Tuktakamin is one of the Okanagan's tallest mountains and is located just south of Falkland, BC
Overlooking Falkland from part way up Tuktakamin
Access
Tuktakamin Mt is accessible from both Pinaus Lake Road as well as Ingram Creek road. The first is the most direct but should only be attempted with a high-clearance 4x4. Ingram Creek road is in much better condition and doable with most vehicles. Both roads can become very muddy depending on the time of year. Eventually these 2 roads converge around Will Lake. From here the road has some questionable sections and the hiker may wish to park along the road and continue on foot. An SUV has a good chance of driving most of the way to the summit.
Trail
There is an unofficial loop and parking location that can be found with a bit of research. The trail is a bit difficult to follow at times but given the light underbrush, it is straightforward to regain the trail when lost. The route connects a number of bluffs and lookouts including the summit area.
Toward the summing on the ascent
There is a bit of history hidden between the extensive communication tower installation at the summit. Before all the modern equipment was installed, there was a lone fire lookout tower. The tower itself has been relocated to the Falkland Museum Heritage Park but the foundations and outhouse can still be seen.
When I first started hiking the mountains of BC, I would come across these mysterious green rockets at the summits of peaks. Adding to the mystery, many of them were incredibly remote with no other surrounding infrastructure or access.
After finding several of these, I finally decided to figure out what they were. It turns out they are radio repeaters set up by groups like search-and-rescue and the provincial government.
I've always been annoyed to reach a summit that has a communication tower. Especially loud stations that have generators or power lines. For some reason I don't have the same experience with these green rockets. I have even come to appreciate their presence and even seek them out as a destination!
Pennask Mountain is an insignificant peak but it does have a decent view from the summit. I opted to visit this peak via ski touring in the middle of the winter to make the journey more interesting.
Greenstone Mountain is one of the more popular abandoned fire lookouts for its proximity to Kamloops and ease of access. It is possible for an experienced 4x4 driver to get right to it in the summer and straight-forward access by snowmobile in winter.
There are other routes more favourable to hikers and at some points in the year, it is the only method to reach the summit.
The lookout is maintained by several of the local offroad communities and therefore makes for a solid shelter from the inevitable wind and elements. There is a quality wood stove inside making an overnight stay possible (even in the winter).
Snowshoe in (south route)
Being an old fire lookout vantage, it of course has 360 views where it is possible to see the Kamloops, Coastal Range, Thompson + Nicola valleys, north to Wells Gray + Sunpeaks and over the Okanagan.
A fire lookout was first established on this spot in 1916. The structure was replaced in the mid-1950s with the familiar looking hip-roof style cabin and this stands to this day as a gem of BC history. The summit is getting crowded with communications towers of all shapes and sizes but the lookout remains isolated on the actual summit.
https://youtu.be/Dmbh8rJLPx0
Overnight at Greenstone VideoOvernight in Greenstone Lookout
There are 3 main routes up to Greenstone. The most reliable and standard route is to turn off HWY 97 at cherry creek. Fork right soon afterward towards Duffy Lake. At the turnoff to Duffly Lake there is a sign indicating the direction as the route heads south to join up with Dominic Lake FSR.
A second route is to bend left at the fork mentioned above to continue on Greenstone Mountain Road the whole way. This route is less reliable and more challenging.
A third route starts closer to Merritt and accesses from the south. Take the 97D highway off HWY 5 towards Logan Lake. Turn north onto Paska Lake road. Just before the Mile High Resort, turn north onto Dominic Lake Rd (which ends up merging with the first option described above).
Little White - the remote and undeveloped younger sibling of that other mountain. This is one of the taller mountains in the Okanagan cracking the 2000m mark. The summit area is a huge exposed slab of rock which makes for incredible 360 views. Access to any of the trailheads requires some degree of off-roading so this is not your casual family day-hike. This also implies that some planning is required and also choosing the appropriate season (July-October).
View north Little White summit
There are at least 5 different access routes for Little White - Hwy 33 / Okanagan Falls Rd / Greyback Rd / Canyon Lakes Rd, Little White forestry service road, Upper Crawford Trail, Highland trail from Chute Lake, and Highland trail from Hydraulic lake or Hwy 33.
Directions To Trailhead (Canyon Lakes):
The shortest hike up Little White is via Canyon Lakes trailhead. Unfortunately, the drive to the trailhead is much longer than others. The last 5km is doable (barely) in an SUV but a high clearance 4x4 is recommended. Take HWY 33 out of Kelowna and turn right about 20 mins later on Okanagan Falls FSR (towards hydraulic lake). Follow the signs to Idabel lake but continue past the final turnoff (to Idabel lake). 22.1 km from HWY 33 turn right at the T intersection then stay right at the Y 2.6km later. The trailhead is obvious 6.5km later (the last 5 being the really rough rocky snowmobile trail).
