Mountain Hiking Trails South Western and Okanagan regions British Columbia, Canada

Penticton Mountain Trails- Mahoney Lake to Hawthorne Mountain

Approximately 22 KM (13.7 miles) from Penticton, British Columbia. Hiking time round trip- 5.5 to 6 hrs allowing for stops. Round trip roughly 6.5 KM (4 miles), elevation gain-414M (1353 feet). Best time is usually June to September.

Directions: From Penticton drive 19.8 KM (12.3 miles) south on highway 97 to Okanagan Falls. Turn right just before the bridge going into Okanagan Falls onto Green Lake Road. Follow Green Lake Road for 7.5 KM (4.7 miles) past Green Lake to Mahoney Lake. There is a small area on the east side of Green Lake Road at the north end of Mahoney Lake where one can park. Do not block the fence gate. On the west side of the road there is an entry point through a metal gate that heads down towards the north end of Mahoney Lake. A trail that leads to Mount Hawthorne starts right after the cattle crossing and heads north west. This trail is very hard to follow and often disappears where it is overgrown or crosses meadows. The markers are a combination of ribbons and small stone piles with considerable distance between them. It can be just as difficult following the trail on the way back. Using a GPS and marking waypoints is recommended. It could be easy to get lost. The trail is very scenic starting with a good view of Mahoney Lake as one climbs heading north west. The trail comes out onto a long ridge providing views to the west of the White Lake Area and the Observatory. The trail heads north through a series of meadows and crosses several ravines. Eventually a high point can be seen which is reached through a series of meadows. The trail disappears in the meadows so one just locks in on the high point. Once at the high point (Mount Hawthorne) there is excellent views to the west of the Observatory and towards the east of various lakes. The photos below show the route.

GPS Data: Right click on link to bring up menu to download (save) file.