Sunshine Mountain Trail Hike

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Sunshine Mountain Trail is located near Bralorne, BC, which itself can be found 12 km from the end of 103 km-long BC Highway 40, which connects Lillooet with Gold Bridge. This trail has four distinctive parts: an unremarkable hike through a forest, then a neat sub-alpine area, then a dangerous trek across steep and loose-surfaced stretch of the alpine area, followed by a very pleasant nearly flat alpine area close to the peak of Sunshine Mountain.

Unless you are a well-equipped experienced hiker, please limit the hike to the sub-alpine, as the alpine area is a disaster waiting to happen, unless you know what you are doing and have hiking poles and boots. We have all of the above and still managed to fall twice, broke a hiking pole, injured an elbow, and suffered a minor abrasion. The fine views made up for the hurt, but it is a very remote trail, and help will take a long time to arrive should you ever need it.

* All trail distances are based on a GPS odometer and are approximate.

0. Here is a Google Maps location of Sunshine Mountain near Bralorne, British Columbia, Canada.

1. We are at the entrance to Bralorne, BC, with Gold Bridge (a small general store and a seasonal? self-serve gas station) 12 kilometers behind us.

2. Proceed for 1.1 km and turn right onto Lorne Street.

3. 200 meters later, arrive to the beginning of Noel Creek Forest Service Road.

4. At 2.3 km of Noel Creek FSR, there is a split. Turn LEFT. Regular clearance vehicles should be able to make it up to this point, but going further you would need at least medium clearance due to about 10 cross-ditches. 2WD - ok. It's just over 2 kilometers from here to the trailhead.

5. Noel Creek FSR at 3.9 km.

6-7. At 4.3 km, we are almost there. There is a prominent bump at this point, and long wheelbase vehicles with insufficient clearance might get high-centered.

8. At 4.4 km from the start of Noel Creek Forest Service Road, we arrived to Bralorne Powder Club clubhouse, and Sunshine Mountain Trail trailhead (on the right side out of frame). Coordinates: N 50⁰45.318' W 122⁰47.493'. Elevation: 1,450 meters.

Here is our video of driving on Noel Creek FSR from start to finish.

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9. Turning left, there is a bench and a picnic table with a very fine view.

10. Bralorne Powder Club clubhouse. To the side of it is a pit toilet and a mountain bike trail (rated black diamond).

11. Looking back at the main door after entering the clubhouse.

12. Now looking the other way.

13-14. Straight ahead is a balcony with a fine view.

15. Just by the balcony is a staircase to the attic.

16-17. There is also a kitchen area on the ground floor.

Here is our video of inside and outside Bralorne Powder Club clubhouse.

More ihikebc videos are on our YouTube Channel.

18. Another exterior view of Bralorne Powder Club clubhouse. Noel Creek FSR is to the right, and Sunshine Mountain Trail trailhead is seen straight ahead.

19. Here it is. Motorcycle tracks go all the way to the alpine. The trail is too narrow for ATVs after a few hundred meters.

20. Looking back at 30 meters of Sunshine Mountain Trail.

21. With much zoom, we see Bralorne, BC.

22. Quite a muddy spot at 240 meters. Likely a mini-swamp earlier in the season.

23. At 280 meters of Sunshine Mountain Trail, approaching a T-junction.

24. Ten meters later, here it is. Turn right.

25. Ten meters after turning right at the T-junction.

26. Now at 1.24 km of Sunshine Mountain Trail. A pleasant, if unremarkable, hike in the forest with steady elevation gain.

27. At 1.57 km now. Prominent motorcycle tracks.

28. At 2.25 km of Sunshine Mountain Hike, the forest ends, and the sub-alpine begins. Coordinates: N 50⁰44.470' W 122⁰46.885'. Elevation: 1,895 meters.

29. At the 2.46 km mark of the trail.

30. Now at 2.73 km.

31. Looking back at 2.80 km of Sunshine Mountain Trail near Bralorne, British Columbia, Canada.

32. Looking ahead 40 meters later. Motorcycle tracks are still here.

33. Looking back at 2.93 km.