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Merritt offers a number of trail systems that appeal to a wide range of riders, from shuttle monkeys to cross country
heart monitor geaks to beginners looking for some great scenic vistas.
Trail Map:
We have a really nice map which is available for $10 at a number of locations including: Mountain Equipment CO–Op
(Vancouver), Mandolins Coffee Shop (Merritt), Spoke´N´Motion (Kamloops) and Valhalla (Kamloops).
The map is 22 inches by 32 inches full colour. The map appears on one side and trail descriptions on the back.
Proceeds from the sales of this map directly support trail maintenance and construction.
Trail Descriptions:
Kane Valley – Driving time from Merritt: about 15 mins
Take the highway 5C out of town following the signs to Kelowna. You will drive up a long hill. Watch
your speed at the top where it goes from four lanes to two as this is favorite speed trap. You will see a small
sign for Kane Valley ski trails a few mins past. Take the right onto the gravel road and park at the large
parking lot. If you start seeing lakes on your left, you went too far.
Length: Depends on what route
your choose, you can do one of the shorter loops in 20 mins or stay out for hours.
Technical difficulty: Easy in most parts. Rough due to cattle. One or two places with steep parts
but nothing that will sneak up on you.
General Notes: Close the gates. Local ranchers (the Andersons) have already lost cattle up here due to careless
riders checking out the race course.
A great event, like racing used to be like, so many prizes they have to draw each persons name
twice to give them all away. See the link for a wealth of info from local author and outdoor guys Murphy
Schwchuk. See Kane Valley map
Coko Bonk - Driving time from Merritt About 15 mins. Other trails in the Area Wounded Knee and Déjà vu.
Take the highway 5C out of town following the signs to Kelowna. You will drive up
a long hill. Watch your speed at the top where it goes from four lanes to two as this is favorite speed trap.
Shortly after you get to the top of the hill there is a left hand turn lane to Lundbom Lake. Drive past the first few
lakes, you will come to a cattle guard about 5km from the highway. You can pull up the road onto the grass
here or go park at the picnic tables at the lake about 300m further on.
Length: A fast rider can do the loop in an hour with no rests. For the average rider 2 hours
should leave time for rests and to enjoy the view at Tent lake.
Technical Difficulty: Easy in most parts. Rough due to cattle. One or two places
with steep parts but nothing that will sneak up on you. Towards the end of the trail, after the Coco Bonk
3 foot wide cattle guard there is a small downhill that beginners may want to dismount for.
General Notes: Close the gates and in some seasons watch for the cow pies. The view up here
is killer. The ride starts where you park, see above. Ride down the hill and through the fullsize
cattle guard. The trial meanders left and you have Hamliton Lake on your left. Watch for a single
track to the right heading up the hill, it meets up a road in about 400m. This is the toughest climb of the
ride. Follow the road through some patches of Aspen and across two seasonal creeks.
The trail is well marked with the clubs yellow biker tags, also watch for the original trail markers which are bike parts
painted orange attached to trees. When you get to some really large pine trees
that have a large chain ring on them you are almost at the top of the climb. Continue on the road until
you reach tent lake, in season there are alpine flowers and always a view.
From here the trail varies between single track and old logging road. Take the right fork of the road and you
should see markers about every 5 mins and at every intersection of trails. The trial meanders past a pond
with beaver and ducks, through more Aspen, past the Logarythm (log obstacle course). The only tricky part is
after the above mentioned downhill.
The trail pops you out on the main road, go right, about 3km from where your parked.
The Legend of Coco Bonk
This trail was originally born out out of a local riders head who did not want to have to trespass through Douglas Lake
property. After viewing aerial photos, and walking the route the trail was born. Three days of work
parties with chain saws, kids, and at that time, a puppy in tow got rid of all the dead fall across the trail, hence the trail was named in "honor" of him.
A member of the trail crew was using a post pounder and hit himself in the head hard enough to require a trip to the hospital
and stitches, hence the trial was named in "honor" of him JP Cool Driving time from Merritt 10 mins but you can
ride other trails in the area, The Notch, among others: How to get there Drive up the Lilly Lake road till you hit the
plateau (two cattle guards). The entrance is hidden on the left.
OTHER RIDING AREAS ON OUR MAP:
Coutlee Plateau – A cross country riders paradise. The most developed system in town. A
ton of loop option from 30 mins to epic, rolling hills to lung buster climbs.
Lundbohm Lake – Longer loops, longer climbs, less technical riding, beautiful scenery.
Iron Mountain – Shuttle Monkeys only. Expert level riders only. From steep to insane,
huge vertical, nice shuttle road up.
Info/Godey Creek – A trail building tour de force years and hundreds, if not thousands of hours,
in the making. A hidden gem. Some of the most techincal XC riding in town.
Swakum Mountain – Southern Exposure early season riding.
Other Nearby Trails:
Kenna Cartwright Park offers a few nice loop options for XC riders. Beware of hikers on the trail. Nicely
signed and maps available at the trailhead just above Duffy´s Pub.
Also the famous Rose Hill shuttle
ride. Bike Cafe is at the bottom of the ride and they can of course give you directions to the top if you
need them.
Drop in at Full Boar bike store for a ton of local knowledge from Trevor and company. Most
of the guys/gals at Full Boar also know or work for Chuck at Kamloops bike camp if you are looking for a tour option.
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