Hiking Jim Kelly Peak & Illal Mountain near the Coquihalla Recreation Area
Contents
Jim Kelly Peak & Illal Mountain Hike Information
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: 20Km
Elevation Gain: 1,050m
Highest Elevation: 2,107m
Average Gradient: 10.50%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Moderate / High
Time Needed:
– Slow: 8 – 10 Hours
– Moderate: 7 – 8 Hours
– Fast: 6 – 7 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Summer
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: Class 2 scramble up Jim Kelly, just hiking up Illal.
Jim Kelly Peak & Illal Mountain Trail
The above GPX includes Coquihalla Mountain as well, which you can skip if you don’t want to do this.
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°31’51.1″N 120°57’44.3″W
Jim Kelly Peak & Illal Mountain Overview
Jim Kelly Peak and Illal Mountain are a duo of peaks located near Coquihalla Pass, set within a scenic area known as Illal Meadows. While easily doable as a day hike, many parties choose to camp in Illal Meadows and spend a couple of days exploring one (or more) of the nearby peaks. These two peaks are generally suitable for all parties, though Jim Kelly Peak does involve some fairly straightforward class 2 scrambling. More adventurous parties may want to also consider summiting Coquihalla Mountain, the highest and most demanding of the three, with particularly capable parties summiting all three in one long day.
Illal Meadows is accessible from Tulameen River FSR, a groomed FSR that is mostly all gravel and suitable for all vehicles. You used to be able to drive an additional few kilometers on a narrow spur road in higher clearance vehicles, however in recent years this road has deteriorated significantly, to the point of becoming impassable for practically every vehicle.
Tulameen River FSR is not a plowed road, which means this hike is only accessible once the snow has thawed. As such, most people will not hike Jim Kelly Peak Illal Mountain until the summer months, usually between mid-June and October.
In terms of camping in the area there is plenty of space in the meadows to set up a tent, with the most popular spot being the stunning lake below Illal Mountain. There is another smaller lake below Jim Kelly Peak, though the terrain here is more rocky and less flat than the other lake.
Dogs are allowed in the region and most should be fine to get up both peaks.
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Is Jim Kelly Peak & Illal Mountain worthwhile?
The whole region around Illal Meadows is stunning, and the views from both Jim Kelly Peak and Illal Mountain are very nice. You get particularly amazing views of Coquihalla Mountain from both peaks, and the lake below Illal Mountain offers a great place to relax and soak in the outdoors or go for a swim. If you want to maximize your experience here, I’d suggest going for all three peaks, whether as a day trip or overnight. That would be a 5 star trip.
How difficult is the hike to Jim Kelly Peak & Illal Mountain?
With an average gradient of 10.50% this is quite an approachable hike for most abilities. There aren’t too many spots that get particularly steep. There is a short stretch in the forest that is a bit of a grind, and the climb up Jim Kelly Peak is steep, albeit brief. Other than that most of the hike is surprisingly manageable at a moderate gradient.
Technically speaking the majority of the trail is just a simple hike. The only section that isn’t is the short climb up to Jim Kelly Peak. From a distance this looks quite daunting, but there is a fairly established route up, and at worst you’ll have to use your hands for short stretches. There isn’t any real exposure at any point and most parties should get up and down just fine. The hike up Illal Mountain is just hiking and shouldn’t require the use of hands.
Jim Kelly Peak & Illal Mountain Route Information
The trailhead for Jim Kelly Peak and Illal Mountain is from Tulameen FSR, immediately after crossing a bridge over Illal Creek (see coordinates). Tulameen FSR is 2WD friendly, it’s mostly just a gravel road with little to no potholes. Note that Tulameen FSR is only accessible in the summer once the snow has melted as it is not a plowed road.
From the trailhead there is an old, now disused spur road running adjacent to Illal Creek. You used to be able to drive this road for several kilometers to an actual trailhead/parking area, however over the years it has deteriorated and is no longer driveable to the end. Most parties do not even bother trying as the road is so bad and overgrown. Instead, this will now be the start of your hike. The spur road makes for relatively quick and easy progress, crossing a few creeks along the way (you’ll see why it’s no longer driveable), likely with some overgrown sections.
After following this road for around 3.5km, climbing just 100m or so in the process, you’ll drop down and cross over a creek before beginning the forested section of the hike. The gradient now picks up, and over the next 1.5km you’ll ascend quite steeply through the forest following an obvious trail. At around the 1,540m mark you’ll traverse across a steep boulder field before another short stretch of trees, before breaking out of the treeline and into the lower meadows.
Over the next 1.5km the views will really begin to open up of all the peaks surrounding the meadows, particularly Jim Kelly Peak. After hiking along the trail for another 2km you’ll find yourself at the shores of a small lake beneath Jim Kelly Peak, which is a nice place for a break. Most people climb Jim Kelly Peak first given it is the first one you will reach.
You should see a trail to your left, wrapping around the lake and ascending via the northwest ridge. The climb begins on slate with an obvious trail in it, but as you climb higher the slate gives way to a rocky climb. You can really pick your own route in many actions, though there are sporadic cairns to guide you on your ascent. At no point should you really be exposed to a significant fall, but you will fairly consistently need to use your hands. You’ll ascend a series of ledges, but in short order you’ll reach the top where the views of Coquihalla Mountain are stunning. You’ll also have great views towards the classic Coquihalla summits to the northwest, such as Needle Peak, Yak Mountain, Vicuna and Guanaco and many more. To the south will be Manning Park, with Mount Outram the standout summit.
You’ll descend back down to the lake below Jim Kelly Peak, which won’t take too long. From here you should return to the trail and follow it back around the lake. You should notice another trail leading away from the lake towards Illal Mountain. Make sure you don’t descend towards Coquihalla Mountain, instead you should follow a mostly flat trail away from Coquihalla Mountain. The next kilometer will be mostly flat, with improving views behind you of the majestic stratovolcano.
Soon enough you’ll reach the shores of the beautiful lake below Illal Mountain, which is fairly likely to have some campers set up if you go on a sunny summer weekend. The obvious trail follows the western shores of the lake briefly before beginning the climb up Illal’s western slopes. Again there is a fairly well worn route up, but you can whichever way you prefer. It won’t be long until you’re on the summit, and the views looking back towards Jim Kelly Peak and Coquihalla Mountain, with the blue lake below, will be breathtaking.
After resting up at the summit you again return back down the same ridge. You will note on the GPX attached that we took a shortcut back to the trailhead by hiking through the meadows. This saved quite a lot of time as it prevented unnecessary backtracking. Once you leave Illal Mountain you can expect to be back at the trailhead in around 2 – 2.50 hours assuming you don’t take many breaks.
When should I hike Jim Kelly Peak & Illal Mountain?
Due to Tulameen River FSR only being accessible once the snow has melted, all of the peaks around Illal Meadows are generally summer only objectives. Usually this means mid June to mid-October.
Top Tip
Fit parties may want to combine these two peaks with Coquihalla Mountain as the attached GPX shows. This is a much more demanding day and will take most parties between 10 – 12 hours. Slower parties will likely want to spread this over a couple of days.
Bugs can be horrendous on this hike at certain times, usually earlier on in the summer. Bring plenty of bug spray, especially if you’re camping.
Bears are apparently fairly common in this area, so be ready for possible encounters.
