One of the premier hikes areas in the Kamloops area is on the Red Plateau – Dewdrop Escarpment.   There are several trails that climb from the Dewdrop Range to the top of the escarpment – the Dewdrop Trail, Dead Coyote, Dewdrop Traverse, and Three Amigos (there are articles on all of these trails on the website).   There are some informal routes to the rim too, requiring some scrambling and exploration.   All of these options require a considerable climb and a longer hike.   Another option is to drive the Red Plateau Forest Service Road then follow unsigned backroads to the rim.   We parked just past the 4.5 km marker on the FSR and followed a route we have hiked many times to join the Dewdrop Trail bearing west.  

At the top of the Castle Butte Ridge we had views from the rim of the Escarpment down to the Dewdrop Range (650 vertical metres or 215o feet below) and Kamloops Lake.  

We followed the Dewdrop Traverse Trail west, which continues as a single track for another 13 km (one way).  

There are numerous viewpoints along the trail, this one over the Dewdrop Range, Kamloops Lake, and the Tobiano area across the lake.  

If you know where to look there are some interesting geological features to explore, like this walk-through arch.  

The open forested south-facing slopes invite further exploration.   

At the 6 km point on this route, we stopped at a fine viewpoint for lunch.  

The route beyond this viewpoint winds through forest with some open views, some hills to climb, some gullies to wind around, some ponds, cutblocks, and many volcanic features.    The cliffs are not quite some dramatic farther west, but it is still a remote area worth exploring.    There are several ways to explore west, along the Dewdrop Traverse, up the Three Amigos or Dead Coyote Trail, or by backroads from the Red Plateau FSR.    The area gets few visitors and calls for a backpack from some hardy explorers.  

On this day, we enjoyed the hike along the rim, and chose to hike back on double tracks for 4 km, completing a 10 km hike on Red Plateau.

• My rating for this hike – [rating stars="4.5"] 
• For information on the Dewdrop Trail, Red Plateau hikes, Castle Butte, Three Amigos, Jag Hill, Dead Coyote, High Noon, or other routes, use the Search Bar.