Tikwalus (Fraser Canyon)

Site Description: The Nlaka pamux (Thompson) First Nation has traveled this trail for thousands of years. It was used for hunting, trapping, plant gathering, and as a safe travel route bypassing the sheer canyon walls at Hells Gate. The Nlaka pamux also shared the trail for a short period in history with the Hudson Bay Company. Care should be taken when walking in the footsteps of history when using this trail. The trail has recently been reconditioned with a new; trailhead, parking lot (just past Alexandra Lodge, north of Yale) and bridges, with the addition of cleared windfalls, improved trail bed and interpretive signs to guide your journey. When venturing along this historic 13 km trail, you will be surrounded by a dense, mossy forest that leads you over a small creek and past a minor talus slope. Once the trail has levelled, you will find yourself at an outlook point with incredible views of the Fraser Canyon. There are several ponds and small lakes situated closely along the length of the trail. There is an excellent campsite available for those wanting to stay the night at the 6.5 km mark. Visit http://www.hopemountain.org/for more trail info.

Driving Directions: Drive 50 km north of Hope along Hwy 1. to the Fraser Canyon. Watch for an old building on the right named Alexandra Lodge just north of Spuzzum. Parking is available next to the lodge or a few hundred meters further north along the highway. A sign marks the Tikwalus trailhead