Cathedral Provincial Park in southern British Columbia is a spectacular place to spend several days hiking. Starting from Quiniscoe Lake, you’ll find 60 kilometres of trails that run the gamut from short walks to full-day adventures like the Rim Trail, which I include in my roundup of the best hikes in British Columbia.
We first booked our stay at Cathedral Lakes Lodge more than three years ago. Just two weeks before our planned visit, a massive wildfire swept through the park. In the ensuing years, BC Parks closed access to the lodge and park while a bridge was rebuilt and the sometimes gnarly 4WD access road was repaired. It meant our visit was postponed three times before we finally made it in September 2026.
Cathedral Provincial Park and Protected Area covers more than 80,000 acres of mountain wilderness. You’ll find gorgeous green and azure lakes, alpine meadows and rugged mountains of the North Cascades and Okanagan Mountain Ranges. While we opted to stay at Cathedral Lakes Lodge and enjoy home-cooked meals, close by are 30 campsites adjacent to Quiniscoe Lake.
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Cathedral Provincial Park (Core Area) At a Glance
- Location: Cathedral Provincial Park, southern British Columbia
- Best for: Alpine hiking, turquoise lakes, larches, fishing, and mountain scenery
- Suggested stay: Three days
- Accommodation: Cathedral Lakes Lodge or Quiniscoe Lake Campground
- Best hiking season: Summer to early fall, depending on snow and trail conditions
- Difficulty: Easy lakeside walks to strenuous full-day hikes
- Access: Pre-booked 4WD shuttle or a long, steep full-day hike
- Important to know: No cell service in the park. Dogs are not permitted in the park.
Getting to Cathedral Lakes Lodge (and the Campground)
There is some planning involved to get to Cathedral Lakes Lodge. Most visitors access both Cathedral Lakes Lodge and the Quiniscoe Lake Campground via a pre-booked 14-kilometre shuttle.
The 4WD shuttle leaves from a secure parking area, about a 30-minute drive from Keremeos, twice a day at 10 AM and 4PM. It takes about an hour to travel up the steep road. You must pre-pay for the shuttle by contacting Cathedral Lakes Lodge.
If you prefer to hike up, scroll down to the camping section for the details.
Driving Directions to the Cathedral Lakes Lodge Shuttle Pick-up Point
- Head west out of Keremeos via Highway 3 for approximately 4.8 km.
- Turn left to cross the Similkammen River via the Ashnola or Red Bridge. You can’t miss it!
- Drive along the Ashnola River Road for about 20.8 km. The pavement ends around 10 km and it becomes a Forest Service Road with multiple first come, first served campsites along its length.
- When you see the gate pictured below, wait until a driver shows up to check you off their list and let you in. The driver will let you in and show you where to leave your bags for transport.
- Allow about 30 minutes for the drive from the Red Covered Bridge to the parking lot. Be on time. They don’t wait for stragglers.
What It’s Like to Stay at Cathedral Lakes Lodge
Cathedral Lakes Lodge is located at the end of the steep 4WD access road. The main two-story lodge features a small reception area, a bar, a dining room, and a larger common area – along with five guest rooms upstairs which share two washrooms.
There is also The Bungalow with four guest rooms sharing two washrooms, Tom’s Cabin – which is ideal for groups of 6-8, the Lakeview Cabins, and two stand-alone cabins with various bed configurations.
Three home-cooked meals per day come with the cabin. You have the option of making a picnic lunch at breakfast or eating a hot lunch if you aren’t leaving the property. Alcohol can be purchased onsite.
Guests also have access to a lounge, lakeside chairs, and any of the boats or paddleboards on the lake. You are also able to book a time slot to soak in an outdoor hot tub (with no chemicals as the water is changed after every use) with a view.
Hiking Map of Cathedral Provincial Park (Core Area)
The map includes the main hiking routes in the core area of Cathedral Provincial Park save for Scout Mountain which is off to the north.
A 3-Day Hiking Itinerary in Cathedral Provincial Park
John and I spent most of our three days at Cathedral Lakes Lodge hiking – but had enough time for reading, napping, chatting with guests, and simply relaxing by the lake.
