Needle Peak

The Coquihalla Summit area's most popular hike, with a ridgewalk, scramble, and small lake all in one.

Statistics

Directions

Drive north from Hope on Highway 5 (Coquihalla Highway) to the Zopkios Ridge rest area (exit #217). Instead of turning under the highway towards the rest area, turn right as though you're heading towards the nearby highway maintenance shed. Look for a small gravel pipe-line service road on your right and park alongside it. The trailhead is off of the pipeline service road, immediately after the small creek next to where you parked.

During the winter months, park at the Zopkios Ridge rest area on the west side of the highway and walk through the underpass tunnel.

Details

A popular year-round destination, Needle Peak offers supurb views of the Coquihalla area and a great hike along a sub-alpine ridge. Although the route to the summit itself requires two sections of scrambling, people who find themselves uncomfortable with the route can alternately follow a secondary route that leads to a small alpine lake.

Starting from the parking area along the pipeline service road, follow the rough road west (back towards Hope)that is below the the highway maintenece yard and cross over a small creek. Immediately after the creek, look for the signed trailhead on your left - it sometimes can be hard to see and the first few meters of it are hidden in bushes. It should be noted that many older guidebooks list the trailhead as being next to the waterfall near the maintenance shed - BC Parks has recently moved the trailhead to it's current location in an effort to bypass the restricted maintenance area.

The initial portion of the trail makes it's way fairly direct through a generally nice, cool section of forest. In the mid-to-late summer months, ripe blueberries line the trail. Snack as you go, or pick a few on your way down for breakfast the next morning!

Approximately 1 km later, the trail begins to make it's ascent to the top of of the ridge. Steep, short switchbacks assist in the climb uphill. Fear not - the entire trail is not this steep, and it should only take the average hiker approximately 45 minutes to reach the top of the ridge.

Continue hiking along the ridge as it gradually gains in elevation. This section of trail is lined with heather, and the occasional gap in the trees offers great views of Needle Peak and it's sharp northern face. As you hike, the trees on the ridge will thin out and the terrain will become much more rocky in nature. Soon enough the trail emerges into the true alpine near the far southern edge of the ridge.

Take your time and relax a bit before deciding what your final destination will be - there are two choices. If you feel up for a bit of easy scrambling, continue along the main trail as it curves left at the end of the ridge and begins climbing towards the summit. Alternately, look for a trail at the end of the ridge on the right-hand side. This lesser-known trail leads down from the ridge and makes an easier climb up to a small alpine lake.

The route to the Needle Peak summit is relatively straightforward. Follow the trail to the left at the end of the ridge, climbing uphill. It's not long before the trail begins to vanish among the large boulders - the best route is to scramble directly up the middle of the ridge - ignore a dangerous trail that initially looks easier but leads up an exposed and loose gully.

The terrain levels out again after the first scramble, passing a few small make-shift "caves" created by the boulders and an extremely small pond. If you're lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of a mountain goat or two nearby. Continue past the tiny pond to the final scramble to the peak itself. The remaining scramble is easier, but there is typically quite a bit of cold wind on most days - this might make the scramble seem a bit trickier than it really is.

The summit provides great views of the Coquihalla area and on clear days you can see all the way to Mount Baker. Immediately before the summit is a slightly sheltered, grassy hollow - it makes for a useful escape from the relentless wind and cold before you climb back down to the ridge.

To reach the nearby lake, turn right (west) at the far end of the ridge, heading in the opposite direction of the scramble to the summit. Although it is not immediately obvious, a well trodden trail leads down to a col in between the Needle Peak ridge and an unnamed mountain informally called "The Flatiron". The trail is fairly easy and has no technical climbing. It's only 1.2 km before you reach the small lake, hidden away on the side of Flatiron Mountain. There are some nice flat areas along the lake suitable for backcountry camping - it's not uncommon to see groups of people heading with overnight packs towards that area.

The summit of Flatiron Mountain can be reached by scramblimg up the rocky hillside above the lake. Although there is no trail past the lake, the route to Flatiron's summit is not technical - just take whatever route looks best. Unlike Needle Peak, Flatiron is a flat, wide mountain and has a bit of exploration potential. The top of the mountain is adorned with a large, black communications tower.

Photographs

GPS Waypoints

Trailhead	N49.59516 W121.12522	10U 635481 5495308
Start of Ridge	N49.59037 W121.13345	10U 634900 5494761
Summit / Lake Trail Fork	N49.56976 W121.13768	10U 634651 5492462
Start of First Scramble	N49.56923 W121.13484	10U 634857 5492409
Start of Second Scramble	N49.57069 W121.12673	10U 635440 5492585
Needle Peak Summit	N49.57124 W121.12513	10U 635554 5492650
Small Lake	N49.56526 W121.14847	10U 633883 5491943