A Hidden Homesteads Hike

Homesteaders acquired a quarter section of land in Western Canada and settled on their properties, attempting to find a way to earn a living with farming,(but also ranching, horse logging, hunting, trapping, and taking whatever work they could). They built their own homes and other buildings and under the terms of the Dominion Lands Act of 1872, homesteaders had requirements to live on the land and create a “farm.” The prairies were settled first and the lands were generally more suitable for farming. BC was settled later and valley sections provided reasonable farming properties, but later in the homesteading cycle, immigrants tried farming in the hills. The influx of homesteaders to the Kamloops area was mostly in the years 1895 through 1914. The Great War, years of drought, and unsustainable farming areas meant that many of the homesteads were sold to larger farms and ranches, and some were abandoned. By the end of World War 1, most of the unsustainable properties were empty, but a few hung on for the next 15 years. The old homestead building are mostly gone now after 100 years, but a few still stand. We have found a number of them on exploration hikes and we go back to visit them each year as part of a loop route hike. The locations are not provided by this website in the hopes that less visits will allow them to remain somewhat preserved. We visited two of these homesteads on a recent visit.

Some have roofs, some have no roofs, and some have partial roofs. We usually walk around the structures, noting the craftsmanship, and spotting whatever has been left behind.

Our favorite on still has its roof, interior walls, a desk, a sleeping bench, and remnants of the old stove, but the floor is now fallen in.

Trees and shrubs have enshrouded some of the buildings. We found old fences too, cold storage structures, evidence of a well, and various metal parts.