The trails in the Outer Inks area are accessed off the Inks Lakes Interchange on the Coquihalla Highway. there are many backroads, secondary roads and single tracks, mostly used by motorcycles. ATVs and 4WDs sometimes use the doubletracks, linking to routes on Chuwhels Mountain. Some mountain bikers and hikers also use the trails. With many possible routes, most of the hiking routes are loops on a combination of double tracks and single tracks. The Greater Kamloops Motorcycle Association has installed trails signs at various points. The trail system is part of the Chuwhels – Inks ORV Trails (Recreation Sites and Trails BC). I have been hiking the trails in every season for decades, but I avoid weekends when motorized use make the area busier (and noisier). There are many junctions and possible routes so it may take a few outings to work out favorite routes. The trails are on the best apps too (I use Maps.me) to help with navigation.
On a summer day with moderate smoky conditions, I hiked a known loop route on double tracks to Dam Lake, then back on different tracks and trails. It was a weekday so the area was quiet. The vegetation was dry and even some of the shrubs had withered in the heat and drought. There was still water in Dam Lake, but it was much lower than in spring.
Other starting points for the trails are off the Timber Lake Road, from the Greenstone Mountain Road, or from the Lodgepole Lake Road, but access from the Inks Lake Road is the closest and easiest point. Hikers could continue for many hours going south and west on different trails.
I looped back using single track trails, down through the creek gully and then across forested slopes, back to my starting point.
Another favorite loop in the trail system goes west to the Spade Lake, then back on other trails, planned for the fall.
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