The Kamloops Naturalist Club is offering a series of neighbourhood walks this spring for club members who wish to visit natural areas close to the city. Our first scheduled event is a hike on Saturday April 12, following bike trails through a scenic wooded area between Juniper Ridge and Barnhartvale. The trail will take us into dry grassland, Douglas fir forest with an understory of pine grass, and a moist gully with Douglas maple and Saskatoon. There are two options – an out-and-back trail to a scenic overlook (total time approx 1 hour, elevation gain 100 meters), or you can continue on the trail through the forest that loops back to the start (total time approx 2 hours, elevation gain 200 meters).

The hike is about 2 hours in length, although there is a shorter (1 hour) option for people who don’t want to do the whole thing and wish to turn around part way.  It’s on bike trails which are pretty good (packed dirt, mainly) through a lovely forest. The only mildly challenging part is that the trail starts with a drop down to a (dry) creek-bed and then climbs out – the snow is gone and it is quite straightforward but this is not a sidewalk, it is a trail.  

This hike is “moderate” in difficulty. Note that there are some steep and uneven sections, especially near the start, where the trail drops down into a dry creek bed. Good footwear is a must !

The hike starts at 10 am on Saturday April 12. Meet at the far south-eastern edge of Juniper Ridge. The trail begins at the yellow barrier at the start of a paved section between the houses at 3072 and 3076 Similkameen. Parking is available on the street.

The trip is subject to cancellation if the weather is rainy (as the trails may be slippery when wet).

Non club members are welcome to attend, but must sign a waiver and pay $1 fee to cover insurance. 

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions ! Diane McKelvey, mckelvey53@pm.me