Lac du Bois Trailheads

Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area is a large park with many access points and many possible routes.

Driving Directions

  • The main trailheads are off both sides of the Lac du Bois Road.   From anywhere in Kamloops cross either bridge to get to the North Shore.
  • From the Overlander Bridge stay on Fortune Drive, then turn right onto 8th Street.   At the Halston Interchange, continue north to Batchelor Drive.   At the end of Batchelor Drive, the road enters the park and becomes Lac du Bois Road.   There are official and unofficial trailheads off the gravel road.
  • From the Halston Bridge, turn right to 8th Street and continue as above to Batchelor Drive.
  • Although mileage markers are on the Lac du Bois Road, most of us set our odometer at 0 at the catteguard/Park entrance.

 

Lac du Bois Road Trailheads (from the cattleguard):

  • 0.0 km – park here and follow single tracks east on informal trails as they wind around the ridge
  • 0.7 km – parking area on the left – a multi-use trail starts on the right side, connecting into the main Batchelor Hills Trail system
  • 1.4 km – an OHV area – not very good for hiking and there will likely be dirt bikes/ATVS there
  • 2.1 km – turn left and go down the side road to the main parking area; trailhead signs are posted
  • 3.4 km – turn left and follow the short side road to a parking area – a trailhead starts at the gate
  • 4.8 km – the Pruden Pass Road is on the left; informal trails lead to Mount Mara and Wheeler Mountain
  • 5.5 km – a pullout parking area and access to informal routes near Red Hill
  • 6.2 km – a pulloff area for informal trails over to Long Lake
  • 6.9 km – a pulloff area for informal routes on Raptor Ridge
  • 8.5 km – an official parking area and trailhead for the Middle Grasslands informal nature trails
  • 9.7 km – a pullout for a double track to the Stoney Lake area of the upper grasslands and the Nature Conservancy
  • 10.8 km – parking areas by Lac du Bois for routes to Hanging Valley, Opax Mountain, Wheeler Mountain, the Grasslands Conservancy
  • 11.8 km – pulloff with an informal trail on the east side to Stoney Lake in the Conservancy
  • 13.0 km – pulloff with an informal track to the upper end of the grasslands, including Clay Lake and the Grasslands Community Trail
  • 13.3 km – parking area
  • 13.4 km – trailhead for the McQueen Lake Environmental Education Center Trails
  • 13.8 km – the double track to the left can be used for access to Mud Lake and Opax Mountain
  • 14.3 km – junction; the road to the right goes to the McQueen Lake Environmental Education Center and beyond to Isobel Lake
  • 14.3 km – the road to the right also can be used to connect to the McQueen Creek area
  • 14.3 km – the road to the left becomes the Sawmill Lake Road and goes to Pass Lake and beyond past the park

 

Tranquille Road Trailheads:

  • 0.0 km – the junction of Ord Road and Tranquille Road
  • 2.2 km – right turn to Ord Road then a left on a rough road for access to Mara Canyon without crossing the tracks on foot
  • 3.3 km – roadside parking and a commonly used spot to access Mara Canyon (also called the Hoodoos or Cinnamon Ridge). but it involves an illegal crossing of the CNR tracks
  • 4.4 km – informal parking on the left; access to the Rivers Trail
  • 5.8 km – parking area just off the Tranquille Road with access to the Lac du Bois – Tranquille Wildlife Protected Area
  • 6.1 km – parking area and trailhead for the Mara Trail and double track access to Mara Mountain, Wheeler Mountain, and the Tranquille Hills
  • 7.2 km – right turn to the Tranquille River trailhead
  • 7. 4 km – cross the Tranquille River, the road becomes the Tranquille – Criss Creek Road
  • 7.65 km – parking area for access to the Tranquille Hills slopes (stay above the train tracks)
  • 10 km – left turn to Frederick Road and the Dewdrop Range trailheads
  • 12.8 km – parking area on the right for access to the Pimple, tranquille Ridge and Dewdrop Traverse
  • 12.9 km – left turn onto the Red Plateau Forest Service Road for Red Plateau trailheads
  • 14.9 km – parking area for informal trails to the Tranquille Slot Canyons
  • 19 km – right turn down a rough road to an informal recreation site and trails overlooking Tranquille River
  • 22.6 km – parking area for trailhead to the Watching Creek Trails

 

Dewdrop Range Trailheads:

  • 0.0 km – Junction of Frederick Road and Tranquille – Criss Creek Road
  • 0.4 km – informal parking area for hikers for Dewdrop Ridge
  • 0.65 km – parking area on the right for the Dewdrop Trail to Red Plateau
  • 1.5 km – parking area on the left for the Battle Bluff Trail
  • 3.3 km – junction – the upper road continues with access to various trails and routes
  • 3.3 km – junction – the lower route continues down to Frederick with various trails and routes
  • Upper Road – access to Dewdrop Arch, Ded Coyote Trail Three Amigos Trail, Peregrine Bluffs, and various off-trail routes
  • Lower Road – access to the Bluebird Trail, Frederick Bluffs and various eclectic routes

 

Deep Lake Trailheads:

  • 0.0 – Ida Road and Westsyde Road
  • 0.5 km – limited parking and trailheads for the Deep Lake Trails
  • about 1.8 km – junction to the Deep Lake Loop Trail
  • about 2.5 km – junction to the Grasslands Community Trail
  • about 2.7 km – Deep Lake
  • side trails connect to McQueen Creek or the Westsyde Bench trails

 

The park can also be accessed by the McQueen Creek Road and the Noble Creek Road on rougher roads.