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  • Raising Outdoor Kids
    • Cooking & Crafting

      How to Make Birdseed Ornaments for Wild…

      November 27, 2020

      Raising Outdoor Kids

      Beautiful Spring Picture Books for Children

      March 28, 2020

      Raising Outdoor Kids

      Playing in Nature Protects Our Children During…

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      50+ Spring Nature Activities for Kids of…

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      How to Make a Willow Nature Crown…

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    • All Alberta British Columbia Lower Mainland Northern Interior Okanagan
      British Columbia

      Hiking and Camping with Kids at Kokanee…

      July 30, 2018

      Okanagan

      More to Explore in the Okanagan Valley:…

      December 1, 2017

      British Columbia

      Family-Friendly Adventures on BC’s Sunshine Coast

      November 8, 2017

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      A National Park Reserve in the South…

      November 3, 2017

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      More to Explore in the Okanagan Valley:…

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      Hiking Spion Kop with Kids in Lake…

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      More to Explore in the Okanagan Valley:…

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      More to Explore in the Okanagan Valley:…

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      Alberta

      Rock Climbing with Kids in Jasper National…

      August 8, 2017

      Alberta

      Family Adventures in Jasper National Park: 10…

      July 26, 2017

      Alberta

      Shaw’s Point Resort

      August 6, 2015

      Alberta

      Apiaries in Northern Alberta

      August 5, 2015

      Alberta

      St. Isidore, Alberta

      August 4, 2015

      Alberta

      The Hoodoos

      July 29, 2015

      Alberta

      Royal Tyrrell Museum

      July 28, 2015

      Alberta

      Bow Valley Campground

      July 27, 2015

      British Columbia

      Hiking and Camping with Kids at Kokanee…

      July 30, 2018

      British Columbia

      More to Explore in the Okanagan Valley:…

      December 1, 2017

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      Family-Friendly Adventures on BC’s Sunshine Coast

      November 8, 2017

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      A National Park Reserve in the South…

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      More to Explore in the Okanagan Valley:…

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      Hiking Spion Kop with Kids in Lake…

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      August 2, 2016

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      July 27, 2016

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      Exploring Deep Cove and Quarry Rock Trail

      July 25, 2016

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      July 22, 2016

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      July 20, 2016

      Lower Mainland

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      July 18, 2016

      Lower Mainland

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      April 19, 2014

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      September 1, 2016

      Northern Interior

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      October 8, 2015

      Northern Interior

      Ferguson Lake Nature Reserve

      October 6, 2015

      Northern Interior

      Eskers Provincial Park

      October 5, 2015

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      Autumn in Northern British Columbia

      September 28, 2015

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      Wildflowers in Northern British Columbia

      June 6, 2015

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      June 2, 2015

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      June 19, 2013

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      More to Explore in the Okanagan Valley:…

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Backwoods Mama

Okanagan

Hiking Mount Kobau: The (New) Chopaka Lookout Trail

June 26, 2017

It’s been a year since we hiked the 5 km Testalindin Trail at Mount Kobau. It’s a hike we remember well because we got temporarily lost. When we last hiked the Testalindin Trail significant sections were covered under large swathes of fallen trees. We stumbled our way through the forest by following orange trail markers posted on trees. It was a harrowing experience, but a good learning opportunity and we came away unharmed and more the wiser.

Thankfully, last summer the Testalinden trail was re-routed. The new Chopaka Lookout Trail is a well marked a 3 km trail that climbs up to the Chopaka Lookout and loops back to the parking lot. I am so glad the trail was re-routed to complete a beautiful loop through the South Okanagan Grassland Protected Area. This hike has spectacular views of the surrounding valley and should be on your list of must-do family friendly hikes in the Okanagan Valley.

It’s a bit of a drive to get to top of Mount Kobau. I’ve included directions to the parking lot below. On our way up we encountered a small landslide that partially obstructed the gravel road but we drove around it (in a van) just fine. At the top there’s a parking area, outhouse, trail map and trail markers. Look for the new trail markers on the left side of the parking lot (if you’re looking towards the trail map), this is the start of the Chopaka Lookout Trail.

The first part of the Chopaka Lookout Trail is our favourite. The trail goes along rolling hills of heady sagebrush up to the Chopaka Lookout point that overlooks the Similkameen valley and Mount Chopaka in Washington. In early summer, this entire area is covered in colourful wildflowers. It’s breathtaking. After the viewpoint the trail loops towards the tower and then joins a dirt road road that leads back to the parking lot.

The 3 km hike took us 1.5 hours which included a lunch break at the lookout point. Because this hike it is much higher in elevation it’s quite a bit cooler than down in the valley. On a sunny 34°C (93°F) day it was about ten degrees cooler up on Mt. Kobau. This makes Mt. Kobau a great place to explore in July and August when hiking down in the valley can be uncomfortably hot.

Directions

Mount Kobau is located north-west of Osoyoos, BC. The access road is located off the Crowsnest highway (BC-3 W), approximately 12 km from Osoyoos. Coming from Osoyoos, take a right turn onto the Kobau Mountain Forest Service Road and drive up the approximately 20 km gravel road to the top of the mountain. On the slow drive up the mountain you can see the devastation of the 2015 Testalinden Creek fire, cattle grazing among the hills and spectacular views of the Okanagan Valley below.

Hiking Mount Kobau: The (New) Chopaka Lookout Trail was last modified: September 13th, 2017 by Josée
Chopaka Lookout TrailFamily HikeFamily HikingMount KobauMt KobauOsoyoosSouth Okanagan Grassland Protected Area
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