far end of the meadows, it's possible to continue on (the hike turns to a scramble at this point) and make your way up to the Brandywine summit. This is one of the coolest views in all of Whistler, but requires that you have route finding skills and experience off trail. For directions, follow Matt Gunn's route in his Scrambles book. 

To reach the meadows, take Callaghan Rd, about 10 minutes south of Whistler, and turn into the first road on your left at the Whistler Transfer Station. You'll see signage for Brandywine Meadows right away. Just follow these small green signs on a rough gravel road until you come to the lower parking area, which is also marked with a green sign. All 2WD cars must park here as the road gets much steeper and rougher as you go up. 4WD high clearance vehicles can continue on to the upper parking area. 

From both parking spots, the trail is obvious. Once you reach the meadows, there are lots of beautiful places to camp, and dogs are allowed here as well. Just be aware that you are now in Grizzly Bear country. The trail continues to the end of the meadows, where you'll see a spectacular waterfall on your right, and lots of interesting terrain to explore if you have the time. 

There are no facilities, so pack out everything you pack in and leave this incredible place as it pristine as when you found it. Enjoy!