Article

Garibaldi Provincial Park

Published Online February 7, 2006

Last Edited April 21, 2015

Natural History The mountains, which dominate the park and rise to 2678 m at Mount Garibaldi, are of recent volcanic origin. Lava from Price Mountain created a dam allowing 300 m deep Lake Garibaldi to form.
Mountain Landscape, Garibaldi
Frederick Horsman Varley, circa 1928, oil on canvas (courtesy Power Corp of Canada Ltd).
Downhill at Whistler
At Whistler, BC, in Garibaldi Provincial Park. Downhill is a straight, steep descent in a race against time at speeds that approach 130 kph (Corel Professional Photos).
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Garibaldi Provincial Park (established 1927, 194 000 ha) is a mountain wilderness located 64 km north of Vancouver, normally reached by a short trail from Highway 99, north of Squamish.

Natural History
The mountains, which dominate the park and rise to 2678 m at Mount Garibaldi, are of recent volcanic origin. Lava from Price Mountain created a dam allowing 300 m deep Lake Garibaldi to form. Subsequent erosion, especially by glaciers which still persist at higher altitudes, has sculpted the peaks, notably Black Tusk, and gouged the valleys, leaving a landscape of spectacular rugged beauty.

Below 1500 m is a dense forest of Douglas fir, western red cedar and western hemlock; above, more scattered growth of mountain hemlock, yellow CYPRESS, alpine fir and white bark pine. The alpine regions feature heather, numerous wildflowers and perpetual snow. Large mammals are scarce; more noticeable are marmots, squirrels, ptarmigans, Canada jays and golden eagles.

Human History
Mount Garibaldi was named in 1860 by Royal Navy Captain George Richards after Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi. Difficulties of access inhibited human exploitation of the area. Adjacent to the northwest boundary is the Whistler Mountain ski resort.