Day 1: Diamond Trail Around Scout Mountain
- Distance: 7 km loop + ~1.3 km return to do an out-and-back to the top of Scout Mountain
- Elevation gain/loss: 300 m
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Time needed: About 3 – 4 hours
We arrived at Cathedral Lakes Lodge around 11 AM, so we had time to settle into our rooms and have a look around the property before having lunch in the dining room. With a full afternoon ahead of us, we opted to hike the moderate 7 km loop around Scout Mountain. We did it counterclockwise, but you can hike it in either direction.
Some of the trail travels through the burn but an explosion of wildflowers makes the area feel very alive. There is the option to do a short detour to Scout Lake from the Diamond Trail.
Continuing on the loop, hike across a couple of boardwalks through an area dotted with red fall flowers and masses of fireweed. Golden larches start to appear with larger stands of them as you gain elevation on the trail. From the high point of the trail, we opted to wander off trail to the real summit of Scout Mountain. The views are slightly better but it’s not a must-do experience.
Once you reach the intersection with the Rim Trail, it’s almost all downhill through stands of larches and then into the burn. There’s scree on the upper part of this section – so some of you might find hiking poles come in handy. In no time you’ve completed the loop and you’re back at the lodge.
Day 2: Cathedral Rim Trail
- Distance: ~16 km (according to my hiking app)
- Elevation gain/loss: Approximately 800 m
- Difficulty: Hard
- Time needed: About 8 hours with breaks to enjoy the scenery
A chance to hike the Rim Trail is one of the big reasons for visiting Cathedral Provincial Park. Over its length you follow an undulating ridge across several peaks – with 360-degree views everywhere you look. There are lots of permutations to the hike – with one of the most common routes going up to the Rim Trail via Glacier Lake and descending via Ladyslipper Lake or vice versa.
John and I opted for a loop hike up to Stone City via Ladyslipper Lake and then an out and back towards The Cleft. Once back at Stone City, we followed the trail north past the Devil’s Woodpile, and over the summit of both Quiniscoe Mountain and Red Mountain. From there we descended a sometimes gnarly boulder field to reach the Centennial Trail. Then we simply followed it down to meet the trail going to Scout Lake – but went right and returned to the lodge instead.
Day 3: Goat Lake – Boxcar – Lakeview Mountain Loop
- Distance: Approximately a 16.5 km loop (according to my hiking app)
- Elevation gain/loss: 1,053 metres
- Difficulty: Hard
- Time needed: 8 hours
On our last full day John and I opted to do a loop hike that included Goat Lake, The Boxcar, Lakeview Mountain, and the long descent to the Goat Lake Trail and then back to the lodge.
The unexpected highlight for me was the steep climb to The Boxcar and then exploring a vast area up there including some interesting boulders to the west where we could see Mount Baker in Washington because it was such a clear day. The hike up to Lakeview Mountain was also interesting – though the peak itself was small and unassuming.
It’s a long descent back down to the Goat Lake Trail through boulders to end up on what is likely the Twin Buttes Trail. Some of this trail travels through a burn – which is often quite pretty, but you also need to watch your footing as partially burnt wooden bridges with nails sticking up could easily cause you to trip.
The final 2.2 km from the Goat Lake Trail back to the lodge felt long. It’s a big day with so much elevation gain and loss, but very much worth it.
Is Three Days Enough to Explore Cathedral Provincial Park?
I think three nights is the right amount of time to explore Cathedral Provincial Park if you’re staying at Cathedral Lakes Lodge.
It gave us time to hike the Diamond Trail around Scout Mountain, tackle the Rim Trail and do the longer loop that included Goat Lake, the Boxcar and Lakeview Mountain, with time to enjoy Quiniscoe Lake as well. If you prefer shorter hikes, you could easily spend three days exploring the lakes – and you would still have enough time to go for a paddle or swim, read, relax – and even to fish for a few hours.
