Updated: West Kelowna’s Mount Boucherie is the remnant of a 60 million year old stratovolcano. Numerous glacial periods have eroded the volcano to produce the landmark that hosts the trails we're exploring in this chapter.

Though there exists mountain-bike and equestrian-friendly trails on the north and south aprons of land surrounding Mt.Boucherie, I’m going to classify everything that I’ll describe in this chapter as hiking-specific. This is due to the existing trail-pitch and slide-slope exposure.

The Boucherie family purchased the mountain and adjacent lands in the 1800’s and farmed lands east of the mountain for many years. The height of land, roads and various nearby businesses carry on the family name.

Mount Boucherie Regional Park covers 36.4 hectares of the mountain and is accessible through Eain Lamont Community Park on its southeastern flank. The park offers vehicle parking and serves as an excellent kickoff point for accessing the trails up and around Mount Boucherie.

In 1992 a forest fire was started by kids playing with matches behind the public school at the western base of the mountain. The blaze consumed 60 hectares of forest on the steep slopes of Mount Boucherie. The remnants of this event are visually evident upon summiting the mountain.

Mount Boucherie is best known for its dacite cliffs - a volcanic rock that forms into hexagonal columnar structures. The circumnavigating trail above the park is the best spot for checking out these geological features.

The Summit Trail - Exit the park on the west end and head left (southwest). Traveling approximately 300m you’ll find yourself near a large water storage unit - look up to your right where you’ll see a steeply ascending trail. This is the main route up from the park. It runs 860m, switch-backing it’s way up to a point near the northeastern summit of the mountain. From the junction, the summit-proper is a mere 150m to your right (northeast). There also exists an 850m long trail to the left of the summit intersection, one which leads to a sub-summit and alternately beyond it, to a steep, loose and challenging trail which leads down and connects with the circumnavigating trail described below.

The Circumnavigating Trail - Seen counter-clockwise; head out 30m from the parking lot and take a right. Follow the well-delineated trail, keeping left until you pop out at the Mount Boucherie Community Complex and school. Make your way in front of or behind these buildings and into the soccer field on the southwest corner of the school. There just beyond the end of the paved path, you’ll find a faint singletrack heading up the mountain. Once you locate this trail and begin your ascent, the route is quite obvious and you’ll not have difficulty staying on-track until you come around and descent into a roughly level area adjacent to East Boundary Rd. There, the trail continues ahead, but you must turn left (east) and begin to ascend. Follow the steep two-track (or singletrack on it’s right) for 890m, where you’ll meet another two-track road. At this point, look left; singletrack resumes. Follow it 700m to the water tower, and just beyond that, your vehicle at Eain Lamont Community Park.

Boucherie Grind - The West-Kelowna Parks Dept. recently completed a brand new (2015) multi-use route up the west flank of the mountain - and it's beauty!

Access this new trail - which replaces the old, extremely steep hiking path on the same aspect, via either of two routes; from the southwest end of the lower soccer field at Mount Boucherie Senior Secondary (which is challenging to find the entrance of) or via a pull off - soon to be a proper parking area - located 1km south of the intersection of Pike Rd. and East Boundary Rd. (on your left as you head south on East Boundary Rd.)   A quick study of the Google Earth files will clear things up for those still unsure of the entry options. 

Vertical: 191m | Length: 5km (Around) | Water: None | Cell: Full