There are over 2000 posts about hiking, paddling, and snowshoeing routes on this site. They were mostly written soon after doing the route. Back in 2010, the articles were shorter and there was less integration with Google Earth, GPS, maps, and recent photos. By 2013, the posts are full of photos, maps and Google Earth routes.
For some hikes, I do them every year so there may be 3-4 versions of the same hike, but I have tried to vary the information each time.
Some of these are routes, not hikes in the traditional sense. In the Kamloops area, we are blessed with a great deal of terrain to explore, but very few “official” hikes.
For those new to hiking or visiting Kamloops, the following trails are recommended:
Trail | Area | Difficulty | Terrain | Link |
Battle Bluff | Dewdrop Range (west) | moderate with one longer hill each way | a good trail over hills and up a bluff | Battle Bluff |
Gibraltar Rock | Paul Lake (northeast) | moderate with one longer hill | a good trail to a great viewpoint | Gibraltar Rock |
Peterson Creek | Peterson Creek Park (City) | many trails above the gorge | good trails of all types | Peterson Creek |
Kenna Cartwright | KC Park (City) | trails of all types | good trails in hilly terrain | Kenna Cartwright |
Valleyview Nature Trails | Valleyview Nature Park (City( | moderate trails in the grasslands | good trails in the silt cliffs | Valleyview |
Lac du Bois Grasslands | Provincial Park (north) | many trails | grasslands hills with multi-purpose trails | Lac du Bois |
Dallas – Barnhartvale Trails | City (east) | many trails | grassland and forest slopes | Barnhartvale |
Dewdrop Trail | Dewdrop Range (northwest) | single track with lots of elevation change | climb the escarpment | Dewdrop |
Stake Lake Trails | Forested plateau (southeast) | many forested wide trails | rolling trails | Stake Lake |
Pineview Trails | Southwest hills | many forested trails on the slopes | multi-purpose trails | Pineview |
Mara Canyon | Northwest canyon | more challenging | canyons and ridges | Mara Canyon |
Isobel Lake | North of town on backroads | easy | lake loop | Isobel |
Various pages may be of interest to hikers:
- A Google Map of hiking trails in the Kamloops area is also provided (updated each winter): Click any of the points for a link – Kamloops Area Hiking Trails
- From Kamloops, we can hike many trails and routes within two hours drive. Many of these are shown on this map (updated each winter) – Interior Hiking Trails and Routes
- There are over 50 videos on You Tube – Kamloops Trails YouTube Videos
- A list of our Favorite Hikes, listed in categories –
- Hikes in the National Parks – National Mountain Parks
- Kauai, Maui, and Hawaii Hikes
- Southwest Hikes (Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and California)
- A few hikes in New Zealand, Washington State and other areas are also found on the website.
- More links are planned for this page.
Good day! I know, I know, Doug. You’ve been constantly asked if you welcome fellow hikers on your wanders. I live in Whistler and have plenty of backcountry to play in but my heart is being drawn back to Kamloops for the final leg of my ‘trip’ in life as I close in on 65. (I lived there until I graduated and then began my walkabouts, finally ending up here working in the local ER)
I’m a long distance hiker and my passion these years is the UK…the Yorkshire Dales, Wales, Devon, Cornwall, etc. but again, I’m feeling a strong pull to move back to Kamloops and perhaps get involved with my old school mate, Mike Ritcey and and his coworkers in helping to set up the new SAR digs so generously donated to them.
I spend quite a bit of time in Kamloops each year and manage to get out there for some solo wanders, but I would love to connect with someone like you and your friends to go further afield.
Are you a tight knit group or could you squeeze in another person on occasion?
If you’ve been asked this question too many times, then no need to get back to me. I certainly understand. But I thought it worth a try. Most likely I won’t make it out there till spring as we are headed into our busy season in our ER and I won’t come up for air till then. But if possible, please keep me informed. I long to walk those beautiful grasslands or explore the higher reaches above Kamloops lake, etc, etc. I’m not a whiner or a whinger. 🙂
All the best,
Shelly Kerwynn
p.s., your site is thrilling to explore. Good, good job!!
Hi, Shelly. Good to hear from you. I will email you.
Beaut area; only know Kenna (where WITP 54 km run is held) every year. For now
live in Victoria , BC.
Hi there,
We attempted the Flourmills Volcanoes hike yesterday (Sept.3, 2023). Sadly the trail is completely overgrown, as in impassable. We ended up turning back at 2.5 km as it was going to take too long to get through the Slide Alders that have grown over the trail and we didn’t want to be fighting our way through at dark. I wanted to let you know to avoid others making the trek and then not be able find or complete the hike. Hopefully at some point there might be some trail maintenance so hikers can access the volcanic geography.
Sandy
Kamloopstrails.net is such an invaluable resource for anyone looking to explore the many excellent hiking trails around Kamloops, BC. As a huge hiking enthusiast myself, I’m constantly impressed by the breadth and depth of information provided on this site. From detailed trail descriptions and maps to tips on gear, trip planning, and responsible hiking practices, there is something here for hikers of every skill level.
I love how easy it is to browse trails by difficulty, distance, elevation gain, and location. The site covers all the most popular hikes as well as some hidden gems. Additionally, the hiking safety and etiquette reminders are much appreciated. It’s clear a lot of care and passion went into creating this website to encourage more people to appreciate the natural beauty surrounding Kamloops.
I highly recommend Kamloopstrails.net to anyone planning hikes in this region!
Hello , Any info on a trail to get to Soap Lake near Spences Bridge ?
Thanks, John
I had heard that access was limited when the forest fire season was on. I am not sure how the fires and erosion has affected access.