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iN PHOTOS: Towering hoodoos to check out in Thompson-Okanagan
The hoodoo formations in the Kamloops area never cease to amaze locals and visitors alike with their unique, towering shapes.
Local hiker and Kamloops resident Jeremy Dueck captured photographs of several of the rocky spires located in a region west of Kamloops that has Mara Canyon, hiking trails and hills with spectacular views.
“It’s a cool area and has the potential for something special to put Kamloops on the map, there’s a ton of unique things to see there,” he said in a message to iNFOnews.ca.
“I always thought it could be a national park with beautiful wide boardwalks and stairs moving through them.”
Also called, Goblins, hoodoos are made of sandstone that is eroded by weather over thousands of years. The rocks are eroded by wind, rain, running water, and carved by chemical and physical weathering processes to sculpt bizarre formations, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia.
Some the formations are visible from Tranquille Road just past the airport where hikers can follow Cinnamon Ridge Trail to get up close views of them. It is part of the same trail network that leads to Mara Canyon which is full of hoodoos and other interesting rock formations.
The trail head is accessed by heading west on Tranquille Road passed the airport, turning right onto Ord Road and following a dirt road.
A giant phallic shaped hoodoo can be found further west on Red Lake Road across the Tranquille Creek bridge near kilometre 13. It isn’t clear if the oddity has a formal name however locals have several creative names for it.
Driving along East Shuswap Road gives stunning views of silt bluffs and hoodoos but there are not public hiking trails to see them up close. Located off Highway 1 east of the city, the Dallas-Barnhartvale Nature Park has a trail that takes hikers through silt bluffs, benchlands, hoodoo formations and views of the South Thompson river valley.
Another collection of hoodoos to check out in the area are located around the Savona Balancing Rock is located 1.5 kilometres west of the Six Mile Viewpoint on Highway 1 between Kamloops and Savona.
A giant balancing rock which is also considered a hoodoo, Pillar Rock at Pillar Provincial Park is located 11 kilometres northwest of Falkland on the Falkland-Chase Road. There is a steep trail across from the provincial rest area and it takes about 15 minutes to hike.
Hoodoos have also formed along Highway 97 north of Penticton, and they’re the only ones in the Okanagan.
SUBMITTED/Jeremy Dueck
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The Mara Canyon with it’s hoodoo formations (goblins), lava pockets and trails leading to exceptional views over Kamloops Lake is held very dearly in the hearts of local hikers and nature enthusiasts. Over the decades, many have respectfully traversed this area while keeping in mind that all natural areas are fragile. Wildlife lives here, even if you don’t see it. I have rambled through this area for 50 years. In that time, nothing has changed….and so it should be. No part of this area would benefit from boardwalks and stairs. No part of this area would benefit if altered in any way to allow greater accessibility. If a curious person has the robust ability to hike these areas, then let them enjoy the adventure as it’s meant to be.