When you visit Squamish, there are some obvious hikes like the Chief or the Sea to Summit trail. But there are sooo many other fun (and easy) hikes nearby! Marc and I explored Mount Crumpit partly because we loved the idea of climbing something called Mount Crumpit(!) But also because Marc has been working soooo hard, that I wanted to find a hike that wouldn’t be too exhausting. This trail was perfect! There are some steep sections that provide a bit of a challenge, but it is not a huge amount of elevation gain, so not too hard. Plus, you can finish the hike in a few hours, grab a yummy pie from Golden Crust in Squamish and then relax all afternoon. If you’re anything like me, you’ll need a snack after thinking about crumpets all morning!

Although google maps, and my 105 Hikes book both spelled this “Mount Crumpit” The local signs mostly said “Mount Crumpet” So I guess either spelling is acceptable. However you spell it, I was dreaming about crumpets dripping with butter while we did this hike. Canada does not have enough crumpets.

Mount Crumpit trail map

Mount Crumpit – the basics:

Distance: 8 km (although I think our version was a bit less)
Elevation Gain: 270m
Highest Point: 325m
Time: 3-4 hours
What to bring: Walking boots. Plenty of water and food. We didn’t bring poles for this walk.
The 10 essentials.
Facilities: There aren’t any loos, so stop at the Chief or Shannon Falls to use the toilet before you get here.
How hard is it? The steep sections could be pretty slippy on a rainy day, but they don’t take long. As the whole walk is pretty short, it’s not very hard at all.
Parking:
Try to park in a way that doesn’t inconvenience the people who live on Cherry Drive, by Crumpit Woods. If there are lots of cars, there is a small car park, a little further down the road on Westway Avenue.
Extra tips:
– Lots of this walk follows cycle routes, so keep your eye out for them and move to the side of the path when mountain bikers zoom past. 
– This walk goes in a loop, but make sure you climb Mount Crumpit near the start of your walk, rather than finishing with it. We met a few hikers who had been lost on the bike trails for a couple of hours before they could find the path to the mountain, so they had to climb in the heat of the midday sun, just as we were relaxing into our return journey through Crumpit woods. Just follow the directions in the 105 hikes book and you’ll be fine.

Summer Flowers

This hike starts by heading straight into Crumpit Woods, but then you soon reach a path along a clearing called the “flicker pass.” As there is plenty of sun and grass along this section, we got to see loads of colourful flowers.

Who names cycle paths!?

Whenever you see maps of cycle routes in BC, they choose some really interesting names! Our path started on the “S&M connector”, then quickly went off to “Deep Ends.” Those aren’t too strange, but later in the walk we went past routes called “Sweeter the Barry,” Spencer’s Big Gay Ride” as well as “Three Virgins.” I guess mountain bikers like raunchy-sounding trails!? They might also like hairy things as I spotted a “Hairy Barry” and a “Hairy Bomber”. There was also a “Farside”, a “Fatherside”, a “Lost loop” and a “Really Lost loop” These all made me smile.

Anyway, as soon as you step onto the Deep Ends trail, the path heads uphill quite steeply. We soon found ourselves scrambling up rock faces and using tree roots to help gain our footing. It was really fun! There are quite a few places where you can look out to the surrounding valleys and mountains. You don’t have to wait for the top for a view!

I loved the way so many of the rocks were covered in fluffy moss. There was one gorgeous view point that looked up to a moss-covered cliff. You can see the way up Mount Co-Crumpit.

Mount Crumpit’s silence

The little residential area below is where we parked. We were also treated to a gorgeous view of the Stawamus Chief (it’s only a few minutes away by car.) However, unlike the hike up the Chief, this walk was really quiet. At this point, we had only encountered one trail runner. We did meet a couple of groups of hikers later, but this trail seems very empty if you are used to the more popular BC trails!

The views from the top of Mount Co-Crumpet are not that amazing, as the summit is hidden in the trees. You then have to descend quite a long way, before heading back up the “Stairway to Heaven” path. This section was so steep that it was quite hard to stop and catch your breath! I mean, standing still can be quite difficult when the gradient is so steep!

Mount Crumpit View Points

After one of the stairway to heaven steep sections, we found this amazing view-point. This rock drops off with an almost vertically into the woods below. As long as you don’t fall, the views are gorgeous.

The viewpoint also has excellent views of the Sky Pilot Mountain (that awesome looking pointy peak) as well as the Chief.

Keep going!

Despite the views, that wasn’t the top! We climbed over a busy log – there are both flying ants and walking ants all hard at work when we walked past! It’s easy to miss these cool mini ecosystems, so keep your eyes peeled. There are some lovely views over to the Tantalus range of mountains too.

There were a couple of different view points at the top if Mount Crumpit. First we took the path to the left (there is a sign saying this is the North Face.) This gave us a lovely view of Mount Garibaldi. However, we decided to have lunch on the South Face, as the views were even more impressive.

Steep Descent

So, the way down Mount Crumpit might not be fun if you are scared of heights! The views are fantastic, but look how blooming steep it is!? I climbed down sitting on my bottom to stay safe! I imagine this would be really slippery on a soggy day, so be careful!

Crumpit Woods

Once you are down from the steepest section, the rest of the walk is really easy and pleasant. Crumpit woods are lush and green, but the trees allow sufficient light to allow flowers and ferns to rule the forest floor.

We followed the “Woodpecker” trail, followed by the “Fatherside” trail. We meant to take a long route back to the car, but we accidentally turned back on to the “S&M connector”. So we found ourselves on the home stretch a little earlier than we originally intended. (Oops!) It is really easy to get lost on the cycle trails, even if you have a map. I did have enough phone signal here to work out our location on googlemaps.

Despite finishing a little early, I really enjoyed this walk. Especially because it was so quiet and relaxing. If you fancy an easy hike with gorgeous views near Squamish, this is a really good option.

We actually started our day by visiting the amazing Shannon Falls. If you do this hike in spring or early summer, I totally recommend dropping by to see that too, as it was amaaaazing.

If you liked the sound of hiking and crumpets, pin away! 🙂