Hiking Sumas Mountain in the Fraser Valley
Contents
Sumas Mountain Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 16.80Km
Elevation Gain: 910m
Highest Elevation: 910m
Average Gradient: 10.83%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 6 – 7 Hours
– Moderate: 5 – 6 Hours
– Fast: 4 – 5 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Sumas Mountain Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°07’19.9″N 122°11’18.9″W
Sumas Mountain Overview
Sumas Mountain is a summit located between Abbotsford and Chilliwack, and is one of the more familiar summits in the Fraser Valley.
There are many trails and sights in Sumas Mountain Regional Park, such as Chadsey Lake, the Abby Grind, Taggart Peak and of course the mountain itself. This hike covers two of the more popular spots within the park, Sumas Mountain and Chadsey Lake.
Sumas Mountain is a year-round hike, though in the winter it will be snowed over towards the summit, with micro spikes and perhaps snowshoes being required. In the summer bug spray is recommended as mosquitos can be quite active here due to the damp environment.
This is a popular hike at all times of the year but especially in the summer when Chadsey Lake draws in many visitors. Fewer people continue on to Sumas Mountain but it is still a popular spot so an early start is recommended.
This is a pet friendly hike and I also saw many families on the trail, though it’s certainly a rugged trail, particularly once you begin the climb after Chadsey Lake. Due to land disputes, a lot of the trail is unmaintained and some parts are overgrown, but generally the trail is well marked and easy to follow.
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Is Sumas Mountain worthwhile?
Sumas Mountain is a fairly low summit at just 910m, and the views from the top are mostly of the farmland below, with the familiar mountains of the Fraser Valley way off in the distance. There are little, if any, views throughout the hike, though the forest terrain is quite nice and Chadsey Lake is a worthy stop in itself. Personally I don’t find views of farmland as interesting as alpine views, so for me this hike was good but not great, considering the distance and elevation gain. I’d definitely suggest checking it out at least once.
How difficult is the hike to Sumas Mountain?
At almost 11% average gradient this is a moderate hike, perhaps touching on difficult in some parts. The gradient is mostly moderate throughout, with few sections being steep but not many flat areas either. The section after Chadsey Lake is quite steep and will challenge most people.
Technically the trail is very rugged practically the entire time. A lot of the trail is unmaintained, so it is very rocky and rooty throughout, with lots of muddy patches. Trail running here would be a bit of an ankle breaker. There are many slippery sections, especially if you’re going when there will be snow/ice on the ground, and large parts of the trail are single file. The section between Chadsey Lake and Sumas Mountain is particularly rough. For the most part though, the trail is easy to follow with good markers.
Sumas Mountain Route Information
The hike begins on Sumas Mountain Road (check the coordinates), with the parking just being on the side of this gravel road. When I arrived I was the first there and it seemed an odd place for a hike to start, but trust me it is there (you’ll see a sign at the trailhead).
The trail starts off narrow and winds down towards Wades Creek. After around 700m you’ll descend steeply towards the creek and soon cross a bridge over the creek. There’ll be a nice photo opportunity here where you can get into the creek and get some snaps of the mossy trees surrounding the water.
Once you’ve crossed the bridge over Wades Creek, that’s the easy part of the hike over with unfortunately. For the next 1.5km or so the trail follows a narrow path through some very dense, damp forest. There trail here is mostly loose rock, so footing isn’t ideal, but at least it’s easy to follow and is mostly just a bit of a grind with little to see (unless you like lots and lots of ferns).
Soon you will reach some sort of access / ATV road where you will want to turn right, before quickly turning left again and continuing on the Centennial Trail. This should be marked with some simple signage.
The next section of the hike is quite different, again in the forest but now it’s much more open and you actually get some views to the east. There was A LOT of deadfall here, but seemingly the general public come and handle it with their chainsaws, as evidenced by a sign thanking them for their voluntary work.
The trail again picks up some gradient here but it’s mostly moderate without getting too steep. Soon enough you’ll be back in the thick of the forest with little to see. There was one brief section that was incredibly mossy, some of the greenest scenery I’ve ever seen on a hike. Literally every branch was drenched in foliage, and most of the floor as well.
At around the 4km mark of the hike you’ll get a bit of a respite as the trail levels off and traverses a steep slope. The drop to your left will be quite high but it’s perfectly comfortable and you’re unlikely to feel uneasy, just be careful with your footing. In 500m or so you’ll pass a junction where a trail from another parking lot will join with the Centennial Trail, and shortly after this you’ll cross a bridge over a creek.
After a brief climb and a short flat section you’ll reach the west end of Chadsey Lake. The views here are negligible, so just continue around on the north side of the lake where you will get some much nicer views. You should see a large opening with a good view of the lake, as well as a rope swing. I was alone and was not confident I would be able to get off the rope swing without falling into the lake, so I skipped it but it looked fun.
Once you reach the eastern end of Chadsey Lake you should see a trail leading to your left, with a signpost for Eastern Lookout. The trail now deteriorates even more (it was hardly great before…) and at times can get very muddy if it nears a creek. The gradient also picks up considerably as you follow several switchbacks up the mountain. Thankfully this is fairly brief and it soon eases off but remains a climb. When I went there were a few waterfalls coming down the trail and in April this made the trail an ice rink, so I soon took out my micro spikes and kept them on for the rest of the trip to the top.
As you near the top the trail isn’t super obvious anymore but as long as you keep following the markers you’ll be fine. Soon enough you’ll reach the true summit of Sumas Mountain, but this is an almost entirely obstructed viewpoint that’s not even worth stopping for. If you take a left and continue for a couple of hundred meters you’ll reach the Eastern Lookout and the views here are considerably better. From the summit you will see mostly the farmlands of Barrowtown, Greendale and Yarrow below, as well as the Fraser River. On a clear day you’ll see the prominent mountains of the Fraser Valley off in the distance, notably the Cheam range. You may even be able to see Mount Baker, though it was too cloudy for me.
After resting up at the top, you simply head back the way you came, being careful with footing. I had the unfortunate experience of slipping on an icy patch (even with spikes!) and smashing my pelvis, but thankfully I escaped with just a bad bruise. When you reach Chadsey Lake on the return journey you can optionally go around the south side of the lake, which was my intention. However, when I tried to go this way the trail was incredibly rugged and had considerable amounts of deadfall. It was impossible to distinguish any trail and I wasn’t in the mood for clambering over deadfall, so I decided to just go back the way I came on the north side. I was later told I missed out on some good views of the lake by doing this, but never mind.
The return to the trailhead is mostly straightforward as, thankfully, it’s almost all downhill. I did see a lot more people heading up as I descended. Unfortunately the very end of the hike is a bit of a climb, which is never fun after 16km of hiking, but it is what it is.
When should I hike Sumas Mountain?
While this is a year-round option I liked Sumas Mountain as a shoulder season hike. I’ve read the mosquitoes can be terrible in the summer (makes sense, it’s a very damp place overall) and honestly on a sunny summer day I’d probably be looking towards a bigger objective. This likely even makes a good winter hike as it’s well traveled enough that the trail will usually be groomed most of the time.
Top Tip
You’re going to get muddy on this hike so make sure to prepare for that. If you’re going in the summer you absolutely want bug spray, and in the winter/spring you’ll want micro spikes at the very least.
It might be worthwhile bringing an offline map as there are many trails within the park so a wrong turn is quite easy. I did have cell service the entire time I was in the park, though that depends on your provider.
