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northward.NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
Hikes · Wells, Barkerville & Bowron · Wells / Barkerville

Yellowhawk Trail

Yellowhawk climbs from the Bowron Lake Road through forest into the open ridges near Greenbury and Mount Murray. It can serve a shorter ridge outing, a Murray summit approach or one side of a traverse to Jubilee. Those choices have different endpoints; the route’s headline distance should not be applied to every alpine extension.

Sources reviewed . This is a research date, not a trail inspection.

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Distance
8.4 kmRound trip
Elevation gain
604 mPublished route measurement
Walking time
3 - 5 hours
Difficulty
HardThere and Back

Map & elevation

Opening the map…

Partial elevation profile

Mapped portion · walking direction unconfirmed · 3.29 km

This chart covers only part of the route. It does not establish the full hike or a return journey.

Elevation along one mapped source section; direction is not an established walking itinerary1250 m1525 m1800 m0 km0.8 km1.6 km2.5 km3.3 km
Explore the elevation with the chart or slider.
Coverage and elevation sources

3.29 km along source section 1 of 1, in its mapped direction. Approximate 90 m terrain model along this mapped section. Separate sections are not joined. This chart does not measure total trail ascent or establish current access; use the guide’s published outing measurements.

Copernicus GLO-90 terrain elevations via Open-Meteo (CC BY4.0); linework: Open Government Licence – British Columbia · checked 2026-10-18 · CC BY4.0 elevation data; Open Government Licence – British Columbia linework. Copernicus DEM 2021 GLO-90 via Open-Meteo. Linework source: https://delivery.maps.gov.bc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/whse/bcgw_pub_whse_forest_tenure/MapServer/9. Sampled and rounded for display.

Official recreation project linework; may contain multiple trail sections or historic alignments, not a verified complete hike. Government recreation-project geometry is an overview reference. It may contain branches or historic alignments; current access and a continuous navigable itinerary are not established. Line source (opens original source).

Getting there & parking

From Quesnel, take Highway 26 east beyond Wells and turn onto Bowron Lake Road toward the provincial park. Keep left at the early fork, where the right-hand road heads toward Likely. The older club description places Yellowhawk parking on the right at kilometre 3.2; the local trail society places the trailhead around 3.5 km. Use the current trail sign and parking entrance to resolve the small discrepancy. Jubilee, the other Murray approach, is farther along Bowron Lake Road at approximately 6.3 km.

Map position: 53.10627, -121.48860 · recreation project location. Source-published recreation project point; not verified parking or trailhead.

On the trail

Follow the forest path uphill, negotiating roots and switchbacks as it gains the alpine. A branch toward Waverly leaves before the Greenbury summit area; identify the intended ridge before continuing. The longer line proceeds toward the Murray ridge and an old cabin location. Mount Murray’s summit and a descent by Jubilee are additional route choices, with faint or unmarked alpine sections. For a simpler outing, select a clear turnaround on Yellowhawk and retrace the ascent; a Jubilee finish requires a shuttle or extra road walking.

Terrain: alpine.

Distance and elevation source notes

8.4 km

604 m

Conditions & seasons

Alpine route also used by skiers; winter conditions require separate assessment.

These are dated research notes. Open the trip planner for current available weather and advisory feeds; no alert found does not establish that a trail or road is open.

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Camping & overnight plans

On-route camping permission has not been established for this outing. Check the relevant land manager before planning an overnight stay; a mapped lake, cabin or previous tent location does not confirm permission.

Photos of Yellowhawk Trail

A photograph with confirmed reuse permission has not yet been added to this guide.

Original photo galleries

These galleries stay on their photographers’ original websites.

Take this guide with you

Choose a trip pack or an available individual sheet for your map case.

Full trip packDirections, planning notes & available mapsTopographic mapSource lines and published locationsPartial elevation sheetMapped portion only; not a complete outingSave offline guideDownload a copy to your device
Sources, dates & research notes

Descriptions are written for this guide from the linked evidence. Source review dates, published reports and field observations can differ. Photographs and route lines retain their own attribution and reuse terms.

  1. https://caledoniaramblers.ca/trails/yellowhawk-trail (opens original source)
  2. https://delivery.maps.gov.bc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/mpcm/bcgwpub/MapServer/404 (opens original source)
  3. https://open-meteo.com/en/docs/elevation-api (opens original source)
  4. https://delivery.maps.gov.bc.ca/arcgis/rest/services/whse/bcgw_pub_whse_forest_tenure/MapServer/9/query?objectIds=45440&outFields=FOREST_FILE_ID%2CRMF_SKEY%2CSECTION_ID%2CPROJECT_NAME%2CRETIREMENT_DATE%2CLIFE_CYCLE_STATUS_CODE%2CFILE_STATUS_CODE%2COBJECTID&outSR=4326&returnGeometry=true&f=geojson (opens original source)
  5. https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/7fcb21f7-e51c-4342-a5e1-445a6c42128e (opens original source)
  6. https://open-meteo.com/en/licence (opens original source)
  7. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (opens original source)
  8. https://wellstrails.ca/seven-summits/ (opens original source)
Details still being researched
  • dogs
  • accessibility
  • camping

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