Between Zion National Park and the Vermillion Cliffs to the east is an area of hills, terraces, and buttes. The Sand Hills are found in that area, with Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park as the centerpiece. Driving east through Zion, we arrive at Mt. Carmel Junction. From there, drive 6 km south to the signed turn to the park. … Continue reading…
Spalding Hill is in the middle of South Pender Island, accessed from Castle Road. It is a steep hike to the top of Spalding Hill bluffs. We parked down on the Spalding Road and walked up to the signed trailhead. The trail winds among bluffs to the top. Views extend east across Plumper Sound to Saturna Island. Turkey vultures soared … Continue reading…
The south side of Kamloops Lake is all rocky hills with steep vertical slopes down to the lake. Only the Tobiano benchland has relatively easy access. The rest of the slopes have limited access. Private property, grazing fences, and very few roads can be found along all of the south side of the lake from Kamloops to Savona, with a … Continue reading…
Brooks Point Regional Park lies at the southeast corner of South Pender Island. There are some short trails through the forest, but the best parts of the park are the headlands that jut out into Boundary Pass. The rocky points provide views south to the San Juan Islands, east to Saturna Island and southeast to Mount Baker. It is especially … Continue reading…
Jag Hill is a prominent ridge on the east end of Red Plateau. The top of the hill is an open ridge with fine 360 degree views. We can get to it from the Red Plateau Forest Service Road (the easiest and shortest route), from the Dewdrop Range or from the Tranquille – Criss Creek Road. In mid fall, we … Continue reading…
We returned back to Bryce Canyon National Park while hiking in Zion National Park. By Highway SR9 through Zion and then north on Highway 89, we drove for 2 hours to theBryce Park entrance, then turned to the Fairyland Canyon trailhead. We had hiked 4 times here before, but we always seem to enjoy the Fairyland Trail the most, so … Continue reading…
Painted Bluffs Provincial Park is a series of colorful ridges and gullies on the north side of Kamloops Trails. Access is overland from the Copper Creek Road or by boat to the beach area below the bluffs. We have been to Painted Bluffs many times. We tried a different route in the spring, arriving at the top of the bluffs, … Continue reading…
On the north end of North Pender Island is the George Hill Trail. All of the trails on Pender Island are well-signed with designated parking, but there are a lot of turns to get to the right spot. Here is a good guide to the trailhead – Pender Parks and Trails. We climbed the trail to the hilltop … Continue reading…
The Kettle Valley Rail lines are now gone and a gravel bed has been restored to become part of the Trans Canada Trail. This section is about 19.5 km and is frequented by snowmobilers and mountain bikers, but we sometimes see quads and dirt bikes that use the line to get to fishing spots and campsites on the Tulameen River. … 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…
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…
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…
