Harrison Hut Trail
| Harrison Hut Trail | |
|---|---|
 Hiking northeast towards the trailhead. | |
| Length | 12 km |
| Class | Class 1 |
| Status | Clear |
| Access | via Lillooet South FSR, Perkins Main, and R09218
(Status) |
| Destination | Harrison Hut |
| Caretaker | Varsity Outdoor Club |
| Legal |
|
| GPS | |
| KML | |
| Maps | |
The Harrison Hut Trail is a 12 km trail that links Harrison Hut to a logging road off Lillooet South FSR. The current trail was built on the territory of Lil'wat Nation by VOCers between 2010 and 2014 through much sweat and ingenuity. It passes through a mix of old growth forest, second growth forest, and recent cuts. There are three creek crossings, the second of which has a steel bridge (Barr Creek). For non-motorized parties completing the Pemberton Icefield Traverse, this trail acts as a northern entrance (or exit).
Bears are frequently seen in this area during the summer. Consider travelling in groups greater than three or carrying a bear bell. If camping along the trail, bring a rope and bag to hang your food up.
Contents
Landslide Hazard
See also: [government brochure]
The Meager Group is one of the most geologically active areas in Canada and is responsible for periodic landslides including, in 2010, one of the largest in Canadian recorded history. Landslide risk is highest when it is hot (lots of snowmelt) and when there is lots of precipitation. Washouts can also occur during large precipitation events.
When the government deems that the risk is extreme, they close the 2 km gate on the Lillooet South FSR. You should check if it is closed before heading up to the hut and also avoid going when hot weather or lots of precipitation is expected in the near future. Apart from the landslide risk itself, you don't want to get stuck because the gate was locked behind you.
Pika Creek is the first major creek crossing. Do not linger in the creekbed. It is known to have rockfall events. This is not the place for lunch or—God forbid—camping!
Pika Creek is the first creek which the trail crosses. The creek is subject to unpredictable small rockslides. Do not camp in this area.
At Capricorn Lookout. In 2010 an entire side of the Capricorn Valley failed causing the damage visible from this vantage.
Access Information
The trail to Harrison Hut can be reached by heading up Lillooet South FSR and turning on to Perkins Main and then R09218. The trailhead is at 900 m elevation, about 55 km from Pemberton. The closest possible parking is 7.5 km away at the 23 km gate on the Lillooet South FSR.
Road Closures
Lillooet South FSR is gated in two locations. The first gate is located 2 km up the road. This gate is locked seasonally to protect grizzly bears under the Wildlife Act from September 16th to Nov 30th and from April 1 to June 15th. During the Wildlife Act closures, non-motorized travel is allowed past this gate.
The gate at 2 km can also be locked during periods of extreme landslide risk. These closures are unscheduled and depend on weather forecasts. Weather conditions that constitute extreme landslide risk and result in closure of the 2 km gate are:
- When the maximum daily temperature is at least 35 °C in the valley bottom; or
- Rainfall exceeds 70 mm in 24 hours; or
- Rainfall exceeds 100 mm in 48 hours.
These conditions typically occur between 10 and 20 days per year. Make sure to check the weather forecast. If it seems like extreme hazard could be possible, don't go to the hut. Apart from the landslide hazard itself, you don't want the gate to be locked behind you!
The second gate is located 23 km up the road. This gate is always locked to motorized traffic, so this is where you'll have to park. If you get to the gate and it is open, do not go through. It's probably open temporarily for industrial users and you'll get stuck inside.
The closures listed above (and the closure of the old Meager Creek Hotsprings Recreation Site) are being actively enforced by the Province. Violators are fined and/or prosecuted. Surveillance is used to catch people. Don't be that nuisance individual causing safety problems!
Driving Instructions to the 23 km Gate
To reach Lillooet South FSR from Vancouver, drive north to Pemberton, passing through Squamish and Whistler. At Pemberton Portage Rd turn left. Follow the road to a roundabout where you go left onto Birch Rd. At the end of Birch Rd make a right onto Pemberton Meadows Road. Follow this road to the end; it eventually becomes Lillooet South FSR.
Lillooet South FSR is marked with kilometre signs all the way along and generally a flat and easy drive (or bike ride). People have been known to get flat tires though—it's a good idea to decrease your tire pressure a few PSI below the normal amount. At 19 km and 20 km there are two sizeable hills which might require cyclists to dismount.
If you get to the 23 km gate by car, this is the place to park. Make sure your vehicle is not blocking the road.
From 23 km Gate to the Trailhead
This section can be a long road walk or a real hill climb of a bike ride. Cross over Perkins Creek using the 23 km bridge and then, after about 400 m, take your first left onto Perkins Main. Follow Perkins Main and then one of its spurs until you get to the trailhead. Keep an eye on the GPS track to make sure you take all the turns correctly. It's 7.5 km and 610 m elevation gain from the gate to the trailhead.
