On a sunny morning at the end of April, we drove west past Savona, then up the Sabiston Creek Road to Copper Creek Road and we parked above the gate, not far above the lake. We hiked over the hills and gullies to a spot above the Painted Bluffs Provincial Park, then we followed a rough track down to the base of lower end of the bluffs.
The “trail” in is just a rough track, not always easy to follow, winding down into and out of gullies and around steep bluffs, bearing east, for a 2 km hike each way
From the base area at the bottom of the bluffs, we explored the lower slopes, going over some of the contoured colorful ridges.
We had lunch in a narrow valley on the east side, enjoying the other-worldly terrain of the park.
For this hike, we went out and back, retracing our steps.
On the way back, we drove a different route, following the Copper Creek Road past Copper Creek Ranch, then up through the hills to Red Lake, and through the Tranquille River Valley all the way to Tranquille, a long scenic loop route.
I have hiked into Painted Bluffs many times on a variety of different routes and I have paddled across Kamloops Lake to the beach to hike the area. It is an annual hike, never an easy one, but the unique terrain is worth the long drive and hike each time.
