Lindeman Lake is a beautiful mountain lake in the Fraser Valley, very popular with hikers and campers especially in the spring/summer months. The trails are dog-friendly but dogs must be kept on-leash.
The trail head is on Chilliwack Lake Road, a short distance from the Provincial campsite. Watch for a sign on the side of the road for “Post Creek, Lindeman, Greendrop and Flora Lakes” and you will see a large parking area. You will likely also encounter a large number of cars parked on the side of the road.
There are signs in the parking lot warning hikers that it is a “high theft area” and to make sure you don’t leave any valuables in your car. Several spots with broken glass in the parking lot back the warning up. The parking area is very busy during the day but for those planning to camp and leave their car overnight there is a high chance that you could return to find a broken window.
The hike is listed as “dog friendly” on several hiking websites, but when we arrived at the trailhead we noted a sign that indicated that dogs must be kept on a leash. Even with the leash rule there were a large number of dogs on the trail and cooling down in the lake at the top.
The hike starts gently with a nice path that leads you down next to the creek, but it quickly starts to ascend through large rocks and over fairly technical terrain. Avy loved the hike and had no trouble making her way over the large rocks but if your dog is small the may have a difficult time with some areas. That said we saw several other small dogs on the hike.
Mid way up there is a bridge made from a fallen log that goes over the creek. Avy is somewhat scared of heights and does not like bridges on a good day – this bridge was no exception. On the way up she was so excited to be out hiking that she crossed it with relatively little coaxing (but with her belly close to the ground and very carefully). The trip back was another story and it took several attempts before she finally got the courage up to make the crossing.
After the bridge you continue to ascend and in some areas the terrain is quite steep and a bit slippery – you definitely want to travel carefully and watch that you don’t roll an ankle.
When you get to the top and come out at the lake all of the climbing instantly becomes worth it. The lake is gorgeous with blue green water and mountains in the background. Avy was happy to take a dip in the lake with the other dogs in the area but Matt and I did not venture in – from all accounts the water is very cold.
There are several tent platforms at the top and others had pitched tents right next to the lake – definitely a beautiful view to wake up to. There are bears in the area so if you choose to camp while you are there you should make use of the bear cache or hang your food away from your tent.
If you are looking for a longer hike you can continue on from Lindeman lake to Greendrop lake which is another 2 hours or so away. Matt and I started down the trail but it starts with a large boulder field that none of us was keen on traversing. This part of the trail is a bit less dog friendly and a small dog would definitely have challenges with it.
Note: there are garbage cans and an outhouse at the trailhead but there are no facilities at the top of the hike so be sure to carry your garbage out.