St. Mark's Summit

August 10, 2022

Distance: 11km round-trip

Elevation gain: 587m

Time required: 3-4 hours total

St. Mark's Summit is a popular hike in Cypress Provincial Park. It has an excellent reward-to-effort ratio.

St. Mark's Summit is located along the Howe Sound Crest Trail (it is actually the first viewpoint on that 28km trail). There are many different ways to get onto the trail from the resort. The most scenic is probably via the Yew Lake trail.

There is not much elevation gain to begin with. The trail is wide and fairly flat - doable for any skill level. It is also very well-marked. After a couple of kilometres of being in the forest, the elevation gain begins. It is not overly steep but it is a fairly consistent climb to the viewpoint. It takes me about 1.5 hours (as an experienced hiker who goes at a decently fast pace). For novice hikers, it would likely take about 2 hours.

Overlooking Boyer Island in the Howe Sound. The mixture of the sky, clouds, and water looked so cool.

The Howe Sound. Bowen Island is on the left, Gambier Island is on the right. (click to expand)

Me in 2018 during my first time doing St. Mark's Summit

Me in 2022 gazing out into the distance from my rock perch