Mt. Beaven Hike
Hiking Trail Information
Use of this information is entirely at your own risk and the VOC accepts no liability whatsoever for your use of any trail information on this website. VOC clears and flags trails to facilitate group hikes lead by a VOC member. Hazards may exist on the trails and route finding skills and navigation aids such as a GPS and/or map and compass may be required. You must assess your own ability and readiness to hike any trail mentioned on this website.
Mt. Beaven Hike Description
© Vernon Outdoors Club 2022
Statistics
Hike distance 8 km round trip Altitude gain 700 m
Hiking time 5-6 hrs round trip Max altitude 2170 m
Govt of Canada topo map 82 L/1 Difficulty Difficult
Mt Beaven is in the Monashee range, approximately 19km east of Cherryville and to the west of the Pinnacles formation, separated from them by the upper Severide Creek Valley.
Park your car at the trail head (N 50 deg 14’ 14” W 118 deg 20’ 21”) where the road stops. See the separate driving directions. There is a tumble-down biffy at the time of writing which may or may not be usable. The trail heads down to your left (when you are facing roughly north) towards the creek below you. The trail can get quickly overgrown with brush and the first steep section can be very slippery in wet conditions. Use care!
Wade the creek (suggest bringing water shoes as most of the time water level is too high to keep boots dry) and the trail then climbs steeply uphill, roughly heading north, until you cross the 1980m contour, when the trail takes a turn to the west (or left) at approx. N 50 deg 14’ 53” W 118 deg 20’ 38”. The trail follows the ridge for approximately 550 m, descending a little and goes to the south of the treed elevation.
After another 250m the trail climbs steeply up the grassy eastern slope of Mt Beaven. This climb is known as “heart attack hill” to the VOC! Enjoy the fine views from the summit. You can return the way you came but we recommend an alternate to avoid the steep slope you have just climbed. Descend to the north until the 2000m contour and then head SE keeping between 1950 and 2000m in elevation. Initially you are in an old burn area, then you have to cross near the bottom of a scree slope. A slight uphill into the trees and reconnect with the trail up near the bottom of heart attack hill. This is an easier descent although some bush whacking is required.
If no one in your party has hiked this route before we recommend having the skills to navigate and bring along a GPS and know how to use it. Several sections of the trail may be indistinct.
Note: Use of this hike description is entirely at your own risk
Driving Directions – Mt. Beaven.
© Vernon Outdoors Club 2022
- Drive East from Vernon on Hwy.6 towards Lumby.
- Continue east past Frank’s store and gas station in Cherryville (last chance for fuel, snacks, indoor toilet) and past the old Goldpanner Café (believed to be closed at the time of writing).
- At 1.5 km past the Goldpanner Café (approx. 63km total from downtown Vernon) turn left onto the South Fork FSR. Reset your trip odometer to zero.
- At 2.7km keep left to continue on the South Fork FSR
- At 13km keep left to stay on the South Fork FSR
- At 14.6 km you will reach an intersection. Keep left.
- You are now on the route to the Monashee Lake trail head. This is correct!
- After an additional 1.8 km (approx. 16.5km total since leaving Highway 6) make a sharp left at 50.209051° N 118.346047° W and drive for 3.8 km approx. to the trail head. The road is in good condition because of logging since 2021.
- At the time of writing road conditions are good but that can change at any time. Due to logging activity in the Monashees we suggest you carry a forest service road frequency radio in one of the vehicles in your party and know how to use it.
Use of these directions is entirely at your own risk.