Tranquille Hills Hike
The first areas to dry out at the end of winter are in the valley bottom, then on the lower south-facing open slopes. Some of the best hiking at this time of the year are in the lower Batchelor Hills, the Dewdrop Range, and the Tranquille – Mara Hills. On a sunny day we followed double tracks and single tracks in a loop through the hills.
The Tranquille Hills are the open sagebrush and grass-covered hills on the east side of the Tranquille River. We followed the Pruden Pass Road, then turned onto old double tracks to the tops of the hills. Erosion features are a highlight of the Tranquille River Valley.
In the Tranquille River Valley
On the west side of the river Tranquille Ridge rises all the way to the Pimple with rugged cliffs near the top of the ridge.
Tranquille Ridge on the west side of the river
From the top of the hill the view to the south was over the lower hills down to the Thompson River Valley.
In the Tranquille Hills
Farther up the Tranquille River, the valley narrows to a canyon with a gorge below Panorama Point. The steep slopes of Wheeler Mountain and Opax Mountain flank the east side of the river.
The Tranquille River Gorge
To the southwest the slopes rise to the Dewdrop Range and Battle Bluff stands above Kamloops Lake.
across the hills to the Dewdrop Range
Above the Mara Hills, Mount Mara stood like a battleship in a sea of grass and sagebrush.
Mara Mountain above
The lower slopes of Mountain Mara are rugged and eroded with deep canyons.
The rugged Mara Mountain outlier hills.
Below the Mara Trail are the wetlands area near Tranquille. The whole area will be under floodwaters in late May.
Tranquille wetlands
We finished our 4.9 km loop by coming down the Mara Trail, the end of a scenic loop in the lower hills above the Tranquille River and Mara Mountain.
Mara Foothills
This is a good spring hike. By summer the area is hot and dry and slopes higher up are a better choice.