Mount Hamilton Lookout
Mount Hamilton stands between the Douglas Lake Valley and the Quilchena Creek Valley. The trailhead to the Lookout is right off the Douglas Lake Road just west of the Spahomin Indian Reserve. The grassland hills stretch off in every direction from this elevation.
The first section of the backroad up to the Mount Hamilton Lookout crosses Douglas Lake Ranch property, so it is best done while cattle are not grazing and hikers are to also encouraged to check in with the Ranch before heading out. About a third of the way up the road crosses a fence and goes onto Crown Land.
On the way up, the road enters the forest after about a kilometer so hikers should take in the views early before starting the 5.5 km climb. Dougas Lake lies to the east with the Monte Hills in the distance.
There are two communications towers on top of Hamilton Mountain as well as an old BC Forest Service Fire Lookout.
From the lookout are fine views in every direction. Stoyama Mountain to the southwest had a fresh mantle of snow. The peaks of the Coast Range across the Fraser River were a white line in the west.
Nicola Lake was 11 km to the west and 875 m (2870 feet) lower. The snowy higher peaks of the Cantilever Range 108 km away could be seen on the horizon.
The camera was set to take HDR images and I was trying different settings as I took the photos of the landscapes we saw on the hike.
The out-and-back route on a double track to the Mount Hamilton Lookout was 11 km with an elevation gain of 645m (2116 feet). Because the route is up a north-aspect hill, the hike was mostly in the forest until the top, but it was a pleasant fall day in an area that few hikers explore. Hikers interested in the area may find the routes in the Hamilton Corrals (and Hamilton Corrals Commonage) more open and scenic.