A Loop Route on the Orchard Lake Trails

A Loop Route on the Orchard Lake Trails

Doug Smith  June 8, 2022 at 8:47 am

The Orchard Lake Trails are backcountry horse rider trails in the hills between McLure and Badger Lake.   Access is by the Badger Creek Forest Service Road.   Navigation is required for all of the trails.   There are a few basic signs on trees, but there are many junctions, some fencelines, and some logged areas.   After a number of trips, I have explored all of the trails and I have developed some loop routes.

On this May day, we hiked from the main trailhead near Lower Coyote Lake and we went past Chalforchie Lake and then did some creative route work to get to the end of Orchard Lake, then returned on unmarked double tracks back to Coyote Lake.   Some of the tracks are visible on a map with a GPS, but many are not.   BC Backroads Mapbooks has most of the trails, but most apps do not. 

The lakes of the area are nice backcountry spots, quiet, marshy, and are rich with waterfowl and insects.   Wildflowers were abundant along the way.  

Orchard Lake is at the north end of the public road in the Sullivan Valley.    All of the hiking trails are north of the lake.  

We hike in the area each year and enjoy the trails in late spring:

It would be rare to meet someone on the trails.    Although access is reasonable, it is a bit out of the way and since navigation is required, there are very few hikers or mountain bikers in the area year round.   There are several article on the trails on the website for interested hikers.    Use the Search Bar to find more information.

 

 

 

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Doug Smith

Doug writes for Kamloops Trails, a not-for-profit (and ad free) website, offering information on trails, waterways, routes, featured spots, viewpoints, and explorations in the outdoors in the Kamloops area (and beyond).

Doug started exploring this area in 1976 and continues to follow tracks and routes wherever they lead, with the aid of map, compass, GPSr and camera. After many dead-ends, but also many discoveries, he chose to share this information.

The Kamloops Trails website has a massive number of interesting posts and would be of interest to anyone in Kamloops who enjoys the outdoors. Visit the Kamloops Trails website at: http://www.kamloopstrails.ca/

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