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 late fall, we drove out from Barnhartvale on the bumpy Scuitto Lake Forest Service Road for 12 km to the Rec Site on Scuitto Lake. It was a sunny day for a 5.2 km paddle around the lake shoreline. We met pelicans and skeletons along the route. The Scuitto Lake Rec Site has been rebuilt and has designated … Continue reading…
The main trailhead for Dallas – Barnhartvale Nature Park is on Eliza Road in Barnhartvale. From the parking lot trails wind north and east onto the forested benchlands and a few extend to the silt cliffs above the Trans Canada Highway. All of the designated trails on the west side are part of the City of Kamloops Nature Park. On … Continue reading…
Although we have about 100 lakes to paddle in the Kamloops area , there are many small lakes too, most of which are too small to warrant the drive and the effort and time to load and unload a kayak or canoe. Some are suitable for SUPs, but paddlers would most often prefer a lake that is at least 2 … Continue reading…
We have been hiking the tracks and trails west of Barnhartvale for over 40 years and we have seen a number of changes. The rise of mountain biking brought many new single tracks to the slopes above and to the benchlands below. In addition, land has been purchased in various locations – higher in the western valley, on the eastern … Continue reading…
When we drive down the Coquihalla Highway to the Coast, we pass the old tollbooth area in the Coquihalla Summit area and on clear days we can look across the Coquihalla Canyon to the south and enjoy the views of a rocky range of peaks. The Bedded Range (part of the Hozameen Range) parallels the Coquihalla River. Coquihalla Mountain is … Continue reading…
Rousseau Creek runs down from Red Plateau on the western side of Rousseau Hill. A fan-shaped gentle slope fills an area of 500 sq meters by 500 sq m next to the creek, the site of the former Twelve Mile Ranch. Little is known about the ranch, but I spent a day paddling over to the beach in front … Continue reading…
The hike on Estekwalan Mountain is one of the best in the Interior of BC. It is steep up and down and has great views for much of the hike. To get to the trailhead, drive to Falkland and turn onto Wetaskawin Road. Pass the dump and start climbing this narrow high clearance road (Rob Roy FSR) for 8 km … Continue reading…
From Bruker Marina at Tobiano, Rousseau Hill stands above the north side of Kamloops Lake. This is a great spot to launch to explore the middle section of the lake and all its bluffs, eroded slopes, silt cliffs, gullies, hoodoos, volcanic features, and shorelines. It is a 2 km paddle across to the far shore, below Peregrine Bluffs. On this … Continue reading…
When it has rained in the last day or when rain is imminent, we sometimes head to the Sage – Panorama – Arnica Trail loop for a moderate 3.5 km hike. The views are rewarding and we can complete the hike in about 1.25 hours. The trailhead starts on Bunker Road behind the recycling bins. Sage Trail to Panorama Trail … Continue reading…
Roche Lake Provincial Park has a number of lakes, mostly used by fishermen and a number of older double tracks and some single tracks through the bush to connect them. We have good access to Roche Lake, Horseshoe Lake, and Bleeker Lake, but most of the other lakes require 4WD to get to them (or a brave drive with … Continue reading…
At the send of summer each year, we drive to Campbell Lake to paddle when the pelicans. sandhill cranes, and other migrating birds are on the lake. We have detailed how to get there and where to launch in previous posts: On Campbell Lake Campbell Lake Each year is different. In 2018 we spotted 14 pelicans on the lake … Continue reading…
The Bushwacker Trail in the Stake Lake Trail system is a backcountry route on top of McConnell Hill. It can be hiked in summer or fall or snowshoed in winter. The main trail access is off the Sidewinder Trail, a 4 km hike from Stake Lake. The main trail system of the Stake Lake cross country (multi-use) trails are double … Continue reading…
One of our favorite lakes to kayak is found far up in the hills north of Kamloops. Badger Lake has an upgraded BC Rec Site for camping and a new boat launch area. To get to Badger Lake, most vehicles turn north off the Sun Peaks Road, heading toward Knouff Lake, then they just keep going all the way to … Continue reading…
The Savona Caves Trail is a short and steep route to cliffs on the east side of Mount Savona. To find the trailhead, drive south on the Tunkwa Lake Road for about 11.5 km from Savona and turn onto the Savona Mountain Road. At 0.6 up the forest service road, watch for a dirt double track on the right. Park … Continue reading…
Pat Lake and Jacko Lake are usually the first two lakes to be ice-free in spring so they get a lot of fishermen early in the season, but once all lakes are open, Pat Lake can be a quiet spot in summer. We can access the lake from the Tunkwa Lake Road or from the Six Mile road above … Continue reading…
The Canadian Homestead Act was passed in 1872. The goal was to settle the west, giving one square mile to applicants who came from Europe, the USA, and eastern Canada. The Dominion Lands Act limited the land parcels to acreages at least 20 miles from the railroad, but this meant that few farmers took up the offer so the laws … Continue reading…
