Day Trip or Multi-Day Planning
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.
Peers Creek Access (western trailhead):
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
Sowaqua Creek Access:
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
Jacobson Lake Access:
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
Tulameen Traihead (eastern trailhead)
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