One of the spectacular traverses on West Ridge

The Best Hikes in Sun Peaks

Everything from a stroll around the village to a high summit in the BC wilderness!

Hiking Easy, Moderate, Difficult

Description

Sun Peaks is home to Canada's 2nd largest ski resort, and in winter it's bustling with life. In summer, things couldn't more different - the village is quiet and peaceful, and the mountains above the town are remarkably empty. Quite why Sun Peaks isn't as popular in summer as in winter is a mystery to us, and will be to you once you've done these wonderful hikes!

The village itself is fun, and has an Austrian theme which makes it feel completely different to most North American ski towns. Follow the Valley Trail (described in this guidebook) to explore the village and its immediate surroundings before heading up the Sunburst Express chairlift for the other 3 hikes in here.

All 3 of the chairlift trips provide scenery aplenty, as well as wildflowers and wildlife. There's everything from eagles to deer and bears in the hills above the Sunburst Express so keep an eye out for the true locals, and be "bear aware" in case you meet one of the many black bears which inhabit the region!

The scenery on all these hikes is utterly breathtaking, and during the course of hiking them you'll enjoy some great panoramas across Sun Peaks village and its nearby lakes, as well as across to the high glaciated peaks of the Monashees. Saving these hikes for clear days (of which there are plenty - hence the village name!) is highly recommended because the feeling of being so high amongst such vast vistas is the highlight of the routes.

All of the trails here are well signposted and easy to follow but they take you into some remote terrain so be fully autonomous and don't let the proximity of the chairlift lull you into a false sense of security - this is BC wilderness at its finest and wildest, and all the better for it.