Hiking the Serpent's Back trail near Hope
Contents
Serpent's Back Trail Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 4.80Km
Elevation Gain: 434m
Highest Elevation: 446m
Average Gradient: 18.08%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 2.5 – 3 Hours
– Moderate: 2 – 2.5 Hours
– Fast: 1.5 – 2 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Serpent's Back Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°20’54.5″N 121°28’29.6″W
Serpent's Back Overview
Opened in 2020, the Serpent’s Back (formerly known as Dragon’s Back) trail is a fairly popular hike near the town of Hope. Most of the hike meanders (and climbs) through ancient forest, with a few minor viewpoints along the way, as well as a “stone garden”. The hike culminates at a much broader and quite scenic view above the town of Hope, the Fraser River, and a number of local mountains.
The hike is easy to follow and short enough that it can be completed in just a couple of hours for most parties, though it certainly does have a few steep spots throughout. Given the relatively low elevation, it makes for a nice hike year-round, with little or no snow even in the winter.
The area was originally traversed by Stó:lō hunters and travellers, and used as a safety lookout to help guard the villages along the river dating back over 2900 years. The trail previously had the name Dragon’s Back, as from afar this mountainous area is reminiscent of a sleeping dragon. However, dragons are mythical creatures and not stl’áleqem. Dragons are not part of Sto:lo language and culture, so the name was changed to Serpent’s Back or A:lhqeyétsel in Halq’eméylem.
Dogs are welcome on the hike and parking is off a spur road off of Silver Skagit Road. The spur can be a little rough, so lower vehicles may opt to park on Silver Skagit and hike up it.
Maintaining this website requires a significant investment of both time and money, if you find this website a useful resource, please consider making a donation using this button.
Is the Serpent's Back trail worthwhile?
The Serpent’s Back trail is a short and relatively scenic hike for those that live nearby or passing through, however it’s likely not worth the long drive out that many parties might face coming from the Lower Mainland. While the view at the end of the hike is quite nice, most of the trail is a simple forest plod. Thankfully some of this ancient forest is very nice, especially the early stages.
For parties that do want to complete this hike that may be coming from further afield, you could easily add on another hike in the area, or perhaps tackle this on the way to/from Manning Park or the Coquihalla.
How difficult is the Serpent's Back trail?
While this is a short hike at around 5km, it’s also a steep one, with an average gradient not far off 20%. There is a decent bit of undulation along the trail, meaning you’ll have some climbing to do even on the return journey.
Technically speaking the hike is straightforward and follows an established trail throughout. There are a couple of steep sections with stairs built in, but nothing that should cause any issues.
Serpent's Back Trail Route Information
From the northern end of the parking lot you will find the obvious trailhead leading into the forest. The initial forest is very scenic, with ferns and mosses blanketing the area. You’ll pass along a couple of bridges over creeks before reaching the Hope Mountain viewpoint. Following this, the trail steepens considerably, with some stairs built into the floorbed to assist.
Shortly ahead you’ll reach the next minor view overlooking the Silver Creek neighbourhood below. Continuing on, the trail now descends quite steeply, where at the bottom you’ll reach the Stone Garden. Climbing the large stones is forbidden due to the sensitive environment. There’s a few benches here for parties to rest.
Continuing on, the climbing continues, and after a short stint of ascending you will reach the only junction on the trail. It doesn’t really matter which way you go as the route is now a loop that will end up back here, though most parties seem to prefer counterclockwise.
The ascent continues along, and after a little under 1km you’ll reach the summit viewpoint, which is easily the best view along the trail. There’s a fairly panoramic view over the town of Hope and the Fraser River below, as well as the backdrop mountains of Ogilvie and Jorgenson Peak. You’ll also have a pretty nice view of Hope Mountain from here.
There’s a couple of benches to rest on at the summit viewpoint, but once ready you can continue along the looped trail, returning back to where the trail split. From here, you simply return back to the trailhead following the same trail you took in. As noted, there will be some uphill on the way back after you pass by the Stone Garden.
When should I hike the Serpent's Back trail?
Given the relatively low elevation of this hike you can usually tackle this year-round. There may be periods in the winter where the snowline drops below this elevation, at which point you may want to wait until it has risen again as I can imagine some part of the trail would be tricky in snow.
Top Tip
If driving from the Lower Mainland you may want to combine this hike with another nearby hike, or alternatively do it when passing through the area anyway (e.g. if visiting Manning Park, Coquihalla, Kelowna area etc.)
