The Woden Creek drainage originates from the west side of Valhalla Provincial Park, high above Gwillim Lakes. This headwater is situated in a bowl surrounded by peaks, including Woden, Bor, and Black Prince. Mt. McKean is to the southwest. The Woden trail follows the creek up into the bowl and continues up a boulder field to a ridge overlooking Gwillim Lakes.
This is a good alternative to the Drinnon route to Gwillim Lakes with a shorter drive that avoids the terrible last 2 km of the road to the Drinnon Trail parking area.
Rating.
Difficulty. C2
Distance: 15.66 km round trip.
Elevation: 1,478 m
Key elevations. Trailhead 1390m. Picnic/camp area 1560m. Ridge 2450m
Time: 5-6 hours to the ridge
Season: Early July to early October.
Access: 2WD low clearance. Rough for the last kilometre.
Drive: Drive 4 km south of Burton on Highway 6 and turn left on the Burton FSR.
0.0 km Burton FSR
3.0 km Keep left
5 km. Turn right onto Woden FSR. Stay on the main road, avoiding narrow roads leading off and up to clear cuts.
10.5 km. Cross Woden Creek
11 km. Turn left at a crossroads.
13 km. Left at the fork. Rough for the last kilometre.
18 km. Park.
Trail/Route:
0.0. The first 3.5 km of the route is an easy hike.
3.5 km. 4 tent platforms and a picnic table in an open area in the shadow of Woden, Bor and Black Prince. The trail steepens.
4.5 km. Start on a boulder field that climbs steeply to the ridge. A route is not marked. The final 500 m to the ridge is a bit of a scramble
8 km. The ridge with good views down to Gwillim Lakes. The ridge is saddle-shaped, and a short trail leads down to the lakes.
From the Valhalla Traverse, it’s possible to exit back down to Burton via the Ice Creek Lodge trail.
Thanks to Gary Mentz for providing the trip information.
