Hixon & Quesnel / Full trip pack
Quesnel River
- Loop
- 6 km
- Elevation gain
- 120 m Published route measurement
- Walking time
- 3 hrs
- Difficulty
- Easy Loop
loop
This Quesnel River outing starts above the south bank and descends through a utility clearing before following an old riverside road. The described return climbs steeply through a gravel-pit area and uses an upper cycling trail to complete an approximately 6 km loop. Despite the source’s easy rating, a steep embankment and industrial-access uncertainty make it more involved than a maintained city riverside path.
1. Getting there and parking
From Highway 97 in Quesnel, turn east onto Racing Road and continue to Woodridge Road. Turn left and look for the gas-line clearing on the north side of Woodridge, roughly 500 m west of the Racing Road intersection. The older guide uses this clearing for parking and the walking start. Confirm current public access and a safe place to leave a vehicle without blocking utility or gravel-pit traffic; the historical description is not proof that every segment remains open.
Parking: The historic start is a gas-line clearing north of Woodridge Road about 500 m west of Racing Road. Confirm current lawful access around the utility corridor and gravel pit.
2. Walking the route
Head north down the utility clearing from about 627 m elevation to the bench above the river, around 507 m. Turn east onto the old road and follow it alongside the river until it ends. The described loop then climbs a steep approximately 30 m embankment into a gravel pit, crosses that area and takes an old road back toward the starting elevation. An upper cycling trail leads west and then south to the start. If pit access, the embankment or the return connection is closed or unclear, do not improvise through working land; retrace the known riverside approach. Mud can affect parts of the route.
- Descend north through the clearing toward the river bench.
- Turn east along the old riverside road and follow it to its end.
- The described loop climbs a steep 30 m embankment into a gravel pit, then follows another old road back toward the starting elevation.
- An upper cycling trail continues west and south to the original clearing.
The return
The source describes a 6 kmcircuit, but the embankment and gravel-pit connection require present access confirmation. If they are closed or unsafe, retrace the known approach.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Quesnel River named river reference point (not a trailhead) | 52.970556 -122.497778 | BC Gazetteer: Quesnel River | River | 52 58 13 N | 122 29 52 W | WGS84 | mapsheet 93B/16
Official named-feature location, not parking or a verified route start. This point supports regional orientation and area forecasts; road directions and distance-to-trailhead must use a separately verified access point. 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 |
Measurement notes
6 km
120 m
Your trip notes
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