On a mid-July morning I hiked a trail I have done quite a few times from McQueen Lake to Isobel Lake. this was once called the Forest Capital Trail, and interpretive route with a series of numbered signs with a printed guide available to McQueen Lake students and others. The trail starts 0.25 km past the road into the McQueen Lake Center. It angles … Continue reading →
McGillivray Lake is located in the Sun Peaks backcountry area, 6 km to the southeast, accessible by the McGillivray Forest Service Road. There is a good boat launch at the McGillivray Outpost, but there is also a Rec Site with a hand launch 1 km south. On a calm July weekday morning, I parked at the Outpost and launched into the lake to paddle … Continue reading →
On a sunny weekday morning I headed out early to paddle Lodgepole Lake and then hike around the Lake Trail. From the Lac le Jeune Road, I followed the Chuwhels Mountain Road up to the Lodgepole Lake Rec Site. The campground was mostly full but I arrived early and so there was no one on the lake and it was quiet in the camping … Continue reading →
Scuitto Lake is located in the Campbell Range area southeast of Kamloops and is accessed by the gravel Scuitto Lake Road from Barnhartvale. The road continues on to Campbell Lake. To launch a kayak onto Scuitto Lake we can use one of two boat launches on the north side of the lake. There is a BC Rec Site nearby. On this day, … Continue reading →
An interactive Google Map showing many of the kayaking spots in the Greater Kamloops area (which I have paddled) is provided here. Locations and images are included and links to posts/articles with more specific information on the spot are provided if a post is published on KamloopsTrails.com or RambleOn.ca. As new posts and news are added, the map will also be updated. An embedded map is … Continue reading →
McQueen Lake Environmental Education Center offers an overnight camp for School District classes throughout the school year and outdoor education day trips on selected weekdays. Hikers are asked not to access the Overnight Center (security, safety, and privacy), but they can hike the trails on the south and east side during days when students are not on site. On a summer day after school was … Continue reading →
On a hot summer day I drove on backroads for an hour to get to Rossmoore Lake. There are some 4WD tracks to the lake, but the best road is the Rossmoore Lake Road, accessed by the Long Lake Road or the McConnell Forest Service Road. Either of the recommended roads are backcountry gravel roads, but do not need 4WD, although high clearance is recommended. When … Continue reading →
Hamilton Mountain rises above the grasslands between the Douglas Lake area and the Quilchena Highlands. Most of the slopes are in the Nicola Provincial Forest and in the Hamilton Commonage, but access is bit limited, except by a gravel road which has a gate just off the Douglas Lake Road. The road was added in 1951 to provide access to the fire lookout on … Continue reading →
At the end of June I returned to Stake Lake to do three loops, two on the lake and one on the trails. I got an early start since it was the long July 1st weekend. I launched my kayak at 7:15 am and paddled twice around the lake, once in each direction. There were other boats on the water, quietly fishing. Two … Continue reading →
It is a longer drive on gravel roads to get to Saul and Tranquille Lakes. I have been to Tranquille Lake four times, passing Saul Lake on the Sawmill Lake Road on three of these days. On one trip I drove to Tranquille Lake and paddled around the lake, then drive back to Saul Lake and paddled it too. There is a signed turn … Continue reading →
