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The Pedestrian/Cycling/Equestrian
Trail (West to East)
Read the following notes carefully before proceeding!!!
Prepare yourself
as though you are entering the backcountry. Backcountry backpacking
is essential. Expect sudden weather changes including fog and snow,
especially at the higher elevations. Also, watch for bears and other
wild life. Bug repellent is a real asset. Ground conditions can be
very boggy -- waterproof boots are a must. You need to be in
good physical shape with at least some backcountry experience to
attempt these trails.
Walkers
continuing on the Trans Canada Trail are 5 days without support away
from Hope and 7 days from Coalmont if the Cascade Route is chosen.
Road support is possible at many points along the Chilliwack Lake
Road and on the Silver Skagit Road. This means that you are
never more than a day away of such support on the way to Hope. On
the Cascade Route there can be road support at one point on the #3
Highway in Manning Park. After that there is no road support for at
least 3 days unless a 4 Wheel Drive can get in as far as Wells Lake
--not dependable. If the latter is possible then once again, it is
possible to proceed with road support on a daily basis for very
experienced hikers.
Equestrians can
follow the Cascade Route described above for walkers.
Cyclists going
over Paleface
Pass Trail are without local support for 2-3
days from Cultus Lake to Hope.
Advice to Walkers
It is possible to continue beyond Chilliwack Lake with
the choice of using the alternate old Centennial Trail up Post Creek
via Lindeman and Greendrop Lakes to Hicks Creek to the Silverhope
Valley or using the new preferred Paleface Pass TCT marked route, the official TCT
route. Also, the route gets rerouted on the Chilliwack
Lake Road where sections of the trail are under construction or
become impassable. Advice to Cyclists
You must be a very fit and hardy cyclists
to go beyond
Chilliwack Lake . The change of elevation is more
than 2000 feet over 6 km. This is a tough grind but very
rewarding, especially the cycle down to the Silverhope Valley on
the other side of Paleface Pass. Watch for cross ditching
and fallen rocks.
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Alternate
Option 1
for cyclists |
If your destination is
to Chilliwack Lake and back or to continue on the TCT.
From the Tamihi Forestry Campground to Anderson Pond
cyclists are recommended to follow Chilliwack Lake Road
while backcountry cyclists will prefer to follow the walking trail.
More manageable trails start with the Thurston Trail.
For another cycling
experience it is recommended to take the road up via Slesse Park by first
backtracking on the Chilliwack Lake Road from the Tamihi Creek
bridge. Climb this hill for about 2.5 km through farms and
watch for a forest road on your right that leads to the
Chilliwack Bench Road. This then becomes a great gentle
downhill trip that will come out on Chilliwack Lake Road just
east of Foley Forest Recreation Camp where Chilliwack
Lake Road crosses the Chilliwack River a second time. From here watch for a
Trans Canada Trail sign about 200 metres on your right along Chilliwack Road
and follow the trail as described below starting with the
Nesakwatch Valley View Trail. |
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Alternate
Option 2
for cyclists |
If your goal is to
complete the Trans Canada Trail but cannot handle steep and
rough terrain, or you are travelling during winter months (about mid-Oct to
mid-Jun) ...
You can detour around the
Chilliwack River and Silver/Skagit Valleys.
The suggested
alternate route is as follows:
From the end of the Rotary Vedder Trail on Vedder Road turn
north.
Follow Vedder Road to Promontory Road.
Go East on Promontory Road to Chilliwack River Road
Go North on Chilliwack River Road for quite a ways and proceed
under the Trans Canada Highway.
Continue northward on Young Street.
Stay on Young Street past Yale Road North to Hope River Road.
Follow Hope River Road eastward to Camp River Road, which is a
continuation of Hope River Road on the way to the Agassiz Bridge.
Go through a provincial park as you approach and
go under the Agassiz bridge onto a cloverleaf to go over the
bridge.
Going north, cross the Fraser River over the bridge to Agassiz
on #9 Road to # 7 Road.
Follow #7 Road eastward to #1 Highway.
Follow #1 Highway southward to the Information Centre in Hope.
