Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area is situated in the open hills on the north side of Kamloops.     There are multi-use trails off the Lac du Bois Road close to the City, but access to areas higher in the park is from spots along the main road.    The largest lake in the grasslands is Long Lake.    It lies in a valley/trench on the west side of the North Batchelor Range.   We can hike to or around the lake from several routes.     In early spring, one choice is to start at the 7 km sign on the main road and follow single tracks through the sagebrush grasslands to the lake.

There is a chain of five lakes/ponds hidden in the hills.   After hiking about 1.2 km we come to the first, nestled in the grassland ridges.

On this day, we hiked around the west side of the lakes on a single track, crossed the drainage on the north side, then came back on an overgrown double track on the east side, but we have hiked this loop route in both directions.

This is a gathering place for waterfowl in spring.   The lake is seldom visited, so wildlife sightings are common.

To the north, the grassland hills rise up to Clapperton Hill.    The upper grasslands are different yet with little sagebrush and more shrubs in low spots, aspen tree groves, small ponds, and open meadows.

A loop around the lakes in the grasslands is about 8 km of moderate hiking.    It is a route to do in the spring before the grasses and weeds grow too tall, while the grasslands birds are active, while the ducks are on the lakes, and when the wildflowers are emerging.

There are no official trails, no trail signs, and no well-trodden paths, but this makes it a special hike, a quiet exploration in the grasslands.