The Whistler train wreck is a modern tourist attraction originating from a 67 year old train derailment. Perfect for adventure seekers and art enthusiasts, the 7 carriages sit within the dense Canadian forest on the edge of the Cheakamus River just outside of Whistler

The Whistler Train Wreck is not the easiest site to get to during winter but it’s worth the cross country adventure, the beautiful dense forest is a winter wonderland when a fresh sprinkling of snow has just fallen.

About The Whistler Train Wreck

The Whistler train wreck occurred in 1956 where a train derailed after some miscalculations from the crew onboard. The 7 boxcars were subsequently dragged further down into the forest and away from the tracks to where they still sit today. No one was injured in the derailment however the engineer and crew were subsequently fired for trying to make up for lost time and increasing their speed through an area which was under repair, thus causing a carriage to get wedged.

7 beautifully decorated, yet damaged and rusted box cars sit among a dense green forest in Whistler, creating a juxtaposition spectacle that draws in adventure seekers and graffiti artists every year.

The box cars are spread out within the dense green forest sitting among large trees and plenty of foresty growth, creating a marvelous contrast between urban decay and nature. Every box car is decorated in layers of spray paint and masses of colour. From pictures to words and unintelligible scribbles. Making for amazing photos and travel story to take home with you.

There are no rules to exploring the carriages but do be mindful of where you step. Plenty of the metal work and ladders are still fixed in place with a little added wobble. Rust chips off the carriages with any slight disturbance so don’t wear your best white pants, this metal work playground is essentially a health and safety officers nightmare so don’t be setting your children loose for them to cut themselves on a piece of rusty metal.

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Getting to the Whistler Train Wreck

Getting to the Whistler train wreck was a lot more difficult that expected, especially during the end of winter when there was still ice covering the ground. The track is flat but you still need a relatively good level of fitness to weave your way through the bush.

Google Maps didn’t provide much assistance in where the start of the track was, so make sure you take the right path before embarking on this ‘intrepid’ journey.

Follow the path from Whistler Quarry Road, this will take you through the bush and across a suspension bridge and right to the Whistler train wreck. Wear good shoes and even cleats if visiting during winter or early spring. The path can get extremely icy.

Do not follow the path from the Millar Creek Road entrance, especially during winter or early spring. This path is fine if you’re nimble on your feet; it will take you under a bridge with large boulders and across the train tracks and through a barely marked bush track. This track essentially followed the path of the train tracks but through the bush. Its illegal to walk along the tracks so do so at your own risk. There were plenty of other people taking this track so you won’t be alone, but if your sense of direction is shot then I suggest avoiding this track and making your way from Whistler Quarry Road.

The path from Millar Creek Road is not officially sign posted, we only made our way to the train wreck because of colourful spray painted rocks pointing us in the right direction.

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Other Things to do in Whistler

Bobsledding at Whistler Sliding Centre

Bobsledding is an incredible experience but it’s not for the faint hearted. The Sliding Centre in Whistler has unique adrenalin pumping activities like the skeleton, luge or bobsleigh; these are only run during certain times of the year and certain days of the week. The Whistler Sliding Centre is primarily used to train current or up and coming athletes, so these tracks are maintained to the highest standards!

The bobsled was the quickest but most thrilling and accelerating experience, our pilot was an Olympic bronze medalist which just added to the experience, he even brought his medal along for the ride!

Peak to Peak Gondola

The Peak to Peak Gondola is a wonderful way to see Whistler from up above, and it’s well priced so perfect for families or groups of young people to experience.

The peak to peak experience travel between Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb mountain, you can hop on the Gondola from either upper or lower Whistler village. You can stop on both mountains to check out the scenery or grab a hot coffee. There is no time limit for the peak to peak gondola so you can spend the whole day on the mountain and playing in the snow if you choose.

Walk to Lost Lake

Walking to Lost Lake was a last minute decision we made on our last day in Whistler, the weather was too bad to head up the mountain for some beginner snowboarding so we opted for a stroll through the very snowy and icy forest to Lost Lake. The lake was frozen over and the beach was thick with snow, can’t say it was the best place for a lake side picnic at this time of the year but it certainly made for beautiful photos.

Walk to Rainbow Park

Another wonderful walk to do if you have a morning or afternoon spare. Walking to Rainbow Park is especially beautiful during winter or early spring when the trees are covered with snow and Alta Lake is still frozen over. Walking to Rainbow Park takes around an hour each way, depending on how often you stop for photos. And is popular with locals walking their dogs. The path we walked took us around a golf course and down a street with absolutely beautiful houses built from the most incredible wooden logs.

The walk to Rainbow Park and Alta Lake was the best way to spend our first day in Whistler, the panoramic views of the neighbouring Blackcomb and Whistler mountains really brought home the scale of Whistler and Canadas natural landscape.

Whistler Accommodation

If you’re looking to stay in Whistler for a night or two then you’ll have plenty of accommodation options to choose from. In Whistler Village there are plenty of apartments to choose from such as Bear Lodge or Deer Lodge, the only downfall with staying in Whistler village is that it can get pretty noisy at night. Whistler village is home to several bars and clubs which draw in eager and loud partiers most nights. Finding accommodation in Whistler village is a great place to start if you don’t mind a bit of noise, otherwise I would pack a few sleeping pills.

AirBnb and Booking.com are two of the best websites to use if you’re trying to find accommodation outside of Whistler village. Along the main roads there are plenty of motels and lodges with off street parking and are walking distance to the slopes.