Hiking far from crowds between valleys and mountain tops…

Summit Mountain Guides offers daily guided or multi-day hiking and backpacking adventures for beginner to advanced hikers. Explore stunning wilderness areas of British Columbia, Western Canada or elsewhere in the world with us. Choose your program, there is a walk, hike or trek for everyone!

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Professional Hiking Guiding

As professionally certified ACMG hiking and interpretive guides, professional educators, ecologists and residents of Nelson BC, we love to share our passion and knowledge with you. We have over two decades of experience hiking and leading trips in the mountains, makes us the guiding and educational specialists for your adventure vacation. In the peaceful wilderness of the Selkirk, Purcell and Rocky mountain ranges, we interpret the stories behind the mountain scenes. Be amazed by the natural wonders while enjoying the knowledge and safety provided by professional guides and educators.

Backcountry Hiking Adventures

At Summit Mountain Guides we thrive on designing hiking programs that meet individual’s goals and interests. We welcome families, staff teams and groups of all ages. Join us for an adventurous hikes, interpretive nature walks, a heli-access hike, a backpacking or design a custom trip. You may spot mountain goats, pikas or perhaps see sign of a bear’s last meal. You may also savor the scent of sub alpine fir or luckily wander upon a forest orchid. Whether you are a novice or experienced hiker, we offer varied yet balanced hiking programs in complete wilderness that meet your needs and walking passion.

Browse our hiking and backpacking programs by category

Natural History & Ecology

For budding naturalists or guides interested in upgrading skills, we offer custom programs in nature interpretation for hikers interesting in understanding the ecology.

Introduction to Backpacking

Develop the backcountry and wilderness skills need to effectively plan your route, navigate and set up campsites safely and with ecological integrity. Explore into scenic wilderness areas such as Valhalla, Kokanee Glacier or Goat Provincial Park.

Mountain Navigation

Mountain navigation for recreational hikers or mountain leaders interested in streamlining their navigation and trip planing skills. Learn modern skills for effective navigation, leadership and organization hence reducing hazards and increasing terrain understanding.

Hiking Trips

Custom Backpacking Trips

We also offer custom backpacking programs tailored to individuals or groups interested in a specific location in Western Canada or worldwide. Here you will find the key logistics and information required for such trips. Organizing programs in little known and remote locations is one of our forte.

Hut-to-Hut Backpacking

Backpacking in the alpine terrain from hut-to-hut is a very civilized way to enjoy longer hiking traverses. Join a certified guide for a 3-4day trip in one of our favorite areas or an area of your choice.

Alpine Hiking

For hikers seeking unique backcountry hikes, join a certified hiking guide for the day to walk in an alpine meadow, upon aesthetic ridges or through the lush forests of the Selkirk, Monashee and Purcell Mountains.

Interpretive Hikes

Perfect for folks interested in learning about the environment they are traveling trough. Depending on the location and season, you will learn the unique stories behind the geology, biology and ecology linking plants to animals and elevation to critters.

Whitewater Pass

Explore into grizzly bear terrain with your guide. Notice the colours of lichen on the rock walls change as you ascend into the subalpine and watch for red-tailed hawks in the wide sky above.

Kokanee Glacier Keyhole

If you are comfortable with heights and enjoy scrambling on boulders, consider pushing your fitness level with a hike up to the keyhole, a small notch that brings you to the edge of Kokanee Glacier.

Silver Spray and Woodbury Drainage

Hike up the steep Silver Spray Cabin trail and be rewarded with stunning alpine views in delicate meadows and recent burn subalpine ecosystem.

Macbeth Icefield

Your hike to the Macbeth Icefield will take you through lush meadows, old forests and challenge your muscles to ascend a series of stairs to bring to a gloriously wild alpine basin.

Alps Alturas

Striking views, alpine meadows, dramatic basins with a perfect lake to soak your feet in are all on the menu at Alps Alturus. You’ll share the stunning views with the grizzlies, pikas and marmots that live there.

Drinnon Pass and Gwillim Lake

The trail leads you through a mature forest into the picturesque sub-alpine terrain of Valhalla Provincial Park. Enjoy walking by rugged rocky outcrops and discover the variety of plants that seek a living in the alpine.

Gimli Peak and the Valhalla Guardians

Located in the Valhalla Mountains, the stunning rock of Gimli, Asgard, Daag and a number of other impressive summits greet you as you ascend the into the alpine.

Jumbo Pass

Located in the heart of the Purcell Mountains, Jumbo pass presents some impressive views of glaciers, moraines and peaks in a panoramic direction. Walk into this scenic wilderness and you’ll understand why hundreds of people are opposed to development proposed here.

Monica Meadows

The trail ascends through subalpine forest, landing you in incredible paintbrush landscape of flowers, particularly mid-summer.

Pine Trees of Pilot Peninsula

After a scenic ferry trip to Crawford Bay, enjoy a full day of gentle hiking on the east side of Kootenay Lake in the giant ponderosa pine trees and associated dry flora.

Fry Creek Canyon

Wander on a gentle historic trail that suspends above the canyon, enjoy the sound of gurgling water and discovering the tributaries that feed the river.

Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park

A unique protected area with trailheads close to Nelson. Walk up to Kokanee Lake by wandering through wildflower meadows after a gentle ascent through a lush forest.

Old Growth Forest

Cedar Grove trail is a stunning forest with a dramatic grove of old cedar and hemlock trees, wander through avalanche terrain and along the gurgling river of Kokanee.

Idaho Peak Lookout

This scenic trail is one of the most popular walks and rightly so, as easy vehicle access brings you right into the alpine. The famous wildflower meadows of Idaho Peak are captured in many postcards and visitor albums.

Tent-Based Backpacking

Tent based backpacking adventures in the remote wilderness of Western Canada. Join a certified guide for a multi-day trip into the pristine backcountry, enjoy alpine meadows, aesthetic ridges or scramble to a nearby peaks.

Glacier Trekking

Seasoned hikers looking for additional adventures should try backpacking across high mountains and glaciers. Our Glacier treks will take you one step further. With a certified guide you’ll learn how to rope up, walk on glaciers with crampons and move safely around crevasses.

Heli-Access Hikes

For those who have limited time and enjoy hiking in seclusion, consider a lift into the alpine. Helicopters offer a speedy access to a high elevation starting point.