Winters in the mountains are a tough time for trail running. Maybe not for everyone, but I prefer running high up in the alpine whenever possible. And from October until about June, those places are typically covered in a deep blanket of snow, making running next to impossible. Of course we can still snowshoe up there sometimes, which is wonderful, and I’ve recently got into cross country skiing as great winter cross-training for trail running, but when I head out for a trail run, I want to be able to move fast on the downhills at least and not carry around big, clunky snowshoes or extra gear, not to mention all the planning, prep and gear that is required to safelyr venture through avalanche terrain.
So, in this article I want to share about lower elevation trails that are typically snow-free year ’round, or where you may encounter some snow manageable in trail runners with gators or waterproof socks and spikes just at the top, or terrain just needing spikes or studded shoes for some icy conditions, and of course those that rarely see snow or ice at all.
In case you missed it and are wondering why I’m writing about trails near Hope instead of Vancouver, I relocated from Vancouver to Hope in September 2021 . So, I mostly run within an hour or two of Hope these days, which is still “Near Vancouver” enough that I decided to leave my platform’s name the same (Hikes Near Vancouver).
While I still venture to my beloved North Shore and Sea to Sky mountains on occasion, my playground now mostly extends to Manning Park and the Coquihalla Summit Rec Area to the east; Lillooet and Kamloops to the north; Harrison, Chilliwack and Mission to the east, and Mt Baker and Marblemount to the south. So the trails I discuss here will be within those areas.
I will also break down the trails into the three categories “short”, “medium” and “long” based on my personal experience and current training goals. Of course the definition of short and long could be very different for you depending on your experience level. My current definition of short is being less than 10 kilometres in total (round trip), medium being between 10-20km, and long being between 20-50km. I tend to aim for trails with an average 10% or less grade for elevation gain so at least half the trail is “runnable” terrain.
So without further ado, here are some of my favourite local trails I’ve run, as well as many I have on my list to still discover but that I’ve identified as possible trails to run this winter. Listed from shorter to longer.
SHORT RUNS
TRAIL: Thacker Marsh Trail (Hope)

DISTANCE: 2 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 30 metres
HIGH POINT: 48 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Lovely flat little low elevation trail right on the edge of town. Travels alongside Thacker Marsh and Sucker Creek, which is great for wildlife viewing. The marsh is home to so much wildlife and often seen are heron, beavers and river otters. The creek is a salmon spawning location so you can often see a large amount of salmon in the fall. You can continue along Union Bar Road along the other side of the marsh for gorgeous views of the mountains in the background (see pic above), and the trail ends near a connection to the Thacker Mountain Trail so you can make a longer run out of it. See the longer runs below that incorporate use of this trail.
TRAIL: Quarry Overlook (Hope)

DISTANCE: 2.3 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 168 metres
HIGH POINT: 375 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Gorgeous unmarked trail in a predominantly mountain biking area. The trails goes up through beautiful forest and brings you up to a lookout over the old quarry used to build the Coquihalla Highway. There’s even a little bench up there. You can make this longer by doing loops through the forest, or connecting it to the Hope-Nicola Valley Trail and even longer to the Kettle Valley Trail. See these options below in the “Long Trails” section below).
TRAIL: Starret’s Pond/Tom Berry Gravel Pit (Hope)

DISTANCE: 2.5 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 28 metres
HIGH POINT: 50 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Pretty, flat loop around a beautiful pond. I love it so much I took my wedding photos there!
TRAIL: Rotary Nature Trail (Hope)



DISTANCE: 2.8 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 14 metres
HIGH POINT: 48 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Lovely flat little low elevation, riverside trail right in the town of Hope. Gorgeous view of where the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers converge, and of the impressive Mt Ogilvie. Trail ends nearby other trails so you can easily connect to other trails to make a longer run out of it. See the longer runs below that incorporate use of this trail.
TRAIL: Bridal & Spirit Trail Loop (Harrison Hot Springs)

DISTANCE: 3.5 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 103 metres
HIGH POINT: 50 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Lovely little low elevation trail. Look out for art in the trees. Great trail to see mushrooms.
TRAIL: Hope Lookout



