The hills overlooking the south shore of Kamloops Lake have extensive slopes of sage and grasslands.   The hilltops and north-facing areas have ponderosa and douglas fir trees, but it is open forest allowing easy passage in any direction.   There are a few tracks/dirt roads  too, all behind fence lines.   Cattle will be on these ranges soon so we keep our exploration of the hills to late winter and early spring, going quietly and respectfully on foot.

No directions or maps are provided in this article.   Hikers may need permission to hike these hills.

Once out in the Dry Hills there are are rocky hills, facing south, dry for much of the year.

There are a couple of low, wet spots that collect snowmelt, but all of these dry up by summer.

The north edge of the hilltops look across to Mt. Mara on the east and Red Plateau on the west.

Battle Bluff, the Dewdrop Range, and Red Plateau  stand above Kamloops Lake to the west side.

To the southeast, Sugarloaf Hill rises above the rolling hills.

This is a quiet area, but like many areas surrounding Kamloops, it is fenced in for cattle grazing.   Ranchers and lease holders don’t want dirt bikes, ATVs, and other vehicles on rangelands.   They want fences to remain intact and to have their cattle undisturbed.   Hunters are unwelcome.   With all of this in mind, we walk in the off-season quietly, giving a wide berth to cattle (there weren’t any in February), taking nothing but photos, and leaving nothing but a fleeting footprint.