Other Hikes and Places to Explore in Cathedral Provincial Park
Quiniscoe Lake Trail
- Distance: 2 km loop
- Elevation gain/loss: Minimal
- Difficulty: Easy
- Time needed: 30-45 minutes
It’s an easy and straightforward hike around Quiniscoe Lake from Cathedral Lakes Lodge. You only need about 30 minutes, and perhaps a bit longer if you visit the small waterfall or you happen to see mountain goats. The hike takes you through the well-laid out campground and past a few places where you could go for a swim.
Ladyslipper Lake
- Distance: 7 km as an out-and back hike
- Elevation gain/loss: ~225 metres
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Time needed: Approximately 3 hours
If you visit one lake in Cathedral Provincial Park, let it be Ladyslipper Lake – a glacier-fed, turquoise- aquamarine beauty that is ringed by golden larches in fall. We hiked it on the way to the Rim Trail, but it’s a fantastic hike on its own, and very popular with fishers.
There is the option to hike all around the lake – a distance of around 2 km. The trail on the north side of the lake is faint and unmarked, but some of you might still enjoy it.
Glacier Lake
- Distance: 6-8 km return depending on the route
- Elevation gain/loss: 200-250 m
- Difficulty: Easy
- Time needed: 1.5 – 2hours
I didn’t do the hike to Glacier Lake but I did enjoy the view of it from the Rim Trail. There are several ways to do the hike including a steeper route that takes off from a trail accessed from the south shore of Quiniscoe Lake and an easier one via the valley floor that passes the turn-off to Lake of the Woods and Pyramid Lake. The lake itself is a beautiful deep blue-turquoise colour and looks well-worth a visit.
Stone City
- Distance: About 11.8 km return via Ladyslipper Lake
- Elevation gain/loss: ~613 metres
- Difficulty: Hard
- Time needed: 6-7 hours return
You’ll find Stone City along the Rim Trail, near the intersection with the trail coming up from Ladyslipper Lake. Look for a coarse-grained quartz monzonite rock formation that has never been touched by ice-age glaciers. Stormy mountain weather over the millennia is responsible for any erosion you see.
Giant Cleft
- Distance: 2 km return from Stone City
- Elevation gain/loss: +6m/-96m
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Time needed: About 45 minutes return
In the interests of time – because we were hiking the entire Rim Trail, we stopped about 10 minutes short of the Giant Cleft. It’s an interesting split in the mountain that was formed when softer basalt eroded, leaving a split or cleft in the harder granite.
Goat Lake
- Distance: Approximately 10 km return as an out and back hike
- Elevation gain/loss: +/- 181m
- Difficulty: Hard
- Time needed: 3 – 4 hours
It’s a rugged hike to Goat Lake with lots of up and down. The lake is pretty especially in larch season, and it’s one of the few lakes left unscathed by the forest fire. It’s not very big – but it makes a fine destination for a picnic lunch.
Goat Lake was the first major stop for us on a day where we continued up to The Boxcar and then over to Lakeview Mountain.
What to Pack for Hiking in Cathedral Provincial Park
I would suggest that you pack the following:
- a 25-30 L day pack
- Hiking boots or trail shoes with good support
- Rain jacket
- Insulating layers like this down sweater that packs into a pocket
- Lightweight gloves and a hat
- Ball cap or sun hat
- The 10 hiking essentials
- Hiking poles – I love these collapsible, lightweight ones
- Gaiters, especially early in the season
- Water purification tablets in case you run out of water
- Insect repellent
- Sunscreen and lip balm
Tips for Planning a Visit to Cathedral Provincial Park
- Book well in advance – Cathedral Lakes Lodge is a popular place and sells out quickly in summer. If you have a particular cabin in mind – perhaps with a private washroom and shower – book it as soon as you have your dates.
- Best time to visit – Summer is the main season for hiking and good weather, but I’m very glad we visited the third week of September. We still had sunny days that were cool in the morning but warm by noon and we caught the larches near their peak.
- Getting to the lodge – You can’t drive up to Cathedral Lakes Lodge. You must either book a shuttle which leaves twice daily, or plan to spend a full day hiking to get there. The lodge recommends booking the shuttle two to four months in advance. For all the details on getting to the lodge and the campground, visit Camper Services on their website.
- Planning your hikes – There are plenty of worthwhile hikes in the park, though some require significant elevation gain. Have a look at my suggestions so you can plan your visit ahead of time.