Winter Approach
None of the access roads are ploughed in the winter. You will likely need to park at the beginning of Lillooet South FSR and hike/skin the 30.5 km to reach the trailhead.
Turn Table
| KM | Road | Direction or Monument |
|---|---|---|
| - 8.8 | Pemberton Meadows Road | End of Paved Road |
| 0.0 | Pemberton Meadows Road | Sign "End of Public Road"; Start of Lillooet South FSR |
| 2.0 | Lillooet South FSR | 2 km Gate Locked Seasonally
Sep. 16 - Nov. 30 and Apr. 1 - Jun. 15 and also during Extreme Landslide Risk (park here if locked) |
| 8.9 | Lillooet South FSR | Go Right |
| 18.9 | Lillooet South FSR | Go Left |
| 19.0 | Lillooet South FSR | Start of 1st Hill Climb |
| 20.0 | Lillooet South FSR | Start of 2nd Hill Climb |
| 23.0 | Lillooet South FSR | 23km Gate Locked Permanently
(park here) |
| 24.1 | Lillooet South FSR | Turn Left onto Perkins Main |
| 27.5 | Perkins Main | Go Right |
| 29.2 | Perkins Main | Turn Right onto R09218 |
| 29.6 | R09218 | Go Left |
| 30.5 | R09218 | Trailhead |
Trail Description
| Section | Distance | Elevation Gain | Elevation Loss | Description | Estimated Hiking Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 km Gate to Trailhead | 7.5 km | 610 m | 100 m | Road walk or bike | 2-4 hours |
| Trailhead to Campsite | 4.9 km | 360 m | 250 m | Rough trail | 2-4 hours |
| Campsite to Hut | 7.0 km | 880 m | 170 m | Rough trail | 4-8 hours |
To get to the trailhead, you have to start by walking or biking 7.5 km up logging roads (see above). The trailhead area is a good place to camp. There are good water sources but no outhouse. Be sure to practice bear safety and hang up your food when camping.
The first five kilometres of the trail traverse up the Meager Creek valley at a more or less constant elevation. The trail passes through a mix of old growth forest, second growth forest, and cut blocks that were logged circa 2023. Some technical parts of the trail require you to carefully climb over rocks. There are no good places to camp in this section—the ground is too uneven and there are no flat spots to pitch a tent. There are, however, several viewpoints from which you can see the debris from the 2010 Meager Slide.
After 4.9 km, you reach an old logging road. This is a good place to camp. There are water sources but no outhouse. Again, practice bear safety and hang up your food when camping.
After the campsite, the trail follows the old logging road for a kilometre then winds up a cut block into old growth forest. Soon, it descends again, into Pika Creek. One can usually cross the creek with some clever rock-hopping. Sometimes it is necessary to get your feet wet.
Do not linger by Pika Creek. Sometimes, rocks tumble down into the creek from the mountains above. You do not want to be in the creek when that happens. This is not the place for a lunch break!
Rising above Pika Creek, the trail is (almost) all uphill until the hut, through pleasant old growth forest. The top of the trail, near the hut, is usually deep in snow until early summer. Check satellite images to determine the snow line. You will often want snowshoes to reach the hut.
In winter, the route can be skied, but it has a reputation as a very difficult ski. Additionally, trail markers are low down below the snow level, so you will need to rely on your own navigation. Skiers often cross the Pemberton Icecap to reach Harrison Hut rather than using the Harrison Hut Trail. To see one account of ski access to Harrison Hut see Nick Hindley's 2018 trip report.
Winter Helicopter Policy
Harrison Hut is the VOC's most remote hut situated on the far north end of the Pemberton Icecap. Winter access requires up to 40 km of travel on an unplowed forest service road, potentially a river crossing, and a 6 km bushwack skin. Alternatively, it can be access through a multi-day traverse of the Pemberton Icecap from the Rutherford Emergency Shelter, or from Ring Lake in Callaghan Provincial Park. Due to the extremely remote and difficult nature of accessing the hut in winter, the VOC accepts entry and exit access by Helicopter. This is the ONLY INSTANCE of motorized access at ANY of the VOC huts which the VOC accepts and only if there are no non-motorized travelers in the time frame you wish to access the hut. If you intend to access the hut via Helicopter, you MUST register and accept that you are second in priority to any non-motorized travelers. Include the full details of how many are in your party, the dates and times of helicopter access, contact information, and the company you flying in with. In addition, please bring with you your own firewood. The firewood at the hut is collected from treeline alpine and is a very limited resource and by bringing in your own wood we can preserve the wood at the hut for non-motorized users and reduce our overall stress on the environment. If there are ANY conflicts as a result of motorized users willfully abstaining from the procedures set out herein, the VOC will not hesitate to revoke this policy.
