Into the Garden of the Trolls

Into the Garden of the Trolls

Doug Smith  December 20, 2020 at 9:00 am

The Garden of the Trolls is an area of interest on the slope below Jag Hill.   It has about 30 large volcanic boulders, some full of holes or fissures spurring the imagination to think of stone trolls (Tolkien).   There are no trails to the area and the trolls can’t be seen until you hike right into their midst.   They can be accessed from the parking areas below on the Frederick Road, or off the Tranquille – Criss Creek Road.   On a late fall day I hiked in from the east, staying below the cliffs of Jag Hill, traversing an open forest area for 1.4 km.

An inversion left the valleys below full of low clouds as I hiked into sunny conditions above the Dewdrop Range.

I hiked below the ragged cliffs of the south slopes of Jag Hill bearing west.

The giant boulders have broken off the cliffs above and are scattered in the forest at the foot of the steep slopes.

Each of the trolls is unique so the best strategy is to wander among them, checking them out from different perspectives.

It is easy to see faces in the rock at various spots.

I hiked up the steep slopes onto a ridge on the southwest side of Jag Hill for the views down to the Dewdrop Range and the hills beyond.

I returned back on a different course staying at the foot of the cliffs looking for more views and new discoveries.   I resolved to hike above the hoodoos and ragged cliffs before winter came.

The hike to the Trolls and back was about 3.8 km, all off-trail.  Another hidden gem in the Kamloops area.

 

 

 

 

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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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