Cinnamon Ridge Hoodoos | A Whole New World!
Looking up towards the Cinnamon Ridge Hoodoos from the lower trail
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Have you ever traveled to the magical land of Turkey or to the mysterious mountains of Morocco or even to a beautifully bizarre desert-scape, like the Sahara or the Cappadocia region? Maybe you have dreamed of it! Kamloops' surrounding hoodoos offer a totally unique experience, just like these exotic and dreamy destinations do! And you do not have to travel far to be taken to a whole new world!
The dried up canyon creek bed is within that stand of green juniper and pine trees. The trail descends down into here and you can spend time wandering and exploring
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Playing in the creek bed!
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The hoodoos and rock formations surrounding Kamloops are made up of volcanic rock and are a result of millions of years of erosion. The Cinnamon Ridge Hoodoos are the remains of an ancient volcano that erupted 50 million years ago.
These giant sandstone earth formations oddly rise above you, shadow and light playfully dance within them, and the simple presence of this unusual landscape encompasses you. Hiking through here will have your senses excited and your mind intrigued! It’s like adventuring through the badlands!
The Cinnamon Ridge Hoodoos are part of the Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area. Located just outside of Kamloops, this trail system requires a sense of adventure and some very fancy footwork! Rightfully named Cinnamon Ridge, the rich red of the rock and sand is reminiscent of the beloved spice and was created by weathering of the volcanic rock, resulting in red iron being released. In my artistic eye, I see an array of spice and all things nice in the colorful palette of the awe-inspiring natural work of art!
The impressive “spice” colors of the terrain
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Reds and greens contrast to create natures purest art
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The cute little prickly pear cacti. Watch out, or you will step right on these little guys! And they burrow!
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We traveled from Blind Bay with our three young kids geared and ready! The promise of the volcanic history had our 8-year-old boy eager to explore, the act of simply hiking excites our 6 year old always, and the baby of the family, who is nearly 3 years old, was safely tucked in the backpack, being fed swedish berries by me.
Heading up the trail was a combination of rock scrambling, feeling for secure rocks to pull up on, and keeping a safe eye on your feet while being totally blown away by what you are seeing and experiencing! Once on top of the plateaus, the views are incredible and expansive. Here, you are deep into the mountainous, desert terrain and the south-facing slopes are hot and dry.
Prickly pear cacti, grasslands, and fragrant sagebrush line the winding sand trail. There are three main trails to choose from, and they offer a variety of options, such as wide open linear ridgeline hiking, more challenging climbing, and scrambling or descending into a creek bed!
After talking to a fellow hiking family on the trail, we opted to climb partway up Mara Hill and then descend into the creek bed and valley! It was amazing and had all of us in awe!
Our 6-year old adventure kid!
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Although the hike upwards was a little difficult with the baby on my back, it was nothing compared to the difficult descent. I thought for sure I would be using my recent remote wilderness skills first aid on one of us! After some very careful footwork and baby backpack maneuvering, we got safely down! I am not even sure hiking poles would have been all that helpful. Just make sure you have very good grip on your boots as you tend to slide on the loose gravel and sand.
Descriptive words I heard from my family along the way were……“scary, we could die, go on your bum, find something to grab, be careful, this isn’t fun mom, I’m scared, hold on, I need water, I don’t like this trail, I love this trail, wowy, holy shit and that was awesome!”. We can’t wait to go back (perhaps without the kids) and climb around more!
Although this is a BC Park, the trails are not well marked, and there is not really a proper trailhead or parking. I will help you through this in our directions below! The trail system is rated as difficult, and I would agree with that, mainly because of the hike back down.
Here’s me! Having the time of my life, happy to be hiking in a new area with my favorite people!
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My family approaching the steep ascent upwards. The steepness only lasts 15 minutes or so!
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Here are the Details!
Family Friendly:
In my personal opinion, I would not really recommend this trail for kids younger than 6 or 7 years old unless they can be packed on your back. The kids will slip and slide on the loose sand and gravel, so be prepared to assist them in spots. For me, the hike down the trail was a little scary as I was packing the toddler. There were a few parts where I basically sat and gently scooted down. I did not feel safe letting her out of the pack either. While we were climbing around the creekbed, I had to do some hand and knee crawling to get under fallen trees….she was holding on for her life! Our 6 and 8-year-old did great, though, and really enjoyed the family adventure!
The Trails:
There are three main trails to choose from here:
Mara Trail: 3.5 km loop trail
Dewdrop Trail: 5.5 km in-and-back trail
Cinnamon Ridge Trail: 4.25 km loop trail ( we went in-and-back rather then loop to avoid the REALLY steep descent)
The trails are not marked from what I could see; we sort of went with our instinct. Your sightlines are really good; you can see hikers from a distance all up, in, and around the plateaus and hoodoos and trails. You can also see the Thompson River, so wayfinding is pretty straightforward.
There are maps available to take. Find more information here:
https://bcparks.ca/explore/parkpgs/lacdubois_grass/hiking.html
Tips:
- My biggest concern on this adventure would be an injury, so be sure to have a properly stocked first aid kit with you! And a way to call for help if you ever needed that.
When hiking with our family, we carry two first aid kits, one with me and one with Dad, just in case we are split up.
*Be sure to tell someone where you are going and share your trip plan.
*Carry the essentials in your pack on all of your adventures! Find those here: BC Adventure Smart
- During tick season, tuck socks into pants, dab some tea tree oil and check for ticks after you are back down. Also, having tweezers and an anti-bacterial wash in the first aid kit and knowing how to remove a tick is recommended.
- This is Rattlesnake country! Home of the Northern Pacific Rattlesnake. Another reason it is important to stay on trial and to carry first aid! I know that rattlesnake “season” starts April 1st. Rattlesnake tend to blend into the landscape, watch carefully where your hands and feet are landing and grabbing. Pet bites are more common than humans so having dogs on leash in these areas is recommended. Also recommended by WildSafe BC is to try and stay about 2m back from a rattlesnake. If bitten, you can clean the wound with soap and water and call for help immediately to be taken to the hospital.
Parents, talk to the kids about Rattlesnakes and encounters before you head up!
https://wildsafebc.com/species/rattlesnake/
- Bring lots of water! And wear sunblock during the hot months! The sun beats down on this south-facing landscape! Be prepared for the heat and the wind!
- I think this would be an amazing sunset hike. The colors would be incredible!
Directions:
To the Cinnamon Ridge Trail:
From Blind Bay, travel into Kamloops and take exit 374 to Hwy 5 N, then turn left on the Halston and stay on it westbound all the way to Singh St. Then turn right and head north to Ord Road. Take Ord Road westbound until that section ends at Tranquille Rd. Turn right when you come to the stop sign. Continue westbound on Tranquille until you pass the golf course. 600 meters after you pass Sunset Valley Farms on your left, and there will be another section of Ord Road… turn right off of Tranquille and cross the train tracks. Follow this section of Ord Road for 1000 meters keeping to the left at the fork after the tracks; you will drive on a slightly rough dirt road, through what appears to be a junkyard, ending at a dirt road loop where you can easily park to access the trail.
Read more here:
https://bcparks.ca/explore/parkpgs/lacdubois_grass/hiking.html
This is Ord road, the frontage sandy road you will drive on to get to the not well-marked trailhead. It appears like you are actually driving through someone’s yard, but don’t worry, apparently you are not.
