Potato Hills FSR to Mount McLean Summit — Lillooet Highlands

Mount McLean looms above Lillooet at nearly 8,000 feet, and the FSR network clawing up its flanks is the kind of route that separates capable rigs from wishful thinking. You leave pavement on the edge of town and immediately start climbing through dry ponderosa pine and bunchgrass terrain on loose shale and embedded rock. The upper switchbacks tighten hard — some barely