The Old Yale Wagon Road

Just beyond the village of Yarrow, where the road meets the edge of Vedder Mountain, lies a quiet piece of local history: the Old Yale Wagon Road.

Built along the higher ground at the mountain’s edge, the road provided a route above the waters of Sumas Lake. Stagecoaches and mail riders once travelled this way, before newer roads replaced it in the early 1900s.

In time, this peaceful stretch of the old road became known as Lovers’ Lane, a name associated with the young couples from Yarrow who came here to walk together beneath the trees.

How To Get There

From the Hazelnut Inn, walk east along Yarrow Central Road and turn south onto Wilson Road. Cross the train tracks, then turn left onto Majuba Hill Road. Continue up the gravel road until you reach the heritage signage and the west end of the trail.

From there, the trail follows the edge of Vedder Mountain eastward. As the village falls behind, the path becomes quieter, winding beneath the forest canopy and along the old mountain road.

If you would prefer to drive, head east on Yarrow Central Road and park right after you cross the train tracks — this is the east end of the trail.

The Forest

The trail passes through a forest of Western red cedar and bigleaf maple, with moss and sword ferns carpeting the damp, north-facing slope. Depending on the season, salmonberries, thimbleberries, and blackberries grow along the edge of the path. Wild yarrow can also be found here — the plant that gave Yarrow its name.

This trail offers a quiet place to wander beneath the trees and is entirely about the time you take and the company you keep along the way.


Trail Overview

International Literacy Day

International Literacy Day has us thinking about the role reading has played in our lives, and in the making of the Hazelnut Inn.

We’ve always loved the way a little bit of ink can take you to another world. Fantasy novels, the journals of explorers, and the stories we kept tucked under our pillows as children have all shaped our imaginations

And our love of reading found its way into the Hazelnut Inn, too. The Under Hill Suite exists because Tolkien once described the comfort of a cozy burrow so vividly we could almost smell the cool earth. The North Star grew from the smudged maps we found at the front of our old adventure novels. And the Copper Crown was shaped by the stories that taught us that courage can prevail even in the face of dragons.

So, wherever you are today, take a little time to pick up a book — a story you’ve been meaning to read, a poem you love, or perhaps something that takes you somewhere entirely new.

And, to all the late-night page-turners out there: Happy International Literacy Day!

The Cartography Of Fantasy: A Librarian’s Guide To The Hazelnut Inn

Geography, as any seasoned librarian or keeper of imaginary maps will tell you, is rarely a simple matter of latitude and longitude. True cartography belongs to the margins — where the lines between reality and fiction wear thin.

The Hazelnut Inn lies somewhere between a boutique retreat and the pages of a fantasy novel. With just three suites, each built around its own story, the hotel feels like a small library of places.

Consider this your field guide.

Volume I: The North Star & The Cartography Of Adventure

In a sensible world, a grand sailing ship would never be found tucked into the side of a tower.

The North Star Suite, however, is built around the Avellana, a sailing vessel that has sailed straight out of an adventure novel. Its mermaid bedposts suggest a voyage that has only paused for the night.

Above, an illuminated map of the solar system stretches across the ceiling. It’s the sort of celestial chart that might inspire a cartographer to search for routes between distant worlds.

Volume II: The Under Hill & The Topography of Comfort

For those who prefer adventures involving considerably less sailing, there is the Under Hill Suite. Here, the journey moves downward, into a subterranean retreat.

Hand-carved stone and heavy, curved timbers give the interior an organic character. This suite is designed for hibernation rather than exploration. It is a place for a pot of tea and an unhurried morning. Close the door and let the rest of the multiverse resolve its own drama.

Volume III: The Copper Crown & the Chorography Of Splendour

Every great library needs a shelf devoted to castles and legendary monarchs. At the Hazelnut Inn, that shelf is the Copper Crown Suite.

Stone arches, weathered ironwork, and a tower soaking tub complete this private royal chamber.

And yet, there are no diplomatic responsibilities or troublesome courtiers. Just the pleasure of temporarily stepping outside ordinary life.

Archival Field Notes for the Wandering Scholar

From a librarian’s perspective, the Hazelnut Inn presents a pleasingly compact collection: three suites, three distinct worlds. And the best part? No perilous crossing of enchanted seas is required. Simply a willingness to believe — at least for a little while — that the lands of imagination might be real.

  • A final word of advice: Exercise caution when opening any books you find in the bedside table. You never quite know which page might lead you to another world entirely.