You are now back on the trunk route of the Trans
Canada Trail. |
- Advice to Equestrians
It is the same as the cyclists above for Option 1. Option 2 is to
drive to Silver Creek in Hope or all the way to the Skagit Valley
Trail and follow the Cascade Route option.
In General
The Chilliwack River Valley teems
with mystery. The wild Chilliwack River is a favourite for fishermen
and kayakers and leads to approximately 25 km of fish
channels, a fish hatchery, and a myriad of mountain streams. The
towering mountains offer a multitude of sought after rugged trails
to high lakes and ridges. There are complete rainforest ecosystems
and Chilliwack Lake itself is a large body of water that intrigues
and is so awe inspiring that it brings out the poet in us. Wildlife
abounds including birds of prey, the Blue Heron, many other bird
species, bears, deer, and wild mountain goat to name a few.
There are enough adventures available in the Chilliwack River Valley to fill
several complete summers.
These include: Liumchen Ridge, Mt. Ford, Williams Peak, Pierce Lake
on Mt McFarlane, Elk Mt., Cheam Peak, Mt. Foley, Mt. Laughington,
Williamson Lake, Radium Lake, and Lindeman, Greendrop, and Lindeman
Lakes. The east end of Chilliwack Lake takes the adventurer to a
prized first growth forest known as Sappers Park, and a trail that
crosses the US border to North Cascades National Park and goes as
far as Ross Lake. There are, of course, other uncharted treks that
takes the traveler along valleys or mountain passes into other
valleys.
Description of
the Trans Canada Trail up the Chilliwack River Valley...
Liumchen
Trail (Cultus Lake to Little Tamihi Creek -- part of the Centennial Trail)
k9 to k18.5
Follow Vance Road going
southward to a system of active forest roads. Be aware
of possible back road vehicles and logging equipment.
Continue on the forest road eastward
through Department of Defense lands.
At the first opportunity continue on the road as it turns sharply to
the left or northward and go over a bridge that crosses Liumchen
Creek - total so far 4.4 km.
Just before crossing
the creek you may want to visit this former forestry recreation site
to enjoy a canyon and Liumchen Falls. This is an unmanaged area. Be careful.
Stay on this forest road without
taking any roads that lead to the right. It will eventually reach
the Valley floor along the south side of the Chilliwack River (add
4.8 km). Take care not to take any of the misleading branches going
left. Stick to the main road. Enjoy the great views over
the Chilliwack River Valley to Elk, Thurston Mountains, other
mountain peaks and the valley below towards Chilliwack.
Tamihi Trail
(Little Tamihi Creek to Anderson
Creek -- k18.5 to k21)
Go eastward across a bridge crossing
Little Tamihi Creek and watch for the Centennial Trail (now the
TCT) on your
left. Take this 2.5-km fishers trail over an un-named creek (1.5 km - 20
km marker) all the way past the Tamihi Forest Service Campground
area. This is a fishers paradise on the Chilliwack River.
The prize catch are Steelhead.
Tolmie Trail
(Tamihi
Creek - to Anderson
Creek - k21 to k27)
Note: This section of
trail is quite challenging because it has changes of elevation
ranging from 300 to 700 ft. Cyclists who don't enjoy this type
of challenge should take Chilliwack Road to Anderson Creek.
At the bridge over Tamihi Creek immediately start uphill on the Tamihi Forest Road.
Watch on your left and you will soon see an entrance to the trail on
your left as soon as you pass the cliff section. This is a
grassy area that tends to get overgrown and hide the sign.
Don't be discouraged by the tall grass. After about 0.5 km through a
fairly immature grand fir forest the trail
will cross a creek and start going downward. At the bottom of
the hill turn right to go up again. After about 1 km you turn right
at a clearing. Be aware that there is a false
right turn as you go up. Follow this mainly grand fir forest trail until you come to
a private property. Turn right into an immature cottonwood
forest. After crossing a creek
(dry most of the time) you will be treated to mature black
cottonwood and maple trees with a great variety of other plants such
as devil's club that grow in wet ground, a truly unique area.
