Lime Ridge is in the Marble Range, northwest of Clinton.  It is just outside Marble Range Provincial Park, but it is slated to be included in the park once the mining claims for Continental Lime have expired.   The Marble Range was a shallow shelf under the seas 250 million years ago.   After folding and faulting occurred, these limestone mountains were thrust up above the valleys below.   There are numerous caves and rock formations on Lime Ridge, and reportedly some thermal convention vents coming up through the deep limestone.   Bighorn sheep, bear, mule deer, bats, peregrine falcons, merlins, and coyotes frequent the area.    Mountain tops look barren and grey.

At the south end of Clinton, take the Kelly Lake Road (west) for 16 km and follow it to the junction with the Jesmond Road.   Turn north onto the Jesmond Road and follow it for about 19km.   Look for a concrete foundation on the east side of the road.   This is at a curve in the road just past a small stream.   There will be no trailhead sign and the start of the trail is not obvious.   There is ample roadside parking here.

Stay to the right of the foundation and go through the trees following one of many braided trails.   Stay on the north side of the stream.   The trail(s) winds through mixed forest and emerges into a powerline cut.   Again, the trail ahead is not obvious, but you will be heading into the valley between Lime Ridge (on your right ahead) and Mad Dog Mountain (on your left ahead).  Foundation Creek comes down that valley.   The trail picks up in the forest on the north side of the creek.    A short while into the forest, the trail becomes much more distinct.   On our last trip, we encountered a fair amount of blowdown, slowing down our progress.

At the 4km mark you will come to a junction.    The left fork leads up to Mad Dog Mountain, 3km of route-finding challenges.   The right fork follows the valley bottom as it rises to a pass.   At one wet pasture, the trail is hard to find, but stay on the left side of the stream and climb through the meadow until the trail picks up again.   So much of this trail is just common sense with no difficult decisions.   The route features many wildflowers and wildlife sightings are possible.   As your reach a pass, you will see a camping spot/horse rest area.   Watch for a trail going to the right that climbs the final 2km to the top of the ridge.   This trail junction is obvious.   The trail then switchbacks steeply up the hill, occasionally braiding near the top, but it is all open on top, so any route will work out.   On top there are no trails.

Lime Ridge is a 5.5km long open ridge.   Craggy (limestone) rocks are framed by meadows and wildflowers.   There is one small tarn on the east side.   There are wide views of the Marble Range – Mt. Bowman, Mt. Kerr, Wild Horse Ridge, Mad Dog Mountain, and the wooded valleys between.   The Cariboo lies to the northeast and the Chilcotin to the northwest.   The Fraser River lies to the west and the Edge Hills to the southwest.

Lime Ridge is highly recommended, but it is a remote backcountry route, requiring a full day to drive and hike.   It will be unlikely you will see anyone out there,  so you need to be well-prepared and take all the reasonable precautions.   For dedicated hikers, though, this is one of the premier hikes of our area.