Hiking up from Canyon Lakes
https://youtu.be/DClfbHgKjHM
Approaching the summit from Canyon Lakes Trailhead
Directions To Trailhead (Upper Crawford):
The most straight forward (but harder) trailhead from Kelowna is the Upper Crawford. From McCulloch Rd in south Kelowna turn onto the unpaved June Springs Forestry Service Rd and follow it all the way until it meets with the KVR (kettle valley railway) trail.
It gets a bit sketchy here but it is 100% possible with a regular car. Turn right onto the KVR - watch for cyclists ;) Drive approximately 7km along the trail until you reach the Bellevue Trestle (as far as is possible to drive). Along this route you have to navigate through some tight spaces with rock walls on either side and some precarious narrow sections with no barriers on the cliff edge. As you approach Bellevue Trestle on the right, go straight and curve left up to where there is parking and the trailhead for the Upper Crawford Trail.
KVR from Ruth Station towards Bellevue Trestle (ie. drive this way)
The trail climbs steeply at first and after about 1km there is an abandoned Youth Corps camp. From here the trail is more gradual (mountain bikers use it) and at 5.5 km from the trailhead the path joins with the Little White Forestry Service Rd. Follow this or as the summit is clearly visible from here, make a beeline through the sparse vegetation.
Click on map for a higher res version (Upper Crawford Trail)All that remains of the fire lookout on Little White
Distance from Kelowna to Canyon Lakes Trailhead Walking time: 4-5 hours round trip Trail Length: 12km round trip Elevation gain: 450m GPS: Not necessary but always a good idea for these remote hikes. Easy to Keep on Trail: Yes, trail is well worn.
Distance from Kelowna to Upper Crawford Trailhead: 45 minutes Walking time: 6-8 hours round trip Trail Length: 16km round trip Elevation gain: 930m GPS: Not necessary but always a good idea for these remote hikes. Easy to Keep on Trail: Yes, trail is well worn.
You'll notice on the map above there is an icon for Abandoned Youth Camp. The camp was abandoned in the 1990s and is worth further inspection. It can be found near the start of the Upper Crawford Trail up to Little White Mountain just off the KVR trail. One weekend we actually camped in the abandoned camp and tried to find all the items on the old map which stands at the entrance.
**note** trails of the new Sntsk’il’nten (Black Mountain) Regional Park are still under construction. The purple and orange trails are finished but not the yellow or any trail to the summit. These are planned to be finished by 2022.
The plan is to eventually have trailheads at HWY 33 and Swanson road but at the moment there is no official entrance to the regional park at these points. The trailhead at Tower Ranch Drive is the only official entrance. There is parking along the road but no signage until a couple hundred meters up the path.
It is also possible to park at the Black Mt. Golf Club, walk along the outer perimeter path and jump a fence to connect with the Swanson entrance. This likely breaks a few rules so absolutely don't try it (but it is my favourite entrance).
Part way up
Hiking to the Summit:
From the trailhead at Tower Ranch Dr, enter the regional park and walk the full length of the orange (coyote) trail. The trail ends at a wide ATV trail and continues on as the purple trail. Turn left onto the ATV trail and follow it up into the hills along the edge of the park boundary.
From here the summit is visible and there are enough treeless areas to visualize a clear path up the mountain. Route-finding is pretty straightforward the rest of the way.
**note: Mount Nkwala and surrounding trails are on the lands of the Penticton Indian Band. Signs along the trail indicate that respectful/recreational non-motorized travel is permitted (hiking/biking)**
Directions to Trailhead
There is no straightforward way to explain how to get to a trailhead for Nkwala because there isn't any official trailhead or marked/signed trails. There are, however, numerous trails and access points and here are the top 4 in decreasing order of popularity. One access method is to take Sage Mesa Dr off of HWY 97 (one of the first exits north of Penticton). Turn left at the T junction and park near the entrance to Pine Hills Golf Club. Just through the gate is the KVR trail and just a bit further there is an ATV trail leading towards to Nkwala. Alternatively, turn right at the T junction and park near some Canada Post boxes. There is a trail that cuts up to the KVR trail. Walk along the KVR for 900m or so until you round a bend for a view towards Summerland and then take a trail up the mountain.
Access option three is to take W Bench Hills Rd (1st exit off HWY 97 north side of Penticton). Turn onto Bartlett Dr then Forsyth Dr. There is parking and trail access at the end of Forsyth Dr. This gets you smack dab into a network of downhill mountain bike trails and it takes some wandering to get onto the main trail up the hill.
Last option is to continue up the unpaved road at the corner of Bartlett Dr. and Forsyth Dr. It turns into Max Lake Rd which eventually becomes the access road for the comms towers on the top of Nkwala. Drive as far as possible and then continue walking up the road.
The most popular way to hike Nkwala is to take one of the trails up the east side and after reaching the summit, return along the access road which wraps around the mountain. There are numerous trails off the access road to link back to the start. None of this is easy without good maps, GPS or hiking trail app.
click on the map for higher res versionComms towers access road
Mount Nkwala isn't the most straightforward hike or the most satisfying. It is relatively easy to get lost and the summit is largely taken up by communication towers. There are lovely views to the south over Penticton and beyond but if choosing only one hike in the Okanagan, this wouldn't be my first recommendation.
