Mt. Thom is located in the foothill mountains of South Chilliwack. From the top, there are amazing views of the Fraser Valley, including Cultus Lake. There are a few different starting points for this hike, but today I chose to start from Sylvan Drive (see location below). You can park on the side of the road.

At the base of the trail on Sylvan Drive, Mt. Thom Creek can be heard (and seen), as you head up a number of stairs. Once off the stairs, the trail is well established and easy to follow. There are a number of junctions, but they are marked — just follow the signs to Mt. Thom summit.

Interesting Facts

• Mt. Thom Park was created in 1943, when the City of Chilliwack purchased a 38 ha forested area from the Province. It has since grown to about 70 ha through further land purchases, subdivision dedications, and donations
• The park contains one of the few remaining accessible stands of mature Douglas Fir in the area, along with Western Hemlock, Broad Leaf Maple, alder and cottonwood
• There are eight access points into the park in total: five from the Promontory side (Teskey Way, Thom Creek Drive, Sylvan Drive, MacFarlane Place and MacLachlan Place) and three from Ryder Lake (Forester Road, Churchill Parkway and Ross Road)
• The park is home to deer, squirrels, and a variety of other wildlife
• Mt. Thom is a year-round hike thanks to its relatively low elevation, though the summit can see snow in winter

Trail Stats

For directions, click on Trailhead and parking below.

• Distance: 6.3 km
• Time: 1 to 4 hours
• Low point: 213 m
• High point: 476 m
• Elevation gain: 263 m
• Cumulative elevation gain: 375 m

The Route

The actual GPS track from this hike, drawn on the map below. Green marks the start/end point.

Photos

Before You Hike

Before heading out on your hike, make sure you are well prepared. This means having the TEN ESSENTIALS. It is also important to leave a trip plan (route details and estimated return time) with someone you trust.

Bring your smartphone, fully charged, and put it in airplane mode while hiking. I always bring backup battery packs for extra peace of mind. It is highly recommended that you bring a GPS device. I use my smartphone with a GPS app (Backcountry Navigator). The GPS will work in airplane mode. Learn how to use it before your hike.

For anyone new to hiking, there is a rule that hikers follow called “Leave No Trace” or LNT. The concept is generally to pack out what you pack in and respect nature, so all future visitors can enjoy what you have enjoyed. To learn more about LNT, please check out this blog by a certified LNT Trainer.

Teapot Hill is a short forest hike in Cultus Lake Provincial Park in south Chilliwack. The trail is best known for the teapots and teacups hidden along the route, along with a few partially open viewpoints toward Cultus Lake, the Columbia Valley, and the surrounding hills.

The trail starts near the south shore of Cultus Lake, where there is a small parking area for Teapot Hill hikers. On the morning we went, there were only a couple of other cars at 7:45 a.m., although the area can become much busier later in the day and during the summer.

The hike begins on a wide trail before gradually becoming narrower and more like a traditional hiking trail. Along the way, you will see teapots and teacups tucked into the trees and bushes, as well as a stream beside part of the lower trail. The route climbs steadily toward the high point, where there are a couple of viewpoints with partially obstructed views of Cultus Lake, the Columbia Valley, and the hills to the west.

Interesting Facts

• The hill got its name back in the 1940s, when a logger working the area found a teapot on the hill.
• In more recent decades, hikers began leaving their own teapots and teacups along the trail as a tradition, which is how the hill ended up covered in them.
• The area is also home to sensitive native plants, including a rare trillium orchid, as well as western columbine and tiger lily. Because hikers wandering off-trail to place or search for teapots can trample this habitat, BC Parks has asked people not to leave new teapots on the trail and periodically clears out broken ones. You will still spot plenty left over from before the request, but it is best to leave your own teapot at home.

Trail Stats

• Distance: approximately 5.3 km return
• Typical time: about 2 hours, although hiking time will vary
• Recorded GPS time: approximately 1 hour 46 minutes
• Low point: approximately 50 m
• High point: approximately 307 m
• Elevation gain: approximately 260 m

The Route

The interactive map below shows the actual GPS track from my hike, recorded on 4 June 2017. The route measured approximately 5.3 km return. Green marks the start/end point. Use the layer control in the upper-right corner to switch between the regular map and satellite imagery.

