Botanie Mountain stands above the Fraser River north of Lytton.   The rocky summit lies east of the Coast Range and the snow-capped Cantilever Range.   Access is via the Botanie Valley Road which runs north into the Clear Range.  The turn onto the Boatnie Mountain “Road” is not marked nor is it obvious.   In a short time it was a narrow, rocky 4WD track with fallen trees, deep waterbars, and eroded shoulders.  We were able to drive up the steep route for about  5 km before we parked at a wide pullout overlooking Lytton.

From the parking spot, we could see down the Fraser River to the confluence of the Thompson River and the Fraser River.   Beyond Lytton to the south, we could see Kanaka Bar and the Nahatlatch River Valley in the distance.

A trail climbed the rocky ridges paralleling the old road with good views into the Stein Valley to the west.

The taller peaks of the Cantilever Range stood across the Fraser River.   Stein Mountain rises to over 9000 feet and Skihist Mountain is 9642 feet, the tallest peak in the southwest of British Columbia.

The initial part of the trek was steep uphill, but then we crested the ridge and followed a gradual incline for 3.5 km.    A forest fire has opened the canopy to shrubs and wildflowers.

The final part of the hike was up a steep and winding access track to a rocky hill where some radio towers and an old forestry lookout stand at 6548 feet.

From the summit of Botanie Mountain we could see the peaks of the Coast Range to our west, the Scarped Range to the east, the more rounded hills of the Interior Plateau to the northeast, and the most northern peak of the Cascade Range, Mt. Lytton,  to the southeast.

All along the route were many wildflowers in bloom:

The drive from Kamloops to Lytton and the Botanie Valley Road was 2 hours.   The 4WD road was 5 km long but took about an hour, a slow and careful ascent.   The hike up and back was 14 km with 936m elevation gain (3070 feet).   All in, this was a rewarding hike, but it was a full-day adventure.   We did face one serious issue while on the trail, but that is another story for another day.

More information:

• Drive along the Botanie Valley Road and then turn right at N50 17.008 W121 33.969 34.795
• Within 1 km this becomes a 4WD road with many waterbars, rough spots, and some fallen trees to clear
• This is not a high-clearance road; it is a 4WD road.   Bring a chainsaw or a winch.
• The 5 km road climbs 564 m (1850 feet)
• A good parking spot is at a wide pullout at N50 17.658 W121
• A hiking trail also starts at that point and goes straight up, avoiding switchbacks and meets the main access road above.
• Although that trail does continue on, there are many fallen trees so it is easier to follow the old road all the way to the top
• Once you are on the old road, there is one fork so stay left
• Return by the same route.