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Home→Hikes→Upstream in the Tranquille River Canyon

Upstream in the Tranquille River Canyon

Kamloops Trails Posted on by

On an October day I hiked up the Tranquille River Trail through the colorful corridor.

At the old Tranquille Water Plant, I followed a single track trail upstream to the end, then scrambled on rocks as far as I could go without getting wet.       At the end of that rock-hopping section, I crossed the river.    The west side of the river is where hydraulic mining was done (75 year ago) to sluice out gold nuggets/flakes from the river and the floodplains.     Rounded boulders are still mounded over a large area.    Across the river on the east side hills are conglomerated hoodoos.   

I came back down a single track trail on the west side of the river past the old water facility.    Water was rerouted at this spot and piped down to Tranquille for use in the Sanatorium.    Now there are several breaks in the 24″ pipe, causing some minor flooding over the trail and adjacent  lands downstream.  

This hike would be better if I bring some type of water shoes (which I have), so I will return to work my way farther upstream.    A few images are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view and caption.  

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About KamloopsTrails

I started exploring this area in 1976 and I continue to follow tracks and routes wherever they lead, with the aid of map, compass, GPSr and camera. After many dead-ends, but also many discoveries, I chose to share this information. Getting out 12 months each year, I continue to explore trails, tracks, routes, and waterways of the Kamloops area and beyond.

Comments

Upstream in the Tranquille River Canyon — 3 Comments

  1. Thank you for this. We were there last weekend and there was a single track all the way to the base of the hoodoos. I was not aware of the mining on the west side of the river. I have been looking at your previous articles about this area and am wondering if it is possible – in the dry season – to go all the way to the Guardsmen via this route (the river) withou too much difficulty?

    • H, Victor
      I have done that, but it involves scrambling along the sidehills with some precarious spots. The canyon is too narrow and steep farther up.

  2. What a beautiful place! The photos really capture the majestic scenery along the river. It’s quite an adventure to hike upstream and see parts of the canyon that are rarely viewed. The fallen trees and river access points you described create such a remote wilderness feel. One can imagine the history of this area while surrounded by nature. Thank you for taking us on this journey with your writing and photography!

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