The first of a series on Cathedral Park….

Cathedral Provincial Park lies southwest of Keremeos high in the Cascade Range.   Access is by the Ashnola River Road which leads right to the trailhead.   It is possible to hike up the track to the alpine, but this is a long (16km) dreary back-breaking hike and not recommended.   We did it once and vowed to always take the ride up every time thereafter.   Cathedral Lakes Lodge runs a shuttle service using jeeps on  a reservation system (link).   It takes about an hour to climb 1500m elevation to Quiniscoe Lake.

It is possible to go up for just the day, but hiking will be limited by the time available.     This area requires about 2 nights stay to explore the main trails.    The lodge is available and in poor weather is a good choice, but its not cheap!

Right next to the lodge is the Quiniscoe Lake Campground and this is where the majority of hikers stay.   Similar to Lake O'Hara, campers bring in an array of gear since it is not a backpack in.   The campground can be crowded, but it is still a nice spot.   We have camped here, but we prefer one of the other campgrounds.   Lake of the Woods has a nice view over that lake and fish jumped all day to our delight.   Pyramid Lake is a short distance above.   It is only a one kilometer (flat) hike to Lake of the Woods.   We preferred the quieter location away from Quiniscoe Lake.

The premier hike is the Rim Trail, but it can be divided into two hikes to take in more of the side routes.    Hiking routes will be featured in subsequent posts.