Alta Lake is a lake near the town of Whistler. It has three main beaches that allow for a variety of activities such as boating, picnics and water-sports.

Alta Lake and its Parks and Beaches

Located about a 10-minute drive from Whistler Village, Alta Lake is one of the largest lakes in Whistler.

There are three main beaches around the lake that are vehicle accessible. They are at Rainbow Park, Wayside Park and Lakeside Park. All three of them feature grassy lawns, picnic areas and stands where you can rent kayaks and canoes in the summer. Additionally, Rainbow Park has volleyball courts, Wayside Park has a dock and Lakeside Park has a children’s playground. All three have sandy beach ranging in size from large to miniscule depending on the water level.

As well as the parks and beaches for people, there is a designated off-leash dog area at Barking Beach where canine companions can run around in a grassy field and splash in the lake on their own beach.

Wayside Park at Alta Lake

Wayside Park

Wayside Park is located at the southern tip of Alta Lake not far from Whistler Creekside. It has the smallest of the three beaches. When the water level is up the sand at its beach can be all under water. The park and its beach consist mostly of a grassy area that’s partly sloped. At each end of the beach there is a dock.

Rainbow Park

Rainbow Park is located at the northwestern point of Alta Lake. It’s connected with the Valley Trail and accessible via Alice Lake Road. It has a small number of picnic tables, beach volleyball courts in the summer and a small area with sand at the beach. It also has a large, level and open lawn with a few trees. It’s a great area for people wanting to run around, throw a Frisbee or play with a ball. Rainbow Park has the largest beach with a dock at one end and a designated swimming area in the middle.

Lakeside Park

Lakeside Park is 1.5 km northeast of Wayside Park by car, or just over 1 km on foot via the Valley Trail. It is also a very nice park with a couple of docks and both boat rentals and a concession stand in the summer. The park area is mostly grass. At the waterfront there is a nice but narrow strip of sandy beach. By one of the docks there are usually lots of lily pads.

Lakeside Park at Alta Lake

What Else is in the Area?

Alta Lake is close to the Creekside and Alta Vista neighbourhoods in the town of Whistler. It is about an 8 to 20-minute drive from Whistler Village depending on what beach you’re headed to. Green Lake is also a large lake nearby that is a beautiful destination in the summer and has naturally green water.

Alta Lake Video

To give you an idea of what to expect at Alta Lake, check out the following video. It was taken at Lakeside Park in the summer. As you’ll see in the video, the lake is a fair size and the park is pretty with a number of fun things to do. The video shows the grassy area at the park, the beach, dock and rental boats.

Other Information

For more information about this lake see the Tourism Whistler website.

For a list of similar places elsewhere in the Lower Mainland check out the articles Vancouver Beaches and Parks & Nature on the website VancouversBestPlaces.com.

Other articles that might be of interest include the following:

Whistler’s Alta Lake