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.
Even though this lake was right next to the Okanagan Connector, we found it be a delightful spot for an easy paddle. There is a pull-off into a small Recreation Site for northbound vehicles. The launch spot is a good one with lots of parking. The paddle around the shoreline is about 4 km. Grassland hills surround the lake. … Continue reading…
The Nicola-Thompson area is blessed to have a number of accessible grasslands for hiking. One of the best of these is the Lundbom Commonage south of Merritt. It is accessed by driving south on Highway 5A, then turning onto the Lundbom Road. We usually park at Lundbom Lake and hike out into the hills via dirt double tracks. Several articles … Continue reading…
Ross Moore Lake can be hard to get to. We have skied and snowshoed into the lake in winter. We have biked into the lake from Lac le Jeune and run to the lake from a parking area area Fred Lake, but driving in with a kayak requires a circuitous route via the Long Lake Road. Most of the 15 … Continue reading…
One of our finest park campsites is Herald Provincial Park. It has a well-designed campsite, with long beaches, fine trails, and lots of forest for both privacy and noise-buffering. For hikers too, there are a number of trails to explore. The premier trail is the short walk to Margaret Falls. The trail follows the gorge up past old-growth cedars … Continue reading…
Community Lake is acessed by driving up to Knouff Lake, then turning onto the Community Lake FSR. The backroad to the site is a good one, but there were lots of potholes over the last kilometer. The best launch spot is at the Community Lake Recreation Site. The lake sits at 1370 meters (4500 feet) in high country forest, but … Continue reading…
The Charlotte Alplands are in a remote area of the province, southwest of Nimpo Lake, but on the Interior side of the Coast Range. It is a Provincial ProtectedAarea with the highest concentration of alpine lakes in B.C. There are no roads or trails in the area, except for a few hard-to-follow horsepack routes through the brush and forest. We … Continue reading…
We paddled Leighton Lake on a warm summer weekday. This popular fishing lake has a good boat launch for easy access. In spring, summer and early fall, there are usually lots of ducks and geese on the lake, especially in shallow bays Grasslands and high country forests surround Leighton and Tunkwa Lakes. A rock bluff covered in orange crustose lichen … Continue reading…
We returned to hike trails around Kentucky and Alleyne Lakes to take in fall colors around the turquoise lakes. These are moderate trails, but we chose routes that still provided 11.2 km of hiking on a cooler day in September. The hikes start from the Day Use parking areas within the Provincial Park. The loop around Kentucky Lake … Continue reading…
Niskonlith Lake is a good 11km paddle around the shoreline, set in a scenic bowl. Kamloops paddlers can get there by going along Shuswap Road, then up the Bear-Loakin Road to the turn-off to the Provincial Park. The best launch spot is within the Provincial Park at the designated boat launch. Some of the forest on the north/west shore of … Continue reading…
For many years we hiked the old double tracks that led up to the abandoned mines in the Ironmask Hills, but ownership and access changed so the area was not open to hikers, runners, and mountain bikers. The Kamloops Performance Cycling Center (KPCC) has negotiated an agreement with the owners of the lands for seasonal access (link to information) to … Continue reading…
There are 3 access points to launch a boat on Kamloops Lake – Savona, Tobiano, and Cooney Bay. To paddle into Cooney Bay, drive to Tranquille, but stay left and drive to the end of the bumpy road. From the parking lot, boats have to be hauled down to the edge of the river through the cottonwoods. From the beach … Continue reading…
While paddling and hiking on Salt Spring Island, we launched out of Fulford Harbour. We were able to hand launch in low and hide tide from a point along the Isabella Point Road. Drummond Park is also fine for launching, but only at high tide. At the other spot 1.8 km along the road, we were able to drive right … Continue reading…
Park Lake Canyon can be accessed from a (closed to vehicles) State Park Road on the south side of the lake. We rode our bikes down from the campground, then hiked up an old jeep track all the way up the canyon. Basalt cliffs lien the canyon on both sides as the track gradually climbs all the way to the … Continue reading…
Between Sullivan Lake (Knouff) and Badger Lake is another shallow lake. Official topographic maps label it as Knouff Lake but the locals call it Little Knouff Lake. Sullivan (Knouff) Lake got its name from James Knouff who built a log cabin on the shore near the Knouff Lake Resort. Later, Sullivan Mill was established on the shore and the owner … Continue reading…
Stump Lake is a great lake to paddle when it is not too windy. If paddlers just opt to drive there without checking the forecasts, they may be facing difficult conditions since it is a windy area, a favorite for windsurfers. Generally speaking it is calmer in the morning and winds pick up by 11:30 in the morning. It … Continue reading…
Steamboat Rock State Park has two fine hikes – Steamboat Rock (itself) and a trail up Northrup Canyon to Northrup Lake. The Northrup Trail starts on the east side of Banks Lake at a signed trailhead. Basalt cliffs rise above the trail as it gradually heads northeast. The trail continues to an old abandoned farmhouse, occupied by successive pioneers from … Continue reading…
