These 10 B.C. trails had the most search and rescue calls last year

The Grouse Grind is seen in an undated file image. (Shutterstock)

As people start planning for the May long weekend and beyond, BC Adventure Smart has released a list of the hiking trails where search and rescue crews responded to the highest volume of calls last year.

Trails on the North Shore and in the Sea to Sky region feature heavily on the list, accounting for eight of the 10 entries. The remaining two are on Vancouver Island.

Across the province, the most common reasons search and rescue crews are called are for hikers who are lost, hikers who have slipped or fallen, and hikers who embarked on a trail without realizing how challenging it would be.

"Wearing appropriate footwear, learning how to read a map and being mindful of the level of trail difficulty could have prevented 271 search and rescue missions in 2022," a statement from BC Adventure Smart says.

A number of the trails that have made the list start relatively close to cities but take hikers deep into the backcountry where weather can be severe and unpredictable and the terrain can quickly become difficult to navigate.

Others, while not technically as treacherous, are on the list because of their popularity. As large crowds of people with varying levels of skill and preparedness descend, preventable injuries increase.

The BC Search and Rescue Association has already created trail-specific safety guides for six of the trails because they were also on the list of the trails with the highest call volume for 2021.

The YouTube videos are an "in-depth visual planning resource, which gives regional and trail-specific information on terrain, facilities, weather, hiking times and required skills," according to the association.

The list of trails and the accompanying videos – where available – are provided below. The list is ranked in order of the number of search and rescue calls received.

1) Rubble Creek trail, heading to Black Tusk trail in Garibaldi Provincial Park

2) Howe Sound Crest Trail between Cypress Bowl and Porteau Cove on the North Shore

3) Juan de Fuca Marine Trail on the west coast of southern Vancouver Island

4) Stawamus Chief Trail in Squamish

5) Sea to Summit trail in Squamish

6) Grouse Grind trail in North Vancouver

7) Wedgemount Lake trail in Garibaldi Provincial Park

8) Mount Seymour trail in North Vancouver

9) Rainbow Mountain trail in Whistler

10) Cape Scott trail on northern Vancouver Island