Smoke Bluffs is becoming more popular, and that means a bigger parking lot is needed, according to the park’s advisory board.
“There’s certainly a lack of parking” said Toby Foord-Kelcey, chair of the Smoke Bluffs Advisory Committee.
The primary parking lot by Logger’s Lane becomes easily filled on busy days because it can only fit 100 cars at most, said Foord-Kelcey.
And busy days seem to be happening more often.
At peak times, hundreds of people can be seen in the park, which is a result of a steady increase over time, said Foord-Kelcey, who first came to Squamish in 1982.
“The parking lot becomes full during the summer and it becomes full outside the summer months when the weather is good,” he said.
Foord-Kelcey said the board has flagged increasing the size of this area as a high priority.
But while it may be tricky finding a place to leave your car, the park itself doesn’t feel crowded, he said.
Smoke Bluffs is the most popular climbing spot in Canada, he added, and most of its visitors appear to be out-of-town climbers from all over the world.
Brian Moorhead, who has been involved in the park’s development since it was created in 2006, credits its increased use to a rising interest in the sport.
“Over the last decade, climbing has exploded in popularity so the bluffs’ climbing activity reflects this,” wrote Moorhead in an email.
More than 400 climbing routes can be found in Smoke Bluffs Park, which is located north of The Chief.
The Smoke Bluffs Advisory Committee was established to research the park’s usage and make policy recommendations to city council.
The committee is made of volunteers who represent climbers, trail users and mountain bikers. Among its latest recommendations is the resurfacing of the main parking lot with a permeable material, as the area is prone to flooding.
The group meets on the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in council chamber.
