Take a flat stroll through the village along Chase Creek or head into the backcountry to get up close and personal with Mother Nature in the wilderness.
A pedestrian underpass at the Chase Plaza lets hikers safely cross the Trans-Canada Highway to the Mt. Scatchard Switchback Trails south of town. Originally intended for railway construction, the gentle grades make for a pleasant walk (rated 'Easy') to vantage points with excellent views of Chase, Little Shuswap Lake and the Three Sisters waterfalls (formerly called Chase Creek Falls). Recently renamed, the falls now commemorate the daughters of Whitfield Chase, namesake of the village.
For a lower elevation look at the Three Sisters (Chase Creek Falls), walk along the creek bank from the parking lot of the Chase Creek Rest Area on the Trans-Canada Highway. The trail is quite level and it's only about a five-minute walk to the falls. Back in the parking lot, look up at the steep mountainside for a likely sighting of the Rocky Mountain Bighorn sheep that live in the area.
Skmana Trails
In winter the Skmana Cross Country Ski Club maintains 15km/9.3mi of trails around Skmana Lake, only 14km/8.7mi north of the village centre. The rest of the year these trails are great for hiking. Stroll the very easy 4.5km/2.8mi path that circles the lake or work a little harder and explore the remaining trails on old logging roads that climb through the hills. Maps are posted at intersections.
Park Trails
The boat-access-only Copper Island trail in Shuswap Lake Provincial Park provides a good look at two quite distinct ecosystems and beautiful views. But the best provincial park hiking is at Roderick Haig-Brown, 15km/9mi northeast of Chase. Near the mouth of the Adams River where it empties into Shuswap Lake, four trails totaling 8km/5mi provide an easy, level stroll and in October, excellent opportunities to watch spawning sockeye salmon.
To the north, there are another 18km/11mi of trails, rated easy to moderate. Some follow the shoreline of the river toward its source in Adams Lake past rock faces with Aboriginal pictographs and above the canyon with its white water rafters. The Flume Trail branches off along Bear Creek for a look at a historic log flume. Along with the sockeye salmon, wildlife along the river includes whitetail and mule deer, black bears, river otters, beaver and mink. Keep an eye in the sky for eagles.
For more information about where to hike around Chase, head to the Visitor Centre.
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