Tappen Bluffs And Dufferin Hill

BOU AVENUE
Tappen Bluffs And Dufferin Hill

On our way to Kamloops, British Columbia on 8 November 2025, Zosia Zgolak and I stopped for a short hike to the top of "Tappen Bluffs", a set of cliffs on a low forested ridge located near a bend in the Trans-Canada Highway between Salmon Arm and Sorrento. Oddly enough, we had both already hiked here back in 2018, but because I did not publish a trip report, we had both lost all recollections of that visit. Only when Zosia stumbled onto some old notes and photographs a few days later did we realize that this was a repeat hike for us.

There are multiple ways to access Skimikin Road from the Trans-Canada Highway depending on direction of travel and possible construction closures. Once on Skimikin Road, drive to the junction (50.80026, -119.40280) with Hilliam Forest Service Road (FSR) and turn north. Follow the FSR around a quarry and then uphill for 1.4 kilometres to a second junction (50.80785, -119.39593) with a slightly rougher logging road branching off to the right. We parked here, but if I had been in the mood, I probably could have driven up the logging road (high-clearance vehicle recommended) for another 2.0 kilometres to a pullout (50.82083, -119.38390).

From where we parked, Zosia and I easily walked the logging road to the pullout and continued along a much rougher jeep track beyond. Other than taking a short cut through a small cut block, we mostly followed the remainder of the jeep track all the way to the top of Tappen Bluffs. The highest point is a short distance past a small dip in the ridge, but the best views are from a grassy opening before the dip. Unlike our first visit when clouds obscured most of the valley, we had much better views on this day.

After taking a short break on top of Tappen Bluffs, Zosia and I retraced our steps back to our car without any trouble. On our drive out of the area, we stopped a few times to pick apples from roadside trees. We also stopped to play a round of disc golf at Turtle Ridge Disc Golf Course in Sorrento before resuming our drive. One of the highlights of the weekend was seeing scores of eagles--both bald and golden--along the Thompson River between Chase and Kamloops. Zosia counted more than 90 eagles, and she likely missed quite a few more as we zoomed along the Trans-Canada Highway at high speed.

	Zosia avoids a couple of big mud holes along the logging road at the start of the hike.
	Mount Hilliam rises in the background as Zosia hikes along the logging road.
	Zosia walks across a carpet of fallen leaves under a canopy of cedar branches.
	Zosia approaches the top of Tappen Bluffs.
	Sonny and Zosia stand on the high point of Tappen Bluffs (870 metres).
	The view to the southeast includes Tappen Bay (Shuswap Lake) and Mount Tappen (right). Click on the photo for a view from roughly this same spot on 7 October 2018.
	Near the top of Tappen Bluffs are a pair of First Nations art installations. One is a metal pole resembling the trunk of a birch tree with holes identifying distant landmarks. The other is a white "Coyote Rock" with etchings on all sides and a scooped top which appears to invite someone to sit on it.
	Zosia hugs a larch tree on the return trip.
	Total Distance: 5.8 kilometres Round-Trip Time: 2 hours 7 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain: 231 metres GPX Data
	Tappen Bluffs are visible in the background as Zosia stops to pick some apples on the side of Skimikin Road.
	Zosia throws a disc at Turtle Ridge Disc Golf Course. Tappen Bluffs are on the shadowy ridge at distant centre behind Little White Lake.
	Multiple eagles can be spotted on these two trees along Thompson River. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

When we arrived in Kamloops, Zosia and I had enough daylight for another short hike, and we opted to climb Dufferin Hill on the west side of the city. We got the idea for this hike from Bob Spirko, and although the trails here were mainly designed for mountain biking, the hill--located within Kenna Cartwright Nature Park--is popular with local walkers and their dogs. While Spirko did a big loop on the hill, we simply went up and down the most direct route via "Tower Trail" (including a short cut along "Saskatoon Trail" on ascent). The actual high point of Dufferin Hill is inaccessible because of fencing around the telecommunications infrastructure there, but an uncluttered outlier to the west is nearly as high and a lot less ugly. Upon returning to the trailhead (50.66276, -120.40283), we drove to our hotel in the city to check in for the weekend.

	Zosia will follow "Tower Trail" to the top of Dufferin Hill which is visible behind her.
	Just below the top of Dufferin Hill is a wooden deck which serves as a viewpoint overlooking the city of Kamloops.
	Zosia bypasses the high point of Dufferin Hill and heads for an outlier to the west behind the trees.
	Zosia stands atop the outlier (876 metres).
	Zosia descends from the outlier and heads back toward the high point of Dufferin Hill which is cluttered with telecommunications infrastructure.
	Zosia stands as close as she can legally get to Dufferin Hill's true high point (slightly higher than 876 metres) which is on the other side of the fence.
	The east side of the high point has probably the most comprehensive view of the city. Note the wooden deck of the viewpoint lower down behind Zosia.
	Late day sunshine illuminates the grasses on the hillside as Zosia descends Dufferin Hill.
	Total Distance: 3.7 kilometres Round-Trip Time: 1 hour 13 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain: 173 metres GPX Data