Since 2009, dramatic progress has been made in re-opening this historic fur trail over the Cascades. Hikers and horseback riders can now enjoy a continuous wilderness trail that spans 74-kilometers between Hope and Tulameen, following the same route taken by the HBC horse brigades.
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Your kind donation will help keep this trail open. It will support volunteer maintenance work, cover equipment expenses and makes matching grants possible. Thank you!
These two images represent the shared history of the HBC Trail. Grizzly bear paw: this First Nations image appears at pictograph (rock painting) sites from the Fraser to the Similkameen. It is used here to represent the long-standing traditional use of this area for food gathering and trade. Original flag of the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC): established in 1670, the HBC is the oldest private corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world.
Originally a First Nations route for hunting and trade, the HBC Trail played a key role in British Columbia’s early development. Completed in 1849, the HBC Trail was built by the Hudson’s Bay Company with the help of local First Nations. They built the trail to link the Fraser River at Fort Hope with Fort Kamloops and other important fur forts farther north to Stuart Lake. For more than a decade, the HBC’s fur empire in Western North America depended on this trail.
Photo Right: Hundreds of pack animals and men crossed the Cascade Mountains on this trail from 1849 to 1860. Hudson’s Bay Company “Brigades” were essential for getting valuable furs to world markets, and for re-supplying HBC Forts in the BC Interior and far North. BC’s early economy developed around this trail and the fur industry it supported.
The HBC Trail falls within the traditional territory of three First Nations. The Stó:lo, Nlaka’pamux (Thompson), and Similkameen used trails over the Cascade Mountains to gather plants, hunt, and trade with each other. Coastal and Interior groups each had resources the other needed. Coastal villages traded dried salmon, sockeye oil, rare shells, and cedar products. Interior groups traded valuable plants, including tobacco, sage, and Indian hemp — a critical plant for making fishing nets, rope, and clothing. When Hudson’s Bay Company explorers arrived in search of a new fur trade route over the Cascades, they hired First Nations guides to lead them. A respected Similkameen chief named “Blackeye” showed his hunting route over the Tulameen Plateau to A.C. Anderson in 1846, and this became the inspiration for the HBC fur brigade trail of 1849. There was much collaboration between First Nations and European fur traders in the years that followed, and in general, this early relationship was beneficial to both.
A network of mountain trails have enabled First Nations to gather plants and hunt for centuries. Women used “tumpline baskets” like this to carry berries, bulbs, and medicinal plants from local mountains back to their villages.
First Nations horse packers in the 1890’s. Stó:lo, Nlaka’pamux, and Similkameen members worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company along the trail as trappers, cooks, packers, guides, and postal carriers. Many First Nations also traded directly with HBC forts, gaining access to valuable goods such as hunting rifles, cooking pots, and steel tools.
Alexander Caulfield Anderson was the HBC employee tasked with finding a new trail that would rescue the company’s business in Western North America. He succeeded, thanks to the help of First Nations guides.
The HBC Trail was a product of international politics. In 1846, when Britain and the United States agreed on the 49th parallel as the new international boundary, British fur traders were blocked from using their existing forts on the Columbia River. A new fur trail was desperately needed to bring HBC furs to world markets.
Map information courtesy of Charles Hou.
Fort Hope was established by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1848, beside the Stó:lo village of Ts’qó:ls. The new fort would function as the HBC’s key transfer point between mountain fur trails and Fraser River boats. Its name reflected the company’s desperation to replace trade routes lost to the Americans in 1846. This new fort was their best hope.
The original Hudson’s Bay Company Store on Water Street in Hope.
In the summer of 1848, HBC surveyor Henry Peers and a company of 10 men built the trading post at Fort Hope while also frantically building the “Brigade Trail” from Fort Hope to Fort Kamloops. The trail had to be ready by the spring of 1849, to enable HBC furs from the BC Interior to reach the Coast. The previous year had been a disaster when 70 packhorses perished while trying to negotiate the deadly Fraser Canyon. Peers’ trail was a success, and for the next decade, brigades of up to 400 cattle, pack horses, and men regularly pounded the rugged trail between Otter Lake and Hope.
