Stawamus Chief Provincial Park and Campground centers around the Chief, a 600-meter tall tower of granite that erupts from the parking area in Squamish just above sea level and climbs abruptly to over 700 meters. Popular for its rock climbing and hiking trails, the 1,300 acres around the Chief became a provincial park in 1997.
At the base of the Grand Wall is a day use area and campground. The parking is free, and from the picnic tables you can gaze up at the wall or look out into Howe Sound. From the parking lot climbers can access the different climbing walls via trails at the base of the cliff. Hikers can climb the summit trail which climbs around to each of the Chief's three peaks. The cliffs are also nesting grounds for the peregrine falcons. This causes certain climbing routes to close between March and July.
The campground has 47 walk-in sites and 15 sites with car access. All sites are first-come, first-served. There is a $10 dollar fee per site at a self-paying registration booth at the entrance to the camping area. Each site has a gravel tent pad. There are no fires permitted anywhere in the campground. There are toilets without plumbing scattered through out the grounds and food caches for storing your food at night. A communal eating and cooking area is located at the east end of the campground, where you'll find a few picnic tables and a counter for cooking and cleaning. Most of the sites do not have very much light, but some are near larger trees with taller canopies that allow a little more light and some breathing room. There are some sites that are closer to each other if you wanted to group together, but they are still separated by some brush.
Whether you are hiking or climbing or looking for a place to crash, the campground at Stawamus Chief Provincial Park is just what you need for dawn patrol attack on the Chief. A great Squamish camping option that offers great views and lots of things to do, this is an ideal overnight stop.
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