Quick Glance
Time: ~3 hrs
Distance: 6.9km
Difficulty: Easy (according to hiking apps but I would say Moderate)
What to bring: water and snacks, sun protection, and hiking sticks (optional)
Other information: Trail starts at Kettle River Recreational Area and follows the Trans Canada Trail towards Rock Creek. You will need to turn left to follow Kettle River Rd before turning right onto a logging road. Follow the map on Alltrails to not get lost.
I'm not even sure this hike gets enough credit for what it is.
If you've never heard of this hike, like me, before staying at Kettle River Recreational Area for camping, you are absolutely missing out! The only reason I know about this hike, is well, I like hiking and I usually look on Alltrails or Trailforks to see what trails are in the area.
Kettle River Recreational Area is well known for the Trans Canada Trail/KVR Rail trail that runs through it but I think Kettle Valley to Flags trail gets overlooked. It's a short hike that can be completed in a few hours. We ended up doing it the day we had to leave, after check out.
I will warn you, Alltrail says it's an 'easy' hike, I would definitely say moderate as you are ascending the whole way. The majority of this hike is also walking up a logging road. Only the last 500m or so are on an actual trail. There was a point, as I was walking up, that I was thinking this is probably one of the worst hikes I have ever been on. I'm not a fan of having to hike up logging roads and there wasn't much to look at.
If you get those thoughts, push them to the back of your mind because once you get to the top, it was well worth the hike!
If you look closely, you can see where the 2015 fire left its mark. Luckily, they were able to stop it just at the entrance of Kettle River Recreational Area. Only a few trees have some scars on them.
If you aren't camping at Kettle River Recreational Area, you're in luck as you can use their day-use parking lot to park your car and start the hike.
**Disclaimer: Hiking is at your own risk. Please read up on the trail conditions, weather, and hiking essentials.**