Because of the clay surface it can be slippery when wet . Past
this section at the bottom of 0.6 km descent, the next two km will reveal an old corduroy
road and superb rainforest vegetation. At the next junction
of forest roads turn right again and watch for the trail on your left.
It will take you to Anderson Creek on Chilliwack Lake Road.
Follow Chilliwack Lake Road east over the bridge crossing Anderson
Creek.
Thurston
Trail
(Anderson Creek to Borden Creek --
k27 to k32)
Just after the bridge over Anderson
Creek on Chilliwack Lake Road take a trail on a berm fronting
Anderson pond. Then follow Chilliwack Lake Road for about 400 metres
and watch for a trail sign on your right. If you see a gravel
pit you went too far. Follow it to the Thurston Meadows Campground across the
Chilliwack Lake Road after having passed fish channels and
a former logging railroad grade. Follow the River around the
campground and continue on the trail along fish channels to Borden Creek along the
Chilliwack River.
(Borden Creek to the base of Larsons Hill -- k32 to k34 marker)
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Photo by Brian Simons
From Borden Creek use
Chilliwack Lake Road for 350 metres to an entrance on your left.
Follow the trail for 1.1 km to a parking area along Chilliwack
Lake Road. Cyclists may prefer to proceed on Chilliwack Lake Road to the Chilliwack
River Fish
Hatchery; the dike is quite rough at this time. Walkers are directed to walk on a dike along the
Chilliwack River. When the dike runs out follow the trail in
a forested area until it leads you onto Chilliwack Lake Road.
Go through the wilderness camp parking area and continue over Slesse Creek Bridge.
On the other side of the bridge it is strongly suggested to visit
the the Chilliwack River Hatchery if the gate is open, in spite of what the sign
says; otherwise, just continue past the Hatchery to concrete
barriers, the beginning of the next segment of trail. If you
chose to go through the hatchery, after the visit, look for a small
bridge and a set of stairs on the way out. This leads to a
parking lot and the the beginning of the next segment of trail at
the concrete barrier. Go out of the parking lot immediately
rather than walking through it to a locked gate.
Larsons Bench
Trail
(Bottom of Larsons Hill at
Chilliwack River Fish Hatchery Sign to the next
Chilliwack River crossing --
7.3 km)
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Photo by Brian Simons
Follow the trail to the
top of the hill then turn left. It is 2.5 km before returning to Chilliwack Lake Road. Continue east on Chilliwack Lake Road for
about 220 metres.
Look for a trail on your right and follow it through a DND site and
to
a wilderness camping area at Pierce Creek. Cross Pierce Creek
and follow this forested trail on a former logging road, then onto a
forest trail to a gravel pit. The trail continues behind the
pit and heads back towards Chilliwack Lake Road. Just before
reaching Chilliwack Lake Road take the former logging railroad to
the right and follow it until it connects with Chilliwack Lake Road.
Follow Chilliwack Lake Road for a short distance passing Ford
Mountain Corrections Camp to the Chilliwack River crossing.
Nesakwatch Trail
(Chilliwack
River Crossing via Angel Wing Fish Channels to the end of Centennial
Fish Channels -- 7.1 km)
Note of interest: The Centennial Fish Channels
are named after the Centennial Trail that we are using for this part
of the Trans Canada Trail.
Equestrians and road bike
cyclists) use Chilliwack
Lake Road for about 400 m to a second road on your right by-passing
the Angel Wing Fish Channels and watch for a trail going east on
your left that will take you to the Riverside Forest Service Campground.
Walkers (and adventurous
cyclists) find
a trail on the south side of Chilliwack Lake Road right after
crossing the bridge over the Chilliwack River. Follow this
trail along
the Angel Wing fish channels to a 2nd road leading out of the this area . On the road leading out of the
fish channels watch for a trail heading east on your right in a
forest of large trees followed by an immature forest of grand firs
and pine. Follow
this single track trail for about 2.5 km where it comes
out on Chilliwack Lake Road.
Follow Chilliwack Lake Road a short distance (100 metres) to the
Riverside Forest Recreation Service Campground along the Chilliwack River.
Go through the campground and turn south over two forestry bridges
crossing the Chilliwack River. (It is 3 km from here to the end of the Fish
Channels).
