Rim Rocks Trail, Vernon
About Rim Rocks Trail, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia
Rim Rocks Trail is a moderately difficult hike with some intense areas. It is located in the community of Coldstream and is 30 minutes outside of the city of Vernon, British Columbia. It is situated high up in a mountainous wilderness area known as King Edward. The trail takes you through logging clear cuts followed by incredibly dense forests covered in vibrant green mosses and lichens. Then you’ll meander along the top of some breathtaking cliffs and finally down into an ancient volcano to discover some incredible geology. There are large rock spires and gigantic boulders that appear to be the result of a massive eruption at some point in history.
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How to Get There
Address: Unnamed Rd, Coldstream, BC V1B 3H2
Map of Rim Rocks Trail
The Hiking Trail
The old logging road takes you up 1.5 kilometers and eventually leads you off into the woods and up to the top. You’ll know when you are supposed to turn off because you will see a cattleguard and an amazing old 1050s era car that must have an interesting story as to why and how it got stuck way up in the mountains. Soon after you will come to a clifftop with a great view of the valley and you can see Swan Lake off in the distance. As you continue along the edge of the mountain you will start to see fascinating geologic formations like gigantic boulders breaking off of the face of the cliffs. There are many different clearings and viewpoints along the route but the real treat is when you descend down into the ancient lava field. Getting down into the lava field requires you to climb down using ropes, and is fairly steep and dangerous and it is not recommended to bring small children.
Wildlife
Being so unique in geology these lava fields create the perfect habitat for some neat creatures that you may be lucky enough to come across including the pacific tree frog which is either grey or bright green in color. You may also spot ground squirrels that take up residence in the convenient crevices of the lava rocks. There is also an abundance of western toads of all different colors. Other typical animals you may see include bears, deer, and moose.