We drove south to the Fraser River, then into Stein Valley Nlaka’Pamux Heritage Park to hike up the Stein River Trail for an out-and-back route which turned out to be 3.5 hours on the trail, with about 2.5 hours of moving time.    It was a sunny and pleasant day for a beautiful hike.   For the whole distance we had views of the rushing river,  while signs of spring greeted us along the way – wildflowers, pollinators, birds, flowering shrubs, and new growth.    The river was impressive, not yet in freshet, but still full from bank to bank, churning downstream.

Lytton is still being rebuilt after the wildfires of 2021.    We drove through Lytton and took the exit to the highway to Lillooet, then turned onto the Lytton Reaction Ferry Road.   The ferry runs in daylight hours, transporting one or two vehicles across the river, on demand.

To get to the trailhead, we drive north on the West Side Road and watch for the sign to turn onto the single lane gravel road that provides access to the Stein River Trail.

The trail follows the Stein River upstream on the south side of the river.    When the bridges are all useable, we can hike all the way up the Stein to the headwaters.    There is a (damaged) suspension bridge 12 km upstream.

We hiked up to the Devil’s Staircase campsite where we stopped for lunch and enjoyed the side of the river.   To the west we could see peaks in the Cantilever Range in the Coast Mountains.

The hike from the trailhead to Devil’s Staircase is relatively level, with some smaller moderate hills along the path.   At Devil’s Staircase, the trail climbs up and over a rock slide area and back down to the river.    We have backpacked to Earl’s Camp and have hiked past the suspension bridge and back in the past.   For this April day we were content for a full-day outing (2.5 hours x 2 of travel time), but a moderate day hike distance.

We have hiked, backpacked, and run the Stein River Trail a number of times over the years.    We will return again soon for another hike up the Stein River Valley.

• Hiking the Stein River in Spring (video)