As winter turns into spring, the days get longer and warmer and we find ourselves wanting to get out on the trails. This time of year is difficult as there is often still snow or ice on the shaded parts of the trails. So we put together a list of suggestions for the best hikes to do at this time of year. These hikes should be free of snow and ice first as they are south facing and covered in sunshine. Trails are sorted easiest to hardest, so be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom to find a trail you might like.
Enjoy these early season trails and let us know what you think in the comments below!
Kamloops Spring Hiking Trails
Riverside Park
Paved, flat, and at the valley bottom, the River’s Trail that passes from Riverside park to Pioneer Park is a great early season trail.
McArthur Island Loop
McArthur Island is another flat, paved, valley bottom trail. The outer 3km loop is the perfect length and offers great view of the river. This trail does not allow dogs.
Xget’tem Trail
Peterson Creek’s newest trail connects Sahali and Downtown via a paved path. Although this trail is far from flat, it is maintained by the city and cleared of snow. This is a great early season trail to get your heart pumping (especially if you hike up from the bottom).
West Highlands Park
The West Highlands Park is now situated where the old Links golf course resided in the Aberdeen neighbourhood. The park now features a 1.8km loop that offers spectacular views of the Thompson Valley.
Aviation Way
We checked this one out in early March and there was still a layer of packed snow on the trail. However, the snow has been melting like crazy the last few days so this trail should dry up quickly.
Oak Hills Trail
The Oak Hills trail is a great early spring trails as it is situated low in the valley and faces south, meaning it clears up quicker than most trails in our area. This trail begins at the Westsyde Centennial Park.
The Balancing Rock
A unique natural landmark in our area, the Balancing Rock on Kamloops Lake is a must see! Directions can be found by clicking on the title.
Panorama Trail in Kenna Cartwright Park
A short wander through the grasslands to a panoramic rocky outcrop to take in the sweeping views of the Thompson River Valley.
Blackwell Trails
A great southern facing park with a variety of trails to explore.
Dallas-Barnhartvale
Right next door to the Blackwell trails, this park also gets a lot of early season sun, and should dry up quick.
Ridge Trail
This trail runs along the highway and has very little shade. It should dry up pretty quickly.
Mara Loop
Another great trail for this time of the year as there is little shade and tons of sun. Can be quite muddy.
Battle Bluff
Another local favourite, Battle Bluff is often one of the first ones Kamloopsians climb in the spring. This trail offers great views of Kamloops Lake, but can have icy and muddy spots on the backside.
These are just a couple suggestions of trails that are facing the sun at this time of year and are likely to be the driest!
Disclaimer: As always, we cannot guarantee the condition of any of the trails. Use at your own risk.
Dennis L. Ward
15 May 2017Mac Island is a nice trail. Just got here last week, I was there with my wife and its up to me to find the way around! We both enjoyed the trip lot.
Thanks for sharing your post.
Hike Kamloops
16 May 2017Mac Island is lovely! I should definitely add it to that list! Thanks for the reminder!
Nicole
20 Mar 2018Checked out Blackwell & Dallas-Barnhartvale trails on March 16th … Wow – what a beautiful place! It’s not quite ready for hiking yet … compact snow and some pretty nasty ice on the Hoodoo & Pussywillow Trails … Benchlands will be very very slushy and wet on warmer days … but I’m a few weeks I’m going back! Thank you for providing such a great resource- I likely wouldn’t have checked this place out without guidance 😊
Hike Kamloops
30 Mar 2018You’re so welcome Nicole! There are so many fantastic parks, trails, and areas around Kamloops that many people don’t know about! So I love sharing them and getting awesome feedback from people like you! Thanks for the update on the trail conditions! It’s always appreciated 🙂
Allison Ryder
23 Mar 2019Is the Oak Hills Trail off-leash dog friendly? The photo does show an off-leash dog, but just wanted to be sure before heading out there. Thanks!
Hike Kamloops
23 Mar 2019Hi Allison,
We definitely thought it was an off-leash area as most of the other dogs were off-leash. Here’s the link to the City of Kamloops web page for more info – https://www.kamloops.ca/parks-recreation/parks/westsyde-centennial-park