Tag Archives: South Thompson River

Five Bridges and Two Otters

Kamloops Trails Posted on by 1

On a grey mild morning I launched my kayak from Pioneer Park then paddled down the South Thompson River.    I passed under the “Ghost Bridge”, the burnt and now removed Red Bridge,  and then continued down to two standing bridges and two other former (ghost) bridges.    There are a number of pylons just below the surface near the base of the stanchions on the CN Bridge so it’s best to stay midway between the pillars.   I continued downstream past Riverside Park, then under the Overlanders Bridge.

Farther west I passed the stanchions of the Black Bridge, built in 1925, but abandoned and removed in the late 1960’s – early 1970’s.

An older bridge yet was the White Bridge, built in about 1890.    It was a swing bridge, able to swing the middle section out to allow paddlewheelers upstream.    There are two rock pilings visible when the river is not high.    This bridge was wooden and was built for wagon use, connecting the farms of the North Shore to the South Shore.

I paddled past the White Bridge pilings and toward Rabbit Island, then turned back upstream, following the northern side of the Thompson River.   As I passed Overlanders Beach, I could see up the North Thompson River Valley.    I went upstream a bit, then followed the flow back to the confluence.   There are many shallow sandbars in the area of the Confluence, so staying in the main channel is the best course.

On the way back up the South Thompson River, I spotted two river otters digging in the bank.    I watched them for a while, but then they spotted the kayak and headed for the river.    I had a wide angle lens only.    Next time I pass this spot, I will bring a zoom lens.

river otters

The rivers circuit was 5.9 km taking about 1.4 hours.     Upcoming river paddles will include the South Thompson River from Valleyview and the North Thompson River from Pioneer Park.    Soon I will be on the valley lakes (Kamloops Lake, Nicola Lake, and Little Shuswap Lake) on days without strong winds.

  • More Information – There are more posts on paddling this area on this website, on RambleOn, and on our YouTube Channel.