- Snacks – The lodge has plenty of snacks available, including baked goods left over from breakfast – a welcome treat to take along on a hike.
- Pack for variable mountain weather – The lodge sits at 2100 metres and weather in the alpine environment can change quickly, even in summer. Pack layers so you aren’t miserable if the temperature drops and inclement weather rolls in.
- Trail conditions after the Crater Creek wildfire – Cathedral Provincial Park fully reopened in 2026 after extensive restoration work. When we visited in September 2026, we saw how quickly wildflowers had returned to some of the burned areas. BC Parks has assessed and reopened the affected trails, but hikers should still expect extra windfall and uneven conditions in places. Check the most recent park advisories before setting out.
Staying at Quiniscoe Lake Campground
Most people who stay at Quiniscoe Lake Campground do so with a shuttle organized through Cathedral Lakes Lodge. Each group of campers is allowed one large backpack and a large duffel bag per person as well as one cooler per group.
The alternative is to hike up from Ashnola Forest Service Road. There are two viable options and one that is currently closed.
- The Lakeview Trail, accessed 23 km along the Ashnola Forest Service Road, is the most direct. It’s 16 km one-way with 1,300 metres of elevation gain. You need 6-8 hours and need to be prepared for a hot, steep hike.
- The Wall Creek or Centennial Trail is another option. It starts at km 38 on the Ashnola Forest Service Road. Over 20 km, gain 1,000 m of elevation and allow 7-9 hours.
- The third option, the 28-km-long Ewart Creek Trail, is currently closed.
Quiniscoe Lake Campground is a lovely one – and it’s located just 300 metres past Cathedral Lakes Lodge. You’ll find 30 framed-earth tent pads in clusters of three to four, along with 12 picnic tables, 13 fire rings (only use when there isn’t an active fire ban), and four wire mesh food caches – to protect from rodents and birds – but not bears. There are also four pit toilets.
Two other campgrounds – Lake of the Woods and Pyramid Lake – remain closed since the 2023 Crater Creek Wildfire.
Make reservations online through BC Parks, clicking on backcountry to get to the drop-down menu showing Cathedral Parks. Reservations are needed from late-June until mid-September. Outside of peak season, a reservation is not required but you still need to make a backcountry registration and pay the fee. There is also a self-registration cash box at the trailhead. Fees for BC residents are $10 per adult per night and $5 for youth 6-15. Non-residents also pay an extra flat rate of $20.
Campers can purchase alcohol and meals – if booked in advance – at Cathedral Lakes Lodge.
Is Cathedral Lakes Lodge Worth It?
If you want to stay in a heated cabin with hot running water and comfortable beds, along with delicious home-cooked meals, then Cathedral Lakes Lodge is definitely worth it. The cabins are basic, with some having only bunkbeds. But if you’re there to hike, relax by the lake or fish, it’s a wonderful place to spend a few days. I also found the staff and other guests friendly and engaging, which definitely added to the experience.
More Great Things to Do in the Okanagan
- Unique Things to Do in Kelowna in Spring, Summer & Fall – Discover unique things to do in Kelowna including scenic hikes, bike rides, wineries, lake activities, and seasonal adventures in the heart of the Okanagan.
- 27 Things to Do in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia – Plan your trip with this guide to the best things to do in the Okanagan Valley, from wineries and beaches to hiking trails, bike rides, and charming small towns.
- A Guide to 3 Perfect Days in the South Okanagan – A relaxed summer itinerary highlighting wineries, lakes, small towns, and outdoor adventures across the South Okanagan.
- Best Hikes in Vernon, BC: 14 Trails and Scenic Walks – Discover the best hikes in Vernon, BC, from lakeside walks and forest trails to panoramic viewpoints overlooking Okanagan Lake and Kalamalka Lake.
- Okanagan Rail Trail: An Easy Bike Ride from Vernon to Lake Country – Cycle the scenic Okanagan Rail Trail from Vernon to Lake Country, passing Kalamalka Lake’s spectacular turquoise waters, quiet beaches, and inviting spots to stop for a bite along the way.
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