Hiking Hoover Lake in Mission
Contents
Hoover Lake Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 14.70Km
Elevation Gain: 560m
Highest Elevation: 530m
Average Gradient: 7.62%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 5 – 6 Hours
– Moderate: 4 – 5 Hours
– Fast: 3 – 4 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Hoover Lake Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°13’43.9″N 122°20’15.3″W
Hoover Lake Overview
Hoover Lake is a scenic and tranquil spot in Mission that makes for a moderately challenging hike. The majority of the hike follows a wide logging road before entering the forest and looping around the lake. It’s also possible to continue hiking beyond the lake to the Hoover Lake viewpoint, which provides some nice views of Stave Lake and its surrounding mountains.
The stats and route provided here include both the lake loop and the viewpoint, but if you want to keep it simple and just go directly to the lake and back, it will be more like 8km and 375m elevation gain.
Hoover Lake is a year-round option thanks to its relatively low elevation, and it’s also a dog friendly hike and makes for a rare off-leash friendly outing. Due to its drawn out approach it’s probably one of the quieter lakes you will visit near the city, with a small parking lot that might fit 8 – 10 cars.
Much of this hike is exposed to the elements, with little options for shade or tree cover other than the lake itself. If you’re going on a hot/sunny day you should prepare appropriately, and the same can be said for a rainy day.
Both swimming and fishing at the lake is permitted, though access to the shore is fairly limited, with much of the shoreline covered in bush and debris.
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Is Hoover Lake worthwhile?
Hoover Lake is a pleasant and simple hike, with the majority of the trail following a wide logging road. The lake itself is nice but not breathtaking, and doesn’t offer a lot of places to sit and enjoy the view. The viewpoint beyond the lake is a worthy addition for slightly more effort, and offers some decent views of Stave Lake, but they are more so “gaps between the tree” kind of views, rather than “sit and soak it in” kind of views.
The biggest drawback of Hoover Lake is the drawn out (and boring) approach. The entire 6.5km hike up to the viewpoint is along an FSR with nothing to see, and it’s the same again on the way back. The only respite is the loop around the lake itself, where you follow a loosely defined trail in the forest. What’s more annoying is the entire FSR is perfectly drivable, if it wasn’t for a gate at the beginning preventing access. Still, if you want a tranquil hike this will certainly provide that, and that’s mostly because the long FSR plod keeps the crowds away.
How difficult is the hike to Hoover Lake?
Physically speaking this is a straightforward hike. As noted it’s almost all on a forest service road, meaning it’s a gradual incline the entire time and you will rarely be challenged but it’s also not flat for very long. You can move quickly on this hike, and with little to see along the way it’ll probably be faster than you expect.
Technically the hike is a breeze as well, with the only possible challenges being in the forest around the lake, but it’s simple forest travel that a child could manage, so I wouldn’t be worried.
Hoover Lake Route Information
The hike begins from a small parking lot off of Dewdney Trunk Road (see coordinates). There is room for around 8 – 10 vehicles, and if the lot is full I assume your only option is to drive further along Dewdney Trunk Road to another pull out somewhere, then hike back to the trailhead.
The trail immediately passes a gate blocking vehicles from accessing the FSR, before the long, dull plod begins. There’s really not much to say about this FSR walk other than the gradient is gradual and it’s easy to keep a decent pace to get it over with quickly. There is absolutely nothing to note for the first 3.2km of this hike, so just stay on the FSR and ignore any spur roads leading away from it.
Around 3.2km into the hike you’ll reach a junction with one trail going left, down into the forest, and another going right. If you intend to just go to the lake, take the left trail into the forest (it should be signposted to Hoover Lake), but if you want to go to the viewpoint first like me, go right and continue along the FSR.
Most of the elevation gain is out of the way at this point, but the FSR continues to undulate so there’s plenty of brief ups and downs as you continue towards the viewpoint. At around 4.5km you’ll pass a spur road which you will later take to join the Hoover Lake loop, but for now just continue past it.
The FSR continues for another 2km, and gets a bit rougher and narrower the further along you get. At around the 6km mark you’ll start to get some nice views to the west, looking down towards a large cut block and the western side of Stave Lake. In 500m you’ll reach the end of the FSR, which is also the end of the hike. You’ll have a nice view to the north now, with a full view of Stave Lake, as well as Mount Robie Reed, Mount Judge Howay and Mount Crickmer if you have a clear day.
As noted there is nowhere to stop and relax to appreciate the views, so you probably won’t hang around for long. You’ll now simply head back down the FSR, and after 2km you’ll be back at the spur road noted above for the Hoover Lake loop. Around 500m after following this spur road, you’ll cut left into the forest.
The forested trail will likely come as a nice respite after what felt like an endless FSR hike, but there isn’t a ton to see initially, so just follow the loosely defined (but easy to navigate) trail around the lake. After around 700m since entering the forest you should reach your first viewpoint of the lake, a small opening in the forest with some decent views and a bench to relax on. A few hundred meters further will be another opening that is much the same.
Once you reach the southern point of the lake the trail splits. You’ll want to go left, following the trail to an outcrop that enters the middle of the lake and offers the best views of the lake and the only opportunity to get up close to the water. After following this trail for a few hundred meters you’ll reach the tip of this outcrop to a nice view of the island that sits in the middle of the lake, and some benches to relax on.
After soaking in some views you simply head back to the loop and this time you continue to follow it along. The trail continues in the forest for another 700m or so, before you are spat back out on the same FSR you’re now probably sick to death of, with all that remains being a mind numbingly boring 3.2km plod back to the trailhead. At least this time it’s downhill.
When should I hike Hoover Lake?
Hoover Lake is a year-round option but I certainly wouldn’t go on a prime summer day, save that for something better. I did enjoy Hoover Lake for what it is, but I think this is a good option on an overcast day. I wouldn’t go on a rainy day as most of the trail is exposed to the sky and this would be an utterly miserable day in the rain. I would also try to avoid going in the middle of the day if it’s sunny, as you will likely bake due to a lack of options for shade.
Thanks to its low elevation this trail won’t receive large amounts of snow and might be a good choice in the winter if you’re looking for an easier option, though microspikes may be necessary towards the viewpoint.
Top Tip
There are little to no markers throughout this entire hike, and signage is very limited if not nonexistent. An offline map is strongly suggested, with weak cell service in the area as well.
The majority of the hike is exposed to the sun and on a hot day you will be baking for most of it. I definitely suggest appropriate sun gear if you plan to go at that time. I wouldn’t even bother going in the rain personally.
If you are keen on mountain biking this is a great trail for it, especially up to the viewpoint. The loop around the lake wouldn’t be mountain bike friendly though.
