As the winter semester winds down and finals ramp up, some students may be experiencing significant stress. Between work, last-minute assignments or projects, final exams or possibly even graduation, stress may seem like it’s stalking students around every corner. One way to help relieve some stress is to take short stints of physical activity and enjoy the fresh air outside. After all, what good are the rising temperatures doing for us if we’re not outside to enjoy them? Lucky for TRU students, Kamloops is one big hiking trail, with many options to get out and go for hikes of different levels around the city.
On Campus
Located on campus, one of the easiest and most accessible trails for students is the “Upper Study Buddy Loop,” which can be accessed from Lot N or behind the trades and veterinarian buildings. This is the small hill that overlooks the campus, offers a slight elevation gain for students, and can be completed within 45 minutes.
Kenna Cartwright Park
Just behind campus and easily accessible by a 20-minute walk or 5-minute drive is the bottom half of Kenna Cartwright Park. This is an area with many trails that you can take as long or as short as you’d like your hike to be. Featuring routes with varying lengths and inclines that are very accessible, these trails are very popular
The views from one side of Kenna offer a nice look down the valley towards Kamloops Lake and over MacArthur Island. While the other side offers a view of downtown Kamloops, Sahali and the lower parts of Aberdeen.
On the other side of Kenna Cartwright, a 15-minute drive from campus, there are hikes on Mount Dufferin with a steeper incline for those looking for longer hikes that are more uphill than an outdoor walk. Kenna Cartwright has almost 800 hectares of land and over 55 km of trails.
Peterson Creek Park
Peterson Creek Park is near downtown Kamloops, located behind the hospital. Hiking trails run under and then next to Highway 1. Similar to Kenna Wright Park, Peterson Creek has around 100 hectares and about 10 kilometres of trails that allow people to choose their own routes of varying difficulty, as many trails overlap.
Valleyview Nature Park
For those who live farther away from campus, near Juniper Ridge and the Valleyview area, one may find the Valleyview Nature Park. This park, like many others, has many trails on a flat surface but offers a beautiful view of the South Thompson River.
McArthur Island
Over on the North Shore, McArthur Island has the McArthur Island Loop, a 3.2 km flat route that can be walked, run, biked or even roller-bladed, offering views of the river and the entire park.
So next time you feel stressed about your workload, think about taking a short break for some outside exercise and to take in the beautiful scenic routes Kamloops has to offer.