Difficulty: B1
Elevation gained: 580m (1900′)
Key Elevations:
Distance: 5km
Time: 5-6 hours
Season: July to August
Map:
Drive: The Kimbol Lake trail begins near the parking lot at the Nakusp Hot Springs pool.
Trail: To get on the Kimbol Lake trailhead, begin by walking up the old road that continues past the Nakusp Hot Springs pool parking lot. Shortly you will cross Kuskanax Creek on a suspension bridge. Once across the bridge, follow the signs marked “To Springs”, or “To Source”. Take a few minutes to explore the original hot spring development. Old pools, cement foundations and rock walls hint at what once was. Behind the largest pool, a brown 4×4 post marks the beginning of the Kimbol Lake trail.
After a short steep pitch, the trail takes a more moderate grade as it climbs steadily through a tranquil cedar and hemlock forest with an understorey of mosses and shade-loving plants.
About 3 km from the parking lot, the trail crosses a logging road before entering the Kimbol Creek drainage. Look across the valley and see if you can pick out the old growth stand, known as the “Cedar Grove”. As the trail ascends Kimbol Creek the pitch steepens, finally levelling out as it enters a stand of old-growth hemlock and cedar just before the lake. Kimbol Lake is a long narrow lake, squeezed between 2 steep-sided mountains. Fishing can be done from the logs at the north end of the lake or from rock slides. A rough trail extends along the east side of the lake for its entire length.