Photo: HBC brigades typically crossed these mountains during spring and fall. Horses had to contend with rugged terrain and turbulent river crossings.
An overnight camp on the Brigade Trail. Camps were typically located a day’s ride (20 miles) apart.
A grave along the HBC Trail. Date and location unknown.
Horses of the HBC Brigades had to cross mountains and rivers with heavy loads. Each horse carried two 90-lb “pieces” containing everything from fur and gold to mail and tools. Many pack animals died from extreme weather, injury, and physical stress. In his 1859 account, Lieutenant Palmer of the Royal Engineers describes his horse becoming spooked by the bleached bones of horses that had died by the dozens during an autumn snow storm a few years before. Life was hard on the men too. Some died on the trail, and the average life expectancy of an HBC employee was 45 years. Most famously, an HBC Chief Trader named Paul Fraser was killed at Campement du Chevreuil (Deer Camp) when a tree fell on his tent. The tree had been felled by his own men. Fraser was widely despised, and historians have speculated that it was no accident.
The Brigade Trail declined in use when better trails were constructed during the 1860’s. By then, gold fever had eclipsed the fur trade, and routes such as the Dewdney Trail and the Cariboo Wagon Road offered better access to the Interior. However, the HBC Trail continued to be used for several decades by First Nations, trappers, miners, and hunters.
Photo: Horse brigades were a unique feature of the BC fur trade. While the rest of Canada used canoes to transport furs, BC’s wild rivers often made canoe travel too difficult.
PHOTOS FROM THE GRAND OPENING, MAY 21-22, 2016. Thanks to Ray Daws and other photographers for the excellent pictures.
Photo: Trail work party
Funding has come a variety of organizations including:
Photo: Harley Hatfield
Special thanks must go to the dozens of volunteers who have given hundreds of hours of hard work to improving the HBC Trail for public enjoyment. In particular, Penticton resident Harley Hatfield deserves special recognition for the work he did during the 1960’s, 70’s, and 80’s to relocate the trail and have it protected from disturbance. Many members of the Okanagan-Similkameen Parks Society have worked on the trail, as well as members of the Okanagan Historical Society. In recent years, trail enthusiast Kelley Cook and the Backcountry Horsemen of BC have restored eastern sections from Horseguard Camp to Palmer’s Pond and approached Hope Mountain Centre to help restore the western sections (Palmer’s Pond to Peers Creek). Many Hope residents and citizens from across the Lower Mainland have joined with Hope Mountain Centre to complete the work begun by Harley Hatfield in the 1960’s. The HBC Trail has captured the imaginations of many people, attracting a team of passionate stewards who will take care of this historic route for years to come.
Photo: Young and old trail blazers during a work party to re-open the HBC Trail in 1973. Pat Wright, John Hatfield, Harvie Walker, Les Gibbard, Chris Hatfield, Rick Jacobson, Harley Hatfield, Neil Smith, Peter Hatfield, Todd Hatfield, and Eric Jacobson.
Photo: Trail Work Party
Photo: Kiosk under construction
Photo: Peers Creek Work Party
Photo: Installing directional sign
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014-2015
Future Years
Photo: HBC km marker
Photo: HBC Directional Sign
Photo: Bear-Proof Food Cache
Photo: Outhouse construction
Photo: Work party
Photo: Picnic table
Photo: Historic kiosk
Restoration work has re-opened this historic fur trail and you can cross the Cascades from Hope to Tulameen on a continuous 74-km wilderness route. The trail offers hikers and horseback riders stunning mountain scenery, rolling wildflower meadows, and clear blue tarns. You can still find 160-year-old blazes on the trees and thousands of HBC pack animals have left a visible impression upon the land. Please respect the trail’s non-motorized status and “Heritage Trail” designation.
The HBC (1849) Heritage Trail is legally protected by the Province of British Columbia. A 200-metre-wide buffer zone centered on the trail (100 metres on either side) protects most of the route, however some sections east of the Whatcom Trail junction still await protection.
