The Nicola-Thompson area is blessed to have a number of accessible grasslands for hiking.   One  of the best of these is the Lundbom Commonage south of Merritt.   It is accessed by driving south on Highway 5A, then turning onto the Lundbom Road.   We usually park at Lundbom Lake and hike out into the hills via dirt double tracks.

Several articles are already published on this website and links to these and other trails are provided here:

• Guichon Lundbom Grasslands
• Cocobonk Trail
• Wounded Knee Trail
• Sugarloaf Mountain Trail

Our favorite hiking areas are Sugarloaf Mountain, the Cocobonk Trail, and Wounded Knee, all north of Lumdbom Lake.

There are a number of smaller lakes surrounded by grasslands, many of them unnamed.

At the end of summer a few flowers were still blooming, but the seedheads of salsify, horsetails, and old man’s whiskers are also interesting.

A number of birds were spotted, including this osprey watching over a small lake.

The grasslands ecosystem is full of birds, insects, and wildflowers in the spring and early summer, but the grasses turn to yellow and the whole area seems to be quieter by the end of summer and fall.

We had hoped to hike the Cocobonk Trail again, but it will have to wait for another year.   Watch for future posts on paddling Lundbom Lake, mountain biking the Cocobonk, or hiking the Sugarloaf Hills.

BC Backroads Mapbook