DISTANCE: 4.5 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 437 metres
HIGH POINT: 420 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: A great workout! It’s a grind to get up there. And great training for the annual trail race Hope Hustle organized by the Hope Running Club. Again I’m biased about how awesome and important this trail is as I’m on the Hope Running Club board of directors. Pretty views over the town and surrounding mountains.
TRAIL: Trans Canada Trail by Tamihi Campground (Chilliwack)
DISTANCE: 4.5 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 115 metres
HIGH POINT: 100 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: On my list to check out!
TRAIL: Sandy Cove (Harrison)


DISTANCE: 4.89 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 160 metres
HIGH POINT: 70 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: A tiny steep climb to a wonderful undulating loop with different views of Harrison Lake. The trail brings you down to Sandy Cove – a pretty little sandy beach. The trail starts right from town and brings you by Hobo Hotsprings so you can take a warm dip on your way back if you’d like (free but small hot spring pools are only accessible when the lake is low).
TRAIL: Syéxw Chó:leqw Adventure Park trails (Sq’ewá:lxw First Nation territory [between Hope and Aggasiz])
DISTANCE: 5.5 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 86 metres
HIGH POINT: 100 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Located on Skawahalook First Nation territory but free and open to the public from dawn to dusk, this park has a network of trails totaling 5.5 km. Run all the loops plus the little grind up to the lookout platform and you’ll climb approximately 86 metres. See https://skawahlook.com/syexw-choleqw-adventure-park/ for more info. Trails (except the lookout) are open to bikes as well, and new in 2024 is a paid-by-entry educational light walk at night called “Lighting the Path”. See https://www.storiesofresilience.ca/
TRAIL: Serpent’s Back [formerly named Dragon’s Back] (Hope)

DISTANCE: 5.8 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 437 metres
HIGH POINT: 420 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Interesting Indigenous history. Pretty views. Incredible old growth trees towering above. I’m also biased about how amazing this trail is because the non-profit I work with (Hope Mountain Centre for Outdoor Learning) built this trail and maintain it regularly.
TRAIL: Blue Heron-Vedder North (Chilliwack)
DISTANCE: 6 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 23 metres
HIGH POINT: 0 (sea level)
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Easy gravel trail along the Vedder river and around the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve. Great spot for bird watching.
TRAIL: Thacker Mountain Loop (Hope)

DISTANCE: 6.5km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 250 metres
HIGH POINT: 250m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Has a bit of everything. Some flat, some steep climb, some rolling hills, pretty view at the top. An easy go-to.
TRAIL: Flood Falls + Chawuthen Creek Falls (Hope)

DISTANCE: 6.5 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 265 metres
HIGH POINT: 170 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Two gorgeous waterfalls, interesting caves, relatively flat trail. Also a great area for bouldering. I’m also biased about how amazing the trail to Flood Falls especially is because the non-profit I work with (Hope Mountain Centre for Outdoor Learning) maintains this trail regularly, and we’re soon going to be building a new trail called “Serpent’s Tail” connecting from this trail up to the Stone Garden on the Serpent’s Back trail. Stay tuned to hopemountain.org and follow us on social media to learn more (Facebook and Instagram)!
TRAIL: KVR to Othello Tunnels (Hope)

DISTANCE: 7 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 72 metres
HIGH POINT: 120 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: It’s nice and flat for an easy run. Some pretty views down into the canyon with mountains in the background.
TRAIL: F100-Rays-Muddy r-Rd on Vedder Mtn (Chilliwack)
DISTANCE: 8.5 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 328 metres
HIGH POINT: 605 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Lower high point than Vedder Mtn Ridge if it’s snowy higher up
TRAIL: Vedder Mountain Ridge Trail

DISTANCE: 9 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 387 metres
HIGH POINT: 932 metres
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Connects to so many different trails you can run for miles and miles. Quite a quiet trail. Nice view from the top. Will likely encounter snow at top during most winters, but not if it’s mild.
TRAIL: Thaletel Trail to Chilliwack Community Forest (Chilliwack)
DISTANCE: 10 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 450 metres
HIGH POINT: 430 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Cute and interesting interpretive signs at the start. Pretty forest. Lots of different trails to explore around that connect to many others as far as Gloria, Thurston and Elk so you can run beyond for a super long day if you wanted.
TRAIL: Canyon to Coast Trail (Chilliwack)