The HBC Trail crosses rugged wilderness and you should have previous experience with mountain travel.
Horseback riders should have previous experience with steep mountain terrain. There are steep, slippery sections on both sides of Manson’s Ridge. The trail up the west side of Mount Davis is also very steep in places. The first 6 kms of Peers Creek offers easier terrain, being a deactivated logging road. Jacobson Lake offers the nicest staging area for horses, with corrals and good road access, plus scenic sections of the HBC Trail that are moderate in terms of terrain.
You can travel the HBC over several days, or in a series of day hikes and overnighters. Several major Forest Service Roads (FSRs) intersect the trail, creating access points along the route.
Photo: Hiking out of Deer Camp.
Photo: Backpackers on Mount Davis.
Photo: Manson’s Camp.
Just a 10-minute drive east of Hope on Highway-5, take Exit #183 and drive across the Coquihalla river, following the Peers Creek FSR for 1.5 km (gravel) to the parking area. Peers Creek is “kilometre 0”, and there is a bathroom and campsite here. From the trailhead, you can travel 2 km east and find a picnic table and waterfall. At km 6, you’ll find Manson’s Camp with overnight tenting pads, bear-proof food cache, toilet, fire ring, benches, and interpretive kiosk. At km 8, you gain the summit of Manson’s Ridge (walk south along the ridge for stunning views in all directions!). Note that the first 6 km of Peers Creek is deactivated logging road, so you have the option of riding a mountain bike up this road, allowing for a nice “bike and hike” daytrip with a fast ride back to the car.
Photo: Hikers on Mount Davis.
Drive east of Hope on Highway-5 for 20 kms, take Exit #192 and follow the Sowaqua Creek FSR for 20 km (gravel) to the parking area. On your right, you’ll see a red-roofed interpretive kiosk with a bathroom and campsite. Park here, and you can hike the HBC Trail east or west. West leads over Sowaqua Creek (with new pedestrian bridge) and through old-growth forests of the Upper Sowaqua (11 km to Manson’s Ridge). East takes you steeply up Mount Davis to Camp du Chevreuil (Deer Camp), a 4-km hike with spectacular subalpine meadows and views in all directions.
Photo: Backpackers at Palmer’s Pond.
Drive east of Hope on Highway-5, take Exit #228 (Britton Creek) and the Tulameen FSR for 50 km (gravel) to Jacobson Lake Camp. Tulameen FSR is well-maintained, but be alert to oncoming logging and mining trucks. At Jacobson Lake, there is a bathroom, horse corral, interpretive kiosk, picnic tables, tenting area, and fire rings. You can travel the HBC Trail in two directions from here — east to Horseguard Camp (11 km) and beyond to the Tulameen Plateau and Lodestone Lake (17 km) or west to Conglomerate Flats (2.5 km), Palmer’s Pond (3.5 km), and Deer Camp (5.5 km).
Photo: Overnight camp on Olivine Mountain.
The HBC’s eastern trailhead sits beside the Tulameen River, 5 km west of the town of Tulameen. From here, you can hike to Olivine Camp (9 km), the first overnight stop on the HBC for travellers moving west.
Directions: Drive to the town of Princeton via Highway-3, then take the Coalmont Road from Princeton to the town of Tulameen (19 km). As you enter Tulameen, look for 2nd Street, turn left, and follow 2nd St. out of town. Come to a Y-junction and stay left. Continue on Tulameen River Road until you see the red-roofed kiosk on the left. Park here. You must access the trail by wading across the river!
