McBride & Robson Valley / Full trip pack
Bell Mountain
- Published distance
- 8-12 kms from campsite depending on destination Trip basis unconfirmed
- Elevation gain
- Not established 307 m listed without identifying Little Bell versus Big Bell endpoint
- Walking time
- 3 hours
- Difficulty
- Moderate There and Back
8–12 km return from the forestry campsite; endpoint varies
Old road leads into alpine meadows; Little Bell and Big Bell are separate objectives beyond the campsite.
1. Getting there and parking
Use Bell Mountain Road off Highway 16 west of McBride and follow the mountain-road approach toward the former forestry campsite and alpine access. Published distances vary by road starting point, with current tourism information describing the upper walking start near road kilometre 17. The lower parking around kilometre 4.5 serves different riding and skiing routes; four-wheel drive is recommended above it. Stop earlier if the road is unsuitable and add the extra road walk to the trip rather than applying the upper-start distance.
Road and vehicle: The club warns that reaching the upper forestry campsite may require four-wheel drive. Starting lower adds a road walk to the quoted upper-start outing.
2. Walking the route
From the upper campsite/start area, follow the old road roughly 2.5 km into the alpine meadows around 1,800 m. Choose Little Bell as the nearer summit, around 1,980 m, or a longer extension west to Big Bell, around 2,160 m. Once in the alpine, the route is not consistently marked, so identify the return line and do not assume every ridge branch leads back to the same road. The published 8–12 km outing range depends on parking and destination. Views span the Cariboo Mountains, Rocky Mountains and McBride valley, but the short access does not eliminate exposure to rapidly changing weather.
- From the upper campsite area follow the old road approximately 2.5 km into the alpine meadows.
- Choose the nearer Little Bell objective or continue west toward Big Bell. The alpine continuation is not consistently marked.
The return
Return to the road and the parking position actually used. The published 8–12 km range depends on the summit and start; it is not one fixed loop.
3. Route map
Published locations only. A complete route line is still needed.
Published locations
Numbered points match the map. Use the role beside each point. A summit or park reference point is not a parking location.
| Place and role | Coordinates | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bell Mountain start point of published trip track (parking unverified) | 53.302930 -120.312880 | Embedded trip-map feature 'Track': first recorded coordinate [-120.31288, 53.30293].
Point extracted from the original public trip map. A track start is evidence of where recording began, not certification of parking, legal access, road suitability or the complete route. RSTBC currently reports summer access closed / road impassable; do not auto-route vehicles to this historical trip point. https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/belle-mt/ |
5. Camping, facilities and seasons
Camping and tenting
The approach begins at an old forestry campsite; the source does not confirm current campsite facilities or booking arrangements.
Season and access
The area is used for hiking and skiing, with snowmobile and ski facilities on the wider mountain. Winter road access and the correct snow route must be established separately; summer upper-road parking is not a guaranteed winter starting point.
Practical details checked 2026-10-17.
Measurement notes
8-12 kms from campsite depending on destination
307 m
Source comparison: Little Bell / Big Bell options; 8–12 km return depending on summit scope. Range spans two summits and cannot be assigned to either without further evidence.
Your trip notes
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