Upper Fraser & Sugarbowl / Full trip pack
Hedrick Lake
- Round trip
- 22 km
- Elevation gain
- 349 m Published route measurement
- Walking time
- 6–8 hours one way ; not a 6–8 hour return day hike
- Difficulty
- Moderate There and Back
return from historical Gleason FSR trailhead; approach currently disrupted
Access and trail reports
Gleason FSR washout blocks access
A June 2026 source update reports a complete washout around Gleason FSR kilometre 2, with the creek flowing through the road. The older July 2023 description of vehicle access to kilometre 17.5 is superseded; no reopening was established.
Reported 2026-06 · checked 2026-10-17 · Caledonia Ramblers
Reports describe the cited dates. An expected reopening date does not establish reopened access.
Long forest approach to mountain lake; cabins and canoe are privately owned, not abandoned public facilities.
1. Getting there and parking
The historical approach uses Pass Lake Forest Service Road to the McGregor bridge and then Gleason Forest Service Road to an old spur near kilometre 17.5, with parking about 200 m along the spur. However, a June 2026 report states that Gleason Road is completely washed out around kilometre 2 with the creek flowing through it. The old parking directions are therefore historical access information, not a currently verified drive. Obtain confirmation of repairs or a legitimate alternative approach before planning the hike; do not drive into the washout.
- The historical approach uses Pass Lake FSR to the McGregor bridge and then Gleason FSR.
- Do not assume that the old kilometre-17.5 trailhead is vehicle-accessible: the June 2026 washout near kilometre 2 is reported to carry the full creek flow.
Parking: Historical parking is about 200 m up the old road branching left from Gleason FSR at kilometre 17.5. The club’s June 2026 report places an impassable washout near Gleason FSR kilometre 2, well before this parking.
Road and vehicle: The pre-washout approach recommended an SUV or better. That recommendation does not make the June 2026 washout passable.
2. Walking the route
From the historical upper start, the first approximately 2 km follow an old road. Watch for the left-hand flagged departure onto the actual Hedrick Lake trail, because the old road continues beyond that point. The route can be brushy and requires attention to ribbon markers before reaching the mountain-ringed lake. A rough path on the west shore leads toward possible extensions to Gleason Lake and the plateau, but those are separate, less defined trips. The published 22 km return hiking distance assumes the upper road access; it does not include the additional approach caused by the lower washout.
- From the historical parking, follow the old road for about 2 km.
- Look for the ribbon-marked left turn onto the lake trail; continuing straight stays on the old road.
- The lake trail has brushy sections. The rough west-shore continuation toward Gleason Lake is an additional route, not part of the ordinary Hedrick Lake return.
The return
The source gives 22 km return from the historical start and 6–8 hours for one direction. The reported road washout may prevent access or add a major approach; do not apply those figures unchanged to an alternative start.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hedrick Lake start point of published trip track (parking unverified) | 54.065228 -121.089188 | Embedded trip-map feature 'HedrickLakeMay2025': first recorded coordinate [-121.089188, 54.065228].
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. The Ramblers reports a Gleason FSR washout near2km in June2026; this2025 recorded start must not imply the road is now passable. Source date: 2025 https://hiking.princegeorge.tech/hedrick-lake-in-northern-bc/ |
5. Camping, facilities and seasons
Camping and tenting
The two lake cabins and the canoe are privately owned. The club says to obtain the owner’s permission before using them; their weathered appearance does not make them public facilities.
Season and access
The June 2026 forest-road washout is the controlling access issue until repairs are confirmed. Older 2022–2023 clearing and road reports do not override that later closure of the driveable approach.
Practical details checked 2026-10-17.
Measurement notes
22 km round trip
349 m
Your trip notes
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