If you are looking for a little hiking diversity this spring or summer, consider the Mountain Goat Trail in Okanagan Mountain Park.

This trail, on the east side of Okanagan Lake, is aptly named. It starts off at the south parking lot, accessible from Chute Lake Road north of Naramata, and climbs steadily through semi-open timber to Divide Lake, just east of Okanagan Mountain summit.

In keeping with the park's role to conserve the wilderness experience, the trail has no graveled pathways and no toilets along the way. It is unsuitable for mountain bicycles and a challenge to skilled horsemen on skilled horses. It is a steady climb up and around granite bluffs, over boulders and between trees.

The B.C. Parks map for Okanagan Mountain Park says the trail is 4.7 km long and a three hour hike -- one way. Although I would never suggest that the map-maker stretches the truth, you might add another half an hour if you're over 40. You can also count on one half to three quarters of that time for the return trip.

Although Divide Lake is a cool, clear spring-fed lake at an elevation of 1,500 metres (4,900 feet), carry plenty of water. For a mid-summer jaunt up the Mountain Goat Trail, plan on carrying at least one litre of water per hiker. There are no trustworthy creeks along the way--in fact, most of the creek beds are likely to be bone dry. Because of the wildlife in the park, the water could be unsafe even if it is flowing.

If this preamble hasn't frightened you off, you are probably tough enough to enjoy this hike. Among the reasons to consider it is the relatively short distance from your vehicle to the heart of Okanagan Mountain Park. Add to that the opportunity for a cool, private swim in an upland tarn. An additional reason to make the climb is the relatively easy access to Baker and Norman lakes. Both lakes are excellent for fishing for pan-sized trout and are downhill from Divide Lake (although you'll have to climb back up before you can head back to the parking lot).

From a naturalist's or photographer's perspective, getting there is half the fun. The trail starts off in a damp upland environment with evergreens, alder and vine maple shading queen's cup, thimbleberry and star-flowered Solomon's seal. Oregon grape shrubs grow profusely at all elevations along the trail. As you climb away from Chute Creek, the growth reflects the drier climate. White bunchberry blossoms, columbine and lupines add color to the slopes in early summer, later replaced by the red bunchberries and black huckleberries that could add a dainty touch to your bannock.

Not everyone thinks of food when they hike--poor souls. If scenic views turn you on, you'll be able to catch a few glimpses Giants Head Mountain and the south end of Okanagan Lake. Divide Lake, however, is the real beauty up here. It is a steep-sided mountain crevice filled with cool, clear green water. It will take you about fifteen minutes to walk the length of the lake, skirting the six-metre cliffs that make up the east shore. You may find a few ledges suitable for sunbathing or fishing, but you won't find a beach. There are, however, a few picnic tables, a pit toilet and a fine old cabin which, when we last visited it, had no doors.

Additional information on Okanagan Mountain Park is available from Okanagan Trips & Trails: A guide to Backroads and Hiking Trails in BC's Okanagan/Similkameen, British Columbia travel information centres or BC Parks, PO Box 399, Summerland, B.C. V0H 1Z0