Burton Hut

Burton Hut (Roland Burton Hut), also known as Sphinx Hut, is a backcountry hut in Sphinx Bay on the east side of Garibaldi Lake, run by the UBC Varsity Outdoor Club. It’s a basic wilderness hut used for multi-day winter and summer trips in Garibaldi Park, with access that’s typically much more feasible in winter when the lake is frozen.

The hut sleeps 10 comfortably and up to 15 when it’s tight. Heating is via a white gas catalytic heater, lighting is solar, and cooking is set up around a white gas two-burner Coleman stove. There’s a loft sleeping area and sleeping platforms and floor space on the main floor, plus an outhouse for human waste (N NW of the hut).

Campfires are prohibited at all VOC huts, and the hut operates under Leave No Trace principles for sensitive alpine environments.

Fees apply for overnight use: VOC fee is $15 per person per night, and there is also a BC Parks fee for wilderness camping in this area. There are no reservations for Burton Hut; use is coordinated through the VOC hut registration process, and VOC trips get priority during fall and winter holidays (New Year’s, Reading Week, Easter).

For overnights in Garibaldi Park outside established campgrounds (including Burton Hut), you need a BC Parks Wilderness Camping Permit. The permit can be purchased up until 5pm the day you intend to arrive, and overnight stays at Burton Hut require this permit for any member of the public (including VOC members).

Access is non-motorized-only in the park. In summer there is no trail approach, and in winter the lake’s freezing timing controls when you can reach the hut; in late spring the hut can occasionally flood due to ice jamming the creek where it enters Garibaldi Lake.

Burton Hut has a history of being renovated and maintained; it was built in 1969 and underwent major renovations in 2006 and again in November 2024 (including roofing replacement, re-insulation, strengthening reinforcements, new floor joists and beams, and mouse-proofing). For the latest operational status and guidance, follow the VOC hut registration bulletins.

Official website