ABOUT BARNHARTVALE
Barnhartvale is the rural southeast corner of Kamloops, south of Dallas and about 15 to 20 minutes from downtown. Barnhartvale Road runs through the valley past acreages, hobby farms, riding stables and open grassland, with Todd Road and Pratt Road reaching the more built-up western end.
It has been part of the City of Kamloops since 1973, so City zoning and bylaws apply even though it feels like the country. The name comes from Peter Barnhart, a conductor on the first CPR train, and the area was first known as Campbell Creek. Dallas-Barnhartvale Nature Park and the BC Wildlife Park are both close by.
WALHACHIN LISTINGS
Listed by Stonehaus Realty Corp
Listed by eXp Realty (Kamloops)
Listed by eXp Realty (Kamloops)
Listed by Engel & Volkers Kamloops
Listed by Royal LePage Kamloops Realty (Seymour St)
Listed by REMAX Kamloops
Barnhartvale
Area Guide
The practical answers on Barnhartvale, from a REALTOR who works here and has lived rural at Pinantan Lake since 2008.
Contact JeremiaWhere is Barnhartvale?
On the southeast edge of Kamloops, south of Dallas. Barnhartvale Road is the main route through the valley, and Todd Road and Pratt Road reach the more subdivided western part. Downtown is about 15 to 20 minutes by car. Barnhartvale has been inside the City of Kamloops since 1973.
Who lives in Barnhartvale?
Buyers who want land, horses or room for a shop while staying inside city limits, families who want a rural setting with an elementary school close by, and people who work in town but would rather come home to open space. If you want to walk to shops and the university, Sahali is a better fit.
What is the lifestyle like?
Open space and trails. Dallas-Barnhartvale Nature Park has trails, a wetland, a picnic area, washrooms and free parking, with dogs allowed off leash under control. The BC Wildlife Park is nearby on Dallas Drive. The area has riding stables, farms and ranches, and Harper Mountain and Sun Peaks are both within about an hour for skiing.
What are the properties like?
Mostly acreages, hobby farms and horse properties, plus single-family homes on smaller lots toward the western end near Todd Road and Pratt Road. Lot sizes, outbuildings and servicing vary from one property to the next, so each one needs its own homework on zoning, water and septic.
Schools and services
Robert L. Clemitson Elementary serves kindergarten to grade 7. Confirm the elementary and secondary catchment for a specific address with School District 73. Groceries and most services are a short drive toward town. Water and sewer servicing varies across Barnhartvale, so confirm the water source and septic or sewer for each property. The area was on evacuation alert during the 2021 White Rock Lake fire, so wildfire preparedness is part of owning here.
Discover Walhachin
Things to Do & See
Juniper Beach Provincial Park: camping, swimming and fishing
View Activities
Walhachin Oxbows: river and waterfowl habitat by boat
View Activities
Steelhead Provincial Park on Kamloops Lake at Savona
View Activities
Historic Hat Creek: gold rush roadhouse north of Cache Creek
View Activities
WHAT MOST PEOPLE DO NOT THINK TO ASK
In Walhachin and Thompson River Estates the questions are about water, land use and the drive. Find out whether the property is on the community water system, a well or another source. Check the ALR status and TNRD zoning before you plan a second home, a shop or animals. Ask for the septic records and check internet options for the exact address. Many homes here are older, so after 18 years in construction I look at the foundation, the roof and how the home has been updated first. Then look at wildfire: Walhachin was under evacuation order in 2021. I am not a licensed home inspector, and a qualified professional inspection is always recommended before any purchase.
Huxley
Jeremia Huxley is a REALTOR with Stonehaus Realty Corp., based in Pinantan Lake, BC, who specializes in rural and acreage properties around Kamloops, including Walhachin and Thompson River Estates. He has 9 years of real estate experience and 18 years prior experience in construction. He is not a licensed home inspector. Contact: 250-571-0379.
Frequently Asked Questions
Practical answers about buying in Walhachin and Thompson River Estates.
On a bench on the south side of the Thompson River, about an hour west of Kamloops and 28 km east of Cache Creek. Thompson River Estates sits across the river from it.
No. Both are in Electoral Area I of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, so TNRD zoning and services apply.
The TNRD runs the Walhachin Community Water System, which draws from the Thompson River and is filtered and chlorinated. Confirm the water source for any property, especially in Thompson River Estates.
It was settled from 1908 by mostly British families who planted orchards on irrigated benchland. The First World War took most of the young men, and the irrigation flume was abandoned in 1922.
ALR status and TNRD zoning, the water source, the septic records, internet options and wildfire risk. Walhachin was under evacuation order during the 2021 Tremont Creek fire. A qualified home inspection is recommended before any purchase.
REAL ESTATE INSIGHTS
Buying or selling rural property raises questions that city listings never do: wells, septic, who plows the road, what the ALR allows.
The blog takes them one at a time, in plain language, from someone who has lived on rural property since 2008.