Exploring North and West of Princeton
Northwest towards Merritt
From Bridge Street in Princeton, cross the old one-lane Brown bridge and immediately turn left on Tulameen Avenue. It’s a lovely, narrow, winding 2 lane paved road with scenic views of the Tulameen River, and the old Kettle Valley Railroad (KVR) below, now the route of the Trans Canada Trail. Watch for rock on the road, and the one bad blind spot. After about 18 km., you will arrive at Coalmont, a sleepy little town with only 55 houses, a few mining offices, rental cabins, and of course the Coalmont Hotel and Pub, a favourite “watering hole” in continuous operation since 1911. You’ll get a flavour of the town from the two comical signs as you enter (see the “Pictures” page on our website). It’s certainly worth stopping to look around and meet the “locals”. When you come into town from Princeton, our cabin F.R.E.D., which is one of the twin old Post Offices, is located at 1841 Main St., diagonally to your left when you get to the only Stop Sign in town. If you are in the area, crank (!) on our doorbell and we’ll be happy to take you back to the days when people were friendly and advice was free. We’re still learning about the area, but we’re more than willing to tell you where to go! Your kids can even have a bumpy ride on our antique Beatty Windmill.
While you’re in the area, you will undoubtedly want to continue another 8 km. to the town of Tulameen. The Hudson’s Bay Brigade Trail passed through the area in 1846. At that time it was called “campement des femmes” because the women remained behind while the men trapped and hunted along the trail. During the Granite Creek Gold Rush, the town was a lively retreat for the prospectors. It was known as Otter Flats, and consisted of two hotels, a few stores, a saloon, and a Post Office. In 1901, the name changed again, and the town officially became known as Tulameen. It is the largest town in the area (except Princeton, of course), with about a hundred houses, some shops, an ice rink, two boat launches, fire hall, library, community hall, museum, and the combination general store/post office/liquor store/café. Otter Lake is the centre of recreation in the area, and the Otter Valley Road (also know as the Coalmont Road) which runs North along its Western shore, starts out paved and turns into an “all-weather” 2 lane gravel road after about 8 km. It comes out to meet Highway 5A at Aspen Grove, about 48 km. North of Tulameen, with the last 6 km. being paved again. From there, you can continue North towards Merritt, turn East on the Coquihalla Connector (Hwy. 97A) to Kelowna, or you can go back South on Highway 5A to Princeton. This is a beautiful drive through Otter Valley, and makes a delightful circle tour from Princeton.
About 27 km. North of Tulameen on the Otter Valley Road, the old KVR (now the Trans Canada Trail) crosses the road and disappears to your left towards Brookmere, an old KVR Station, and the remains of the old trestle are still visible. At the 35 km. point, the Brookmere Road is on your left, a typical Forest Service Road (FSR’s are generally speaking good gravel roads, but narrow in spots, and often traveled by heavy trucks). If you take this road, stay left at Angsted Creek Road, and stay left again at Coley Creek Road. When you cross the old KVR right-of-way at about the 15 km. point, turn right immediately, and about a kilometer later, you will see the old Water Tower and a C.P.R. caboose in the town of Brookmere. From there to the Coquihalla Highway (5), the road is an “all-weather” 2 lane gravel road, and then paved, and meets the highway at the Coldwater Exit, just North of the Toll Booths. It is about 27 km. from the Otter Valley Road to the Coquihalla Highway.
From the Coldwater Exit, you can proceed North on the Coldwater Road to Merritt (about 32 km.), or you can turn right just after Kingsvale onto the Kane Valley Road, about 3 km. North of the Exit. The first 3 km. is paved, and then it becomes an “all-weather” 2 lane gravel road. About 9 km. from the Coldwater Rd. there is a road to the right called the Voght Valley Road (see below), which goes back to meet the Otter Valley Road. At the 16 km. point, Cantlon (also called Tillery) Road is on your right, but keep left here also to continue to Highway 5A. It is about 30 km. from Kingsvale to the Princeton-Merritt Highway (5A). At that point, you can either turn left to Merritt (18 km.) or right to Princeton and Kelowna.
If you turn right, about 9 km. later, you will see the turnoff to Aspen Grove and Princeton on your right, or you can take the Coquihalla Connector (97A) to Kelowna (about 103 km). Taking Highway 5A South towards Princeton, 8 km. from the Coquihalla Connector, you will see the Otter Valley (Coalmont) Road on your right, which leads through Aspen Grove and back to Tulameen. If you’ve had enough of gravel roads, you can follow Highway 5A about 63 km. back to Princeton. On the Otter Valley Road, the first 6 km. are paved, then “all-weather” 2 lane gravel, and 11 km. from where you turned off Highway 5A you will see the Voght Valley Road (see below) on your right. Less than 1 km. further, again on your right, is the Brookmere Road, completing the loop. From this point it is about 29 km. of good gravel road and then 37 km. of paved road through Tulameen and Coalmont back to Princeton (78 km. total instead of 63 km.)
The Voght Valley Road runs from the 9 km. point on the Kane Valley Road to just North of where the Brookmere Road joins the Otter Valley Road. It is much like an FSR, relatively narrow and twisty. If you take this route, about 6 km. from the Kane Valley Road, stay right at the Shea Lake FSR. There are several Rec. Sites along the way. It is about 14 km. to where it meets the Otter Valley Road. At that point you can turn left and 11 km. later you will get to Highway 5A or you can turn right and go about 37 km. back to Tulameen. Either route will lead back to Princeton.
Coquihalla Lakes Loop
At the West end of Second St. in Tulameen, go uphill to your right on the Lawless Creek FSR. The road is “all-weather” gravel for about 3 km. and then becomes a typical FSR. The road climbs for 10 km., at times quite steep and twisty. At 14 km. stay left, and again at 16 km. turn left downhill onto the Lawless-Britton FSR. Along this section you will have beautiful views of the treeless summit of Mount Coquihalla. At 32 km. the road becomes the Tulameen River FSR, go straight ahead at this point. The road quality improves to “all-weather” gravel, and at 40 km. becomes paved. Shortly after this, you will cross a cattle-guard and turn right. At the next stop sign, turn left and then immediately keep right onto the Coquihalla Highway (# 5). You can carry on to Merritt, or about 29 km. later, take the Coldwater Road Exit # 256 and go touring again. At the Stop Sign at the bottom of the Exit, you can turn left towards Kingsvale and Merritt, or you can turn right towards Brookmere, Tulameen, Coalmont, and eventually back to Princeton. See the above section for information on those routes.
