Lillooet is a small town on the Fraser River, four hours North of Vancouver. It is surrounded by beautiful rugged mountains with plenty of possible hiking trails. The town’s slogan is “guaranteed rugged.” It’s a pretty good slogan for a town that makes such a great base for adventures. I’ve listed ten hikes and sights that we loved when we visited Lillooet so you can have a fabulous trip too.

Lillooet has a interesting history. It is one of the oldest towns in BC and used to be the largest city west of Chicago when it was the supply hub for the Cariboo Goldfields. If you are a history fan, then you can explore using the Golden Miles of history tour. There are notices all around the town (you can them all here…)

Seton Lake Lookout

Hike distance: 1.3 km
Elevation gain: 80m
Seton Lake Lookout is a super short trail to a fabulous viewpoint above Seton Lake. It is also known as Lulu Lookout because the bend in the road looks a little like the lulu lemon logo.

Seton Lake beach

Seton Lake has a beach at the eastern side with a day-use area for picnicking, boating and fishing. It’s not busy, and the views are lovely.

If you come back in the evening, it is also a lovely spot to watch the sun set.

Naxwik park

Hike distance: 1-1.5 km
Elevation gain: Minimal
Naxwik park has a picnic area and some short trails along salmon spawning channels next to massive granite cliffs. If you’re lucky you might see mountain goats on the cliffs.

See the salmon run – Seton Creek

Hike distance: 1-1.8 km
Elevation gain: Minimal
There are some easy trails along the edge of the Seton Creek Spawning Channels. It is a great location to see the salmon run in the late summer/early fall. Even if it is not time for the salmon, it is a beautiful spot for bird watching.

Lillooet Grind viewpoint

Hike distance to first viewpoint: 4 km
Elevation gain: 230m
There are two points you can hike to just above Lillooet along the Red Rock Trail. If you fancy a quick walk, just hike to chairs, 2km along the trail.

Red Rock Trail

Hike distance to first viewpoint: 8 km
Elevation gain: 550m
If you keep going, there is an even better viewpoint at the Red Rocks. This is the most popular trail near Lillooet. It’s steep, but satisfying.

Miyazaki House

Miyazaki House was the home of Dr. Masajiro Miyazaki (built in 1887 by the Phair family.) Dr Miyazaki sounds like a cool adventure doctor! From the Lillooet website: “He efforts to get to remote reserves to attend First Nations patients were often heroic and he is credited with saving many lives.”

Fraser River Lions Trail

Hike distance to first viewpoint: 4.8 km
Elevation gain: 120m
There is a pretty trail along the edge of the Fraser River along by Lillooet. The Fraser river transports 20 million tons of sediment from BC’s interior to the Georgia straight. That is what gives the river its colour and makes the soil so fertile here.

Learn about Camels(!)

In 1862, John Calbreath brought 23 camels to Lillooet to help carry heavy loads along the trails during the Gold Rush. The camels ate miners clothes, kicked anyone who came near them, and were generally grumpy and ungovernable. In the end, they were set free to roam where they pleased. Some died in winter storms, some were eaten for meat, but one “the Lady” survived on a farm until 1896. Now, the bridge over the Fraser River has been named the Bridge of the 23 Camels, and you can even find pictures of camels on the local wine.

Wine Tasting in Lillooet

You can visit Fort Berens Estate Winery for a meal (in the summertime) or for wine tasting. The winery is in a beautiful location and the wines are tasty.

Camelshoof Peak and Fire Lookout

Hike distance: 11.5 km
Elevation gain: 820 m
I saved the best for last – we absolutely LOVED the hike up the southernmost summit of Camelsfoot Mountain range to Camselshoof Peak and fire lookout.

If you are planning to visit Lillooet, hopefully these 10 hikes /places to visit will allow you to see the best of this lovely area. I love that the rocky mountainsides seem so rugged; But there are easy options as well as the more challenging hikes.