DISTANCE: Any distance up to 24 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 0-166 meters
HIGH POINT: 0 (sea level)
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: A lovely, quiet, scenic wide gravel trail along the mighty Fraser River. Multiple entry points. Kiddos can ride their bikes along while you run.
MEDIUM
TRAIL: Harrison Grind via Campbell Lake Trail (Harrison)

DISTANCE: 11.6 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 846 meters
HIGH POINT: 700 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE:
TRAIL: KVR and up Hope-Nicola Valley Trail (Hope)

DISTANCE: 12.2 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 374 meters
HIGH POINT: 350 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE:
TRAIL: Lightning Lakes + Flash Lake Loop (Manning Park)

DISTANCE: 12.4 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 232 meters
HIGH POINT: 1200 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE:
TRAIL: KVR to Quarry Lookout via Hope-Nicola Valley Trail (Hope)

DISTANCE: 15.2 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 534 meters
HIGH POINT: 400 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE:
TRAIL: Watt Creek Horse Trail (Cultus Lake)
DISTANCE: 16.8 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 980 meters
HIGH POINT: 398 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: I’ve never been here but it’s on my list!
TRAIL: Serpent’s Back to Hope Lookout and back (Hope)
DISTANCE: 18.5 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 1,207 meters
HIGH POINT: 540 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Great climbs and views on the two trails, worth running the busy roads that connect them.
TRAIL: Canyon to Coast Trail (Chilliwack)
DISTANCE: Any distance up to 24 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 0-166 meters
HIGH POINT: 0 (sea level)
WHAT I LOVE: A lovely, quiet, scenic wide gravel trail along the mighty Fraser River. Multiple entry points. Kiddos can ride their bikes along while you run.
LONG
TRAIL: Vedder Rotary Trail north and south loop (Chilliwack)
DISTANCE: 20.4 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 157 m
HIGH POINT: 0 (sea level)
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Scenic, lots of places to start and stop to make it short or long, lots of people so you’re rarely alone.
TRAIL: Thurston Snowmobile Cabin (Chilliwack)
DISTANCE: 22 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 1,506 meters
HIGH POINT: 1,450 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: I’ve never been here but it’s on my list!
TRAIL: Lexw Qwo:m-Chilliwack Community Forest-Mt Thurston and back (Chilliwack)
DISTANCE: 23 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 2,260 meters
HIGH POINT: 1,630 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Half will usually be snow-free, and the snow up top is worth trudging through for the pretty views.
TRAIL: Canyon to Coast Trail (Chilliwack)
DISTANCE: Any distance up to 24 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 0-166 meters
HIGH POINT: 0 (sea level)
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: A lovely, quiet, scenic wide gravel trail along the mighty Fraser River. Multiple entry points. Kiddos can ride their bikes along while you run.
TRAIL: Rotary Trail-Bike Park-Marsh Trail-KVR-Hope Nicola-Quarry Lookout and back (Hope)
DISTANCE: 26.4 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 402 meters
HIGH POINT: 400 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Many of my favourite Hope trails tied together with lots of very runnable terrain.
TRAIL: Lexw Qwo:m-Chilliwack Community Forest-Mt Thurston-Elk Mtn and back (Chilliwack)

DISTANCE: 30 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 2,543 meters
HIGH POINT: 1,630 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Half will usually be snow-free, and the snow up top is worth trudging through for the pretty views.
TRAIL: Rotary Trail-Bike Park-Thacker Mtn -Marsh Trail-KVR-Hope Nicola-Quarry Lookout and back (Hope)
DISTANCE: 33 km
CUMULATIVE ELEVATION GAIN: 1,027 meters
HIGH POINT: 400 m
Trailhead Location
WHAT I LOVE: Many of my favourite Hope trails tied together with lots of very runnable terrain.