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.
In addition to the Clearwater River Trail, two other trails systems are noted here. Candle Creek Trails Go north 2 km on Highway 5 from the Info Center (which is at the turn off to Wells Gray), and turn left onto the Candle Creek Road, following it for 2km, before turning right onto Barber Road. Park at the end of … Continue reading…
Although I have only been to Stevens Lakes once, I hope to get back there again soon. It can be done in one long day, but it also takes some preparation. I was lucky enough to have hired a fishing guide who took us in for the day. I remember the long back road route, then the long hike in. … Continue reading…
The advantage of hiking Raft Mountain is that you can drive to a very high point before starting your hike. Directions are provided below. Disadvantages are that the road can be long and rough. The last section may not be drivable in shoulder season. Once you are there, there is good parking and the route is quite straightforward, but steep. … Continue reading…
We didn’t have very good information on this trail, but thanks to Roland Neave’s book we had enough to find the trailhead and make some decisions along the way. We did make some wrong turns along the way and we made the trip longer than planned, covering 13km round trip, but we were very impressed with the route. There are … Continue reading…
Few of the rivers of the Interior are as interesting as the Clearwater. Clear, clean water, rapids, waterfalls, lava flows, volcanic dikes, small beaches, an oxbow, and more await anyone exploring the river valley. Take the Clearwater River Road to get a sense of the lower half of the river. In Clearwater, go past Dutch Lake onto the Camp 2 … Continue reading…
The Lundbom Lake area is just to the southeast of Merritt. Climb the hill on Highway 5A south and look for the turn not far past the crest of the hill. An unpaved road heads toward Marquart and Lundbom Lakes. There are a number of double track and single track routes from Lundbom so this is a good place to … Continue reading…
When the summer heat arrives, its nice to hike or bike the XC ski trail networks: higher elevations so they are usually cooler often treed so shade can be found good parking, well-signed cleared trails (no ski-scratching rocks!) double tracks for easy riding A few of these trail networks are featured on kamloopstrails.net. China Ridge Cross Country Ski Trails are … Continue reading…
Every year we paddle Kamloops Lake and are surprised to see so few boats. Its mostly a problem of access. Any boat can travel downstream from Kamloops, but motorized boats have to be careful of the sandbars all the way down. It is too far for canoes or kayaks to go all the way down or go back up, so … Continue reading…
The slot canyons of the Tranquille River can be explored by intrepid souls. We traversed both the south and north canyons on a hot day. More details on how to find them, how to traverse them, and what to look for will come in future posts.
Continue reading...Trails near Skmana Lake are maintained by the cross-country ski club in Chase. In the off-season, they make a pleasant walk, hike, or bike. It is not a big trail system, but it can be combined with routes that go higher or routes over to Aylmer Lake. To get to Skmana Lake, drive up the Niskonlith Lake Road from Chase … Continue reading…
The previous post describes the Upper Flumes Trail. From the same parking spot, there are also trails below the road. There are really 3 trailheads and the one nearest the parking lot is the middle one, meaning you have to choose to go north or south from the junction. Both are worth doing, but both may require coming back along … Continue reading…
To get to these trails, drive north towards Adams Lake and just past the Loakin/Bear Creek Road, look for a sign on the left (upper side) and turn into the Upper Flume parking lot. the trailhead starts just across the bridge. It winds up the hill next to Hiuihill Creek (Bear Creek). It is a shady, forested (cedar and hemlock) … Continue reading…
So many of us have been to the Salmon Run on the Adams River, but we forget that there is good trail system there for hikes in all 4 seasons. A good hike when there are no crowds around is a figure 8 loop. We often go down the Forest Trail to the mouth of the river for 1.5 km, … Continue reading…
There are 4 trail systems adjacent to the Adams River. All 4 are now part of the Roderick Haig Brown Provincial Park system, in 2 pair trail systems. Each one is a separate post in Kamloops Trails. The trail from the Adams River bridge heading north to the gorge along the east shore of the river has been a … Continue reading…
This trail system has many features to recommend: A trailhead parking lot Posted maps and signs at junctions Varied terrain and vegetation zones A well-designed trail system using new and existing routes and linkages to adjacent areas Loop choices Several good lookouts Take the Balmoral Road down to Blind Bay and look for the road that goes up into a … Continue reading…
Shaw Hill is another one of those wooded mountains which has no established hiking trails, but is still a good spot to go up for the exercise and the view. It sits in a unique location for views of Tod Mountain meadows, the Upper Louis Creek area and the Hyas Lake bowl. It can be approached from Hyas Lake or … Continue reading…