Total trail distance across the Cascades from Peers Creek trailhead to Tulameen River trailhead = 74 km
Trail distances and elevation changes between camps in both directions (PDF download)
Peers Creek Trailhead to Manson’s Camp 6.0 km; elev gain 620 m
Manson’s Camp to Colvile Camp 5.0 km; elev gain 500 m, loss 530 m
Colvile Camp to Sowaqua Road Camp 7.75 km; elev gain and loss 100m
Sowaqua Road Camp to Campement du Chevreuil (Deer Camp) 3.75 km; elev gain 725 m
Campement du Chevreuil (Deer Camp) to Conglomerate Flats Camp 3.0 km; elev gain 225 m, loss 200 m
Conglomerate Flats Camp to Jacobson Lake Camp 2.5 km; elev loss 190 m
Jacobson Lake Camp to Horseguard Camp 11.5 km; elev loss 215 m
Horseguard Camp to Blackeye’s Plateau Camp 6.25 km; elev gain 605 m
Blackeye’s Plateau Camp to Lodestone Lake Camp 9.75 km; elev loss 40 m
Lodestone Lake Camp to Olivine Camp 9.5 km; elev gain 200 m, loss 300 m
Olivine Camp to Tulameen River Trailhead 9.0 km; elev loss 900 m
Photo: Manson’s Camp Fire Ring.
Photo: Tents at Deer Camp.
Photo: Horseguard Camp.
New HBC Trail Topographic Map and HBC Trail Book are available through our online store. Click HERE!
You can travel the HBC over several days, or in a series of day hikes and overnighters. Several major Forest Service Roads (FSRs) intersect the trail, creating access points along the route.
Just a 10-minute drive east of Hope on Highway-5, take Exit #183 and drive across the Coquihalla river, following the Peers Creek FSR for 1.5 km (gravel) to the parking area. Peers Creek is “kilometre 0”, and there is a bathroom and campsite here. From the trailhead, you can travel 2 km east and find a picnic table and waterfall. At km 6, you’ll find Manson’s Camp with overnight tenting pads, bear-proof food cache, toilet, fire ring, benches, and interpretive kiosk. At km 8, you gain the summit of Manson’s Ridge (walk south along the ridge for stunning views in all directions!). Note that the first 6 km of Peers Creek is deactivated logging road, so you have the option of riding a mountain bike up this road, allowing for a nice “bike and hike” daytrip with a fast ride back to the car. Download Map
Drive east of Hope on Highway-5 for 20 kms, take Exit #192 and follow the Sowaqua Creek FSR for 20 km (gravel) to the parking area. On your right, you’ll see a red-roofed interpretive kiosk with a bathroom and campsite. Park here, and you can hike the HBC Trail east or west. West leads over Sowaqua Creek (with new pedestrian bridge) and through old-growth forests of the Upper Sowaqua (11 km to Manson’s Ridge). East takes you steeply up Mount Davis to Camp du Chevreuil (Deer Camp), a 4-km hike with spectacular subalpine meadows and views in all directions. Download Map
Drive east of Hope on Highway-5, take Exit #228 (Britton Creek) and the Tulameen FSR for 50 km (gravel) to Jacobson Lake Camp. Tulameen FSR is well-maintained, but be alert to oncoming logging and mining trucks. At Jacobson Lake, there is a bathroom, horse corral, interpretive kiosk, picnic tables, tenting area, and fire rings. You can travel the HBC Trail in two directions from here — east to Horseguard Camp (11 km) and beyond to the Tulameen Plateau and Lodestone Lake (17 km) or west to Conglomerate Flats (2.5 km), Palmer’s Pond (3.5 km), and Deer Camp (5.5 km). Download Map
Drive to the town of Princeton via Highway-3, then take the Coalmont Road from Princeton to the town of Tulameen (19 km). As you enter Tulameen, look for 2nd Street, turn left, and follow 2nd St. out of town. Come to a Y-junction and stay left. Continue on Tulameen River Road until you see the red-roofed kiosk on the left. Park here. You must access the trail by wading across the river! Download Map
Feel free to distribute these files and share with others.
The Sto:lo Research and Resource Management Centre, in collaboration with the Upper Similkameen Indian Band, have completed a detailed study of the trail corridor, including First Nations history, European history, and natural history. The report makes recommendations for the long-term management of the trail and its resources, as required by the BC Heritage Branch. * PDF file of Heritage Context Study (74 pages) File size: 27 megabytes
Trail Partners Hope Mountain Centre works in collaboration with government, First Nations, NGO’s, private donors, and a team of passionate volunteers to build and maintain local trails.
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