Separatist Mountain
Locals enjoy hiking the hill behind Mt. Nkwala called Separatist Mountain. This can be done as an offshoot of the Nkwala hike or as a separate (hehe) hike best accessed by parking along Max Lake Rd. See maps for more detail.
North view toward Summerland (Giant's Head visible)
Pentiction to Trailhead: 10 mins Trail Return time: 2-4 hours depending on route Trail Length: 8-10 km depending on route Elevation gain: approximately 600m up GPS: A pretty good idea Easy to Stay on trail: Not really. There are tons of crisscrossing trails.
[caption id="attachment_2953" align="alignnone" width="834"] Start of the trail heading up[/caption]
You've probably driven by Spion Kop numerous times without noticing it. Even when you look at the peak from the highway it doesn't look like anything special. That's why it's so shocking when you finally reach the summit and behold the expansive views. Spion Kop (Dutch for 'look out hill') is on a ridge of hills sandwiched between Okanagan and Wood lakes.
[caption id="attachment_2935" align="alignnone" width="834"] Tilt right to read directions[/caption]
There are several other trails aside from the summit hike. The grand overlook is another great view of the south and the Lupine trail North Overlook has views of Vernon and Kalamalka Lake
Directions To Trailhead:
For the main trailhead, from Vernon head south or Kelowna north to Lake Country and take Oceola Rd. Soon after there is a 4-way stop. Turn right onto Lake Hill Drive then left on Shoreline Drive and finally left on Apex Drive (along here there are signs).
For the alternate Raven Ridge trailhead, continue straight at the 4-way stop mentioned above onto Okanagan Centre Road East. Take a right onto Carrs Landing Road then keep right onto Moberly Road (hiker sign here). Follow the hiker signs the rest of the way, continuing on Moberly Road with a left at Forest Hills Drive then a right on Townsend Drive. A final left on Northstar Lane completes the switchbacks up the hill to the trailhead. There are no markings at the trailhead but park at the end of Northstar Lane and the trail continues from there.
[caption id="attachment_554" align="alignnone" width="500"] Click on map for a higher-res version[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_2947" align="alignnone" width="834"] View south across Okanagan and Wood Lake[/caption]
Distance from downtown Kelowna to Trailhead: 30km (1/2 hour) Walking time: 2 hours Trail Length: 6km round trip Elevation gain: 265m GPS: Not necessary Easy to Keep on Trail: There are several signed trails but also a lot of unsigned
[caption id="attachment_887" align="alignnone" width="500"] Communication Towers at Okanagan Mountain Summit[/caption]
Okanagan Mountain is a feast of adventure including hiking trails, camping, and exploring. If you are like me then the rule of thumb is it's not conquered unless you get to the summit. Don't be fooled though - the Okanagan Mountain summit hike is full of deception. The trail up is a boring service road, there is barely a view from the top, and at the summit exists the loudest communication tower complex in the Okanagan. Take this recommendation - Any other trail in this provincial park is more scenic and worthwhile.
The following is for all who don't heed the warnings and want the summit anyway.
[caption id="attachment_889" align="alignnone" width="500"] Service Road up to Okanagan Mountain Summit[/caption]
Directions To Trailhead:
For the main trailhead, follow Lakeshore Rd along Okanagan Lake nearly as far south as it goes. For the most direct route to the summit, take the CN trail which merges with divide lake trail. It is also possible to park and start at the end of Rimrock Rd which is the start of divide lake trail. The trail winds up the mountain to divide lake and campground which is a stone's throw from the summit.
Another options is to access the park from the south (Naramata). A loop including the Mountain Goat trail, Fredrick Creek trail, and part of Wildhorse Canyon trail makes for a better trail experience (as opposed to divide lake trail mentioned above which feels like walking on a comms tower service road- wait it is!).
[caption id="attachment_554" align="alignnone" width="450"] Click on map for a high-resolution version[/caption]
Distance from downtown Kelowna to Official Trailhead: 18km Walking time (to summit): 6-8 hours round trip Trail Length: 25km round trip Elevation gain: 1175m GPS: Not necessary Easy to Keep on Trail: yes
In 1950 a plane on route to Penticton from Vancouver crashed on Okanagan Mountain. The story of the crash, survival, and rescue is one of the Okanagan's best moments in history. Read more HERE. It is possible to explore the crash site and there are numerous parts of the plane to inspect. The wreckage lies not far off the trail to the summit of OK Mountain but some serious bushwhacking is required. This adventure is best paired with an overnight campout on the mountain.
Start of the trail heading up[/caption]
Tilt right to read directions[/caption]
View south across Okanagan and Wood Lake[/caption]
Communication Towers at Okanagan Mountain Summit[/caption]
Service Road up to Okanagan Mountain Summit[/caption]
