MacDonald Peak Hiking Trail
Length: 23 km
Elevation gain: 1,725 m
Difficulty Level: Very hard
Macdonald Peak hiking trail is in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. The trailhead starts at Chilliwack Lake campsite. You can park at the day-use parking lot. Note that the gate to the campsite is closed in the winter and in the spring/summer closed between 11 PM and 7 AM.
The trail is long and has a decent elevation gain. There are a few areas which require scrambling. Hikers have to make sure they are ready to hike this trail. There are a few boulder fields along the way, especially in the latter part of the trail. There is a scree field just before scrambling to the peak. The scree field is very slippery and dangerous to descend. The final scramble to the peak is not that long but does require the use of hands to lift yourself up. Trail markers are absent (some areas may have cairns but are not reliable) on the boulder fields, scree field, and scrambling section. For that reason, offline maps are required. Water sources are abundant along the trail. The last water source is just before the ascending leading to the col between Webb and MacDonald. There is a small lake/pond called Radium Lake, three-quarters of the way along the trail.
The trail is in the shade most of the time. Hikers will expose to the Sun starting from the first bolder filed (the ascend that leads to the Web/MacDonald split).
The views from the peak are amazing. You can see many of the famous peaks, like Mount Baker, Mount Shuksan, Mount Lindeman, Webb, Slesse Mountain, etc, and of course Chilliwack Lake, from the peak.
Bear sightings are common on this trail.