Photos

A Quick Note on the Teapots

The teapots are a fun part of the trail’s history, but the surrounding forest contains sensitive plants and habitat. Enjoy the teapots that are already there rather than bringing another one to add, and stay on the established trail where possible.

The Hope Lookout Trail is also known as the Hope Grind. It is a good workout trail with an amazing view of Hope and the Fraser River. The trail is well maintained and easy to follow. For a diversion, we took the Joan Greenwood loop on the way down, which only adds a small distance to the hike. Overall, I would say the hike is okay — it’s more of a workout than a pleasant stroll in the forest. The view at the end was spectacular!

Interesting Facts

• The trail was built in the 1990s, and is often called “Hope’s version of the Grouse Grind”
• Each year on Brigade Days weekend, the Hope BC Running Club hosts a race up the trail called the Hope Hustle
• From the lookout, you can see all of Hope, the Fraser River, Kawkawa Lake, and about a dozen mountain peaks
• The trail is maintained each year by the Hope Mountain Centre for Outdoor Learning, a local non-profit, with funding support from the District of Hope

Trail Stats

These stats include taking the Joan Greenwood loop at the end.

• Distance: 4.9 km
• Time: 3 hours
• Low point: 62 m
• High point: 537 m
• Elevation gain: 475 m
• Cumulative elevation gain: 637 m

The Route

The actual GPS track from this hike, drawn on the map below. Green marks the start/end point.

Photos

Before You Hike

Before heading out on your hike, make sure you are well prepared. This means having the TEN ESSENTIALS. It is also important to leave a trip plan (route details and estimated return time) with someone you trust.

Bring your smartphone, fully charged, and put it in airplane mode while hiking. I always bring backup battery packs for extra peace of mind. It is highly recommended that you bring a GPS device. I use my smartphone with a GPS app (Backcountry Navigator). The GPS will work in airplane mode. Learn how to use it before your hike.

For anyone new to hiking, there is a rule that hikers follow called “Leave No Trace” or LNT. The concept is generally to pack out what you pack in and respect nature, so all future visitors can enjoy what you have enjoyed. To learn more about LNT, please check out this blog by a certified LNT Trainer.

Rolley Lake Provincial Park is located in northwest Mission. It includes an easy walking trail around the lake and also the Rolley Falls Trail (which is actually in Mission Municipal Forest). The Rolley Falls Trail takes you to the scenic Rolley Falls waterfall and continues on a loop that descends and then comes back up. If you want a workout, do the full Rolley Lake and Rolley Falls loop. For a nice walk, you can do the Rolley Lake loop and go to Rolley Falls, turning around at that point.

Interesting Facts

• The lake is named after James and Fanny Rolley, a couple who homesteaded on its shores starting in 1888 and stayed for about ten years. James Rolley, originally from Manchester, had come to BC to work on the Canadian Pacific Railway
• Before it became a park, the lake had an industrial past: it was used as a holding pond for shingle bolts (short logs) being floated down to a mill about 5 km away at Ruskin
• Rolley Lake Provincial Park was established in 1961. It officially sits within the wet subzone of the Coastal Western Hemlock (CWHdm/CWHvm) biogeoclimatic zone, according to BC Parks’ own planning documents
• The lake is stocked with coastal cutthroat trout and rainbow trout, and no motors of any kind, including electric ones, are allowed on the water

Trail Stats

Today’s stats, for both the lake and falls loops:

• Distance: 4.8 km (return)
• Time: 2 hours (with some breaks)
• Low point: 117 m
• High point: 258 m
• Elevation gain: 141 m
• Cumulative elevation gain: 325 m

The Route

The actual GPS track from this walk, drawn on the map below. Green marks the start/end point. Use the layer control in the top right to switch to a satellite view.

Photos