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Trail: Mount Drought
Trail Distance: 6.5-kilometre round trip
Trail Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Directions:
This trail is located in West Kelowna. From Highway 97, take the Glenrosa Road Exit. Follow Glenrosa Road for 1.4 km and turn left on Morningside Drive. Drive to the end of the cul-de-sac and park there. Other parking options include Bellcourt Road, Astoria Drive and Yorkton Road.
Description:
Have you ever driven by a place and thought “I want to get up there”? That's how I've been feeling about Drought Mountain! I drive by it every day and thought there's got to be a way up there!! After a little research, I found a rough starting point, read about two different lookouts and decided to give it a try!
Not knowing what to expect, we found a beaten path at the end of the cul-de-sac and started to follow it, heading south. Keeping straight (south) for the next four intersections in the trail. I soon realized there is a lot of trails in this area!
Within 500 m, the view opened up overlooking all of West Kelowna. In 2009, a forest fire affected this area greatly, letting this beautiful view continue for the majority of the trail!
The path we were following soon started to head west and meet up with a wide quad trail. Here, you can go right and loop around back to the starting point for a 1 km hike. We went left to continue heading south, towards Mount Drought.
Staying above Gorman's Mill, at 2 km we went left and started to work up hill heading west and finally gaining some elevation. Still enjoying the beautiful view overlooking West Kelowna, we started to work our way into the forest.
Soon we came to another intersection in the trail and went left, once again, heading south. As the snow started to get deeper, it turned into a winter wonderland! Depending on the weather, this will be a great place to snowshoe!
After just before 3 km, we went left, heading up the last of the uphill climb to the top! Once along the top ridge, the views were spectacular! From West Kelowna to Peachland, an unobstructed gorgeous view! One thing to be aware of, this is an unmaintained trail and there are steep cliffs at the top. Please be cautious and stay away from the edges.
After enjoying the view and taking some photos, we started to head back the way we came.
Always remember to be mindful of your surroundings, pack out what you pack in, stick to the trails and happy exploring!
Things to bring:
- Dogs welcome
- Good footwear
- Water/snack
- Bear spray, always a good thing to carry.
- Camera/Phone
- Snowshoes, if needed
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