Summit Needle Peak

Make your way to the Zopkios exit (#217) on the Coquihalla Highway (Hwy 5), which is almost exactly halfway between the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan of BC. The trailhead is off the pipeline service road on the opposite side of the highway as the rest stop. The hike can be done in one day, but you can also spend a little more time exploring the mountains by camping overnight on the nearby Flatiron.

The hike up to the base of Needle Peak takes about 2 hours, the first hour it's pretty vertical, with lots of roots and small trees to use as handholds. On particularly soggy days,  the cool drips from the branches overhead that land on your shoulders or run down your neck are welcome relief.

There are many places to stop and rest along the way during the upper half of the hike, where it flattens out some, opens up and becomes much more rocky.

Once at the base of the summit you may be hit with hordes of overly friendly mosquitoes, so be prepared and bring bug spray as well as sunscreen as from here on out the hike is very open. It’s here where you can rest if you’re not willing to do the scramble required to get to the peak. Some dogs can probably make it, but ours, a 35lb Keeshond couldn’t. You’ll spend the next half hour or so summiting the arrow-like peak, scrambling up a good portion to the top. Despite the high-level cloud cover, which you may get at the max elevation of 2092m, the views from the top are worth all the effort, and on clear days the views go on forever.

Something which trail websites probably won't tell you: During peak summer season a food truck selling burgers, hot dogs, and ice cream parks at this highway exit awaiting the appetites worked up by nearby hikers, and truckers on route to their destinations. A much deserved treat after traversing any of the many mountainous peaks that loom above. 

For a good side trip, you can camp out at Tasty Lake.