Wells, Barkerville & Bowron / Full trip pack
Mount Agnes
- Round trip
- 20 km
- Elevation gain
- 740 m Published route measurement
- Walking time
- 5–6 hours as published
- Difficulty
- Unconfirmed
round trip to Mount Agnes summit per WATS; distinct from Groundhog Lake-only outing
Mount Agnes adds a summit above Groundhog Lake to the long approach from Barkerville. The local trail society lists around 20 km return and 740 m of elevation gain, compared with the shorter lake-only trip. Historic roads, a high lake and an alpine ridge make this a varied day, but the upper mountain should be planned as a separate objective rather than an automatic continuation from the cabin.
1. Getting there and parking
Follow Highway 26 from Quesnel through Wells to Barkerville and park in the historic town’s visitor parking area. Use the visitor centre or the designated trail-transit entrance according to current operating arrangements. Continue along the main street toward the Richfield courthouse, then take the Cariboo Waggon Road uphill toward Summit Rock. Follow the Groundhog Lake signs from there. Check current Barkerville access arrangements before an early start or a visit outside the site’s operating season.
2. Walking the route
Walk the historic road and signed lake approach to Groundhog Lake. The trail society describes two summit approaches: turn right toward the ridge on the lake’s west side, or go left at the cabin along the Van Winkle trail before climbing onto the east ridge of Agnes. Choose one using the steward’s map and identify the point where it leaves the lake route. Continue to the summit cairn, then return by a known line to the lake and Barkerville. The public overview does not specify every upper fork or a marked connecting loop, so do not improvise a descent merely because another ridge looks shorter.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Agnes official named mountain reference point (not a trailhead) | 53.001944 -121.564167 | BC Gazetteer exact feature: Agnes, Mount, mapsheet93H/4, 53 00 06 N, 121 33 51 W, datumWGS84. This is the named mountain reference location, not parking, a hiking start or a verified summit approach. Source date: 2026-08-12 https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/d92224ee-03ef-4904-be53-b677d8e01ac4/resource/69738aa8-2cc0-4975-aec6-4dc2e30990bf/download/bc-gazetteer-2026-08-12.csv |
5. Camping, facilities and seasons
Camping and tenting
Groundhog Lake has a rustic cabin described in older hiking accounts. Current occupancy, booking and surrounding tenting rules were not established in the reviewed sources; do not plan a summit day around guaranteed cabin space.
Your trip notes
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