Immediately after the bridges, walkers take the trail on the
left of the road and follow it until it comes out onto the forest
road again.
Follow the road over a small bridge and at the first opportunity get
on the Centennial Fish Channels on your left and follow them to the end. Then
continue on the forest road over Centre Creek.
Equestrians must follow the forest roads from the Riverside
Forest Recreation Camp to
Centre Creek because of narrow bridge crossings. Cyclists
(adventurous cyclists who like challenging forest trails can follow the hiking trail)
follow the forest road to the start of the second section of the Centennial Channels
just past the small bridge mentioned above.
Centre Creek
Trail
(East
end of Centennial Fish Channels to Radium Lake Trail
-- 6.6
km)
From the Centennial Fish Channels proceed east to Centre Creek bridge and
turn north (left) the Centre Creek Forest Road.
Turn right at the next opportunity while continuing on the road.
This is the old Centennial Trail with vestiges of old signage still
on the Trail. It is also a former logging rail grade. Follow it to the Post Creek bluff.
This section of coastal rainforest
is magnificent. It is also a timber harvest area. Tree
species: Douglas fir, western hemlock, western red cedar, red
alder, paper birch, and black cottonwood. Plants: salal,
sword fern, bracken fern, flat moss, false azalea, lanky moss,
step moss, Alaskan blueberry, goose berry, dull Oregon grape,
false Solomon's seal, thimbleberry, wild
ginger, prickly rose. This is also a spotted owl habitat.
First growth forest can be found closer in to the river near the
start of the rail grade at the west end at k51.
Near the end of the rail
grade at the east end are several of old cedar stumps that were
used as shelters by early shake block cutters. Vestiges of
former animal traps can also be found.
Follow the Trail over a bluff to Radium Lake Trail. The bluff
section of the trail will prove to be quite challenging for cyclists
(expect to push your bikes and grunt for about 0.5 km going east
and 1.0 km going west- not as steep going west - The
whole trip over the bluff is 1.5 km).
Radium Lake
Trail
(Radium Lake
Trail fork on bluff on the way to Chilliwack Lake
Provincial Campground Kiosk via new Chilliwack
River Bridge - 3.2 km)
 
This
soon becomes an very pleasant forest trail along the Chilliwack River. Radium Creek Bridge is soon reached.
Once at the Chilliwack Lake Bridge a pleasant reward awaits
with views of mountains over the lake from a vista at the headwaters
of the Chilliwack River.
Note: The suspension bridge at the east end of the bluff to the Post
Creek Cabin area has been taken out by BC Provincial Parks in early
2004 for safety reason.
Chilliwack
Lake Trail
(From the
south edge of the Chilliwack Lake Campground to Paleface Creek - 8 km.)
After following the trail in a lodgepole pine forest (quite
unique in our west coast forest) on the east side of the Chilliwack
Lake Provincial Campground, follow the north side of the Lake to
Paleface Creek. The views over the lake are sensational.
Centennial Trail Alternative
(Radium Creek to Silver/Skagit Road via Greendrop Lake- 17 km)
From the Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park gate turn (left)
westward on the Chilliwack Lake Road for about 400 metres and watch
for a road going north. This is the trailhead to Lindeman,
Greendrop, and Flora Lakes.
Make your way past Lindeman Lake to Greendrop Lake.
At the south end of Greendrop Lake there is a steep trail that
takes one over its west flank -- its somewhat difficult to find . This will eventually take you to a campground above the
north end of the lake.
Coming out of the north side of this campground is a trail that will
take you to the Hicks Creek Forest Road.
Follow this decommissioned road down to the Silver Skagit
road. 
Paleface Pass
Trail
- see Paleface
Pass Notice at the start of this page. (Mouth of
Paleface Creek and across to the top of the pass
-  7
km: 5 km to the trailhead going over the pass - 2.5 km to the
turn-off on the way up - turn left. )
This will be a real grunt for
cyclists but doable if you are in great condition and are prepared
to push your bike. Expect working forests, first growth forests,
rough terrain, and great views.
The 2.2 km trail across the pass from what we have named as
monument rock on the last leg of forest road to the Upper Silverhope
Forest Service Road is a typical mountain trail, in this case with
many water bars across the road. There are
steep and rough sections.
Distances:
|
Description
|
Km |
| Liumchen Trail (Cultus Lake to Little Tamihi Creek)
- k9 to k18.5 |
9.5 |
| Tamihi Trail ( Little Tamihi Creek to
Tamihi Creek Bridge) - k18.5 to k21 |
2.5 |
| Tolmie Trail
- Tamhi
Bridge to Anderson Creek Bridge - k21 to k27 |
6.0 |
Thurston Trail - k27 to
k34
- Anderson Creek to Borden Creek - 4.75 km -
-
Borden Creek to via Slesse Creek just past the Fish Hatchery- 2.5 km |
7.25 |
Larsons Bench Trail (Top
of Larsons Hill to Camp Foley) - k34 to k41.6
- Top of bench to Pierce Creek - 4 km
- Pierce Creek to Chilliwack River crossing after passing Ford
Mountain Corrections Camp - 3.6 |
7.6 |
Nesakwatch Trail (Foley Forest Recreation Service Campground at Chilliwack River crossing via Angel Wing Fish Channels to the end of
Centennial Fish Channels k41.6 to k48.7)
- Chilliwack River Crossing and start of the Angel Wing Fish
Channels to the next crossing just past the Riverside
Forest Recreation Service Campground - 4.1 km
- Riverside Forest Recreation Service Campground to end of Centennial Fish Channels - 3 km
(k46 - start of Fish Channels) |
7.1 |
| Centre Creek Trail (East end of Centennial Fish
Channels to Radium Creek Trail fork on bluff - k48.7 to k55.3) |
6.6 |
| Radium Lake Trail
(From
Radium Lake Trail fork on the bluff to edge of
Chilliwack Lake Provincial Campground - k55.3 to k58.5) |
3.2 |
Chilliwack Lake Trail
- Edge of campground at kiosk to Chilliwack Lake Road - 0.7 km
(k58.5 to k59.2)
- Chilliwack Lake Road to Paleface Creek - 6 km |
6.7 |
Paleface Pass Trail
(Mouth of
Paleface Creek and across the
pass to the top of Upper Silverhope Creek)
- Trail through the pass from Monument Rock to Upper Silverhope FSR - 2.2 km |
7.2 |
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Total
Distance |
63.7 km |
Elevations
Change of elevation is approximately 1370 m (4500 ft) over 60 km.
Expect the trail to go up and down 20 to 90 metres several times during
the first 45 km from Cultus Lake.
At Cultus Lake - 60 m/200 ft
At Liumchen Bridge 300 m/1000 ft
At Tamihi 120 m/400 ft
Tolmie Trail (West high point 240 m/800 ft -- East high point 300
m/1000 ft) - Change of elevation 600-700 ft twice
At Borden creek 180 m/600 ft
Larsons Bench 330 m/1200 ft
Post Creek Bluff 660 m/2150ft (change of elevation 90 m/300 ft)
Chilliwack Lake - 625 m/2050 ft
Start of Paleface Pass - 1270 m/4150 ft
Summit - 1430 m/4550 ft
Public Washroom Facilities and
Staging areas (Parking)
The main spots are: Cultus Lake, Tamihi Forest
Recreation Service Campground,
Thurston Forest Recreation Service Campground, Chilliwack River
Hatchery (at Slesse Creek) and Chilliwack Lake BC Parks
Campground and picnic area.
Accommodation
Camping
Good BC Forest Service Campgrounds are located at Tamihi Camp and
Thurston Camp, and
BC Parks has a large Campground at Chilliwack Lake
Those taking the Post Creek Route can find camping at Greendrop Lake
(both ends)
There is a private campground at Slesse Park, a short ways west from
Tamihi.
Hotels, Bed and Breakfasts, other
Most facilities in the City of Chilliwack except for
Riverbend Guest House
at Slesse Park near Tamihi
Shops and Restaurants
None other
than those found at Cultus Lake.
For More Information
Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park-
More on Chilliwack Lake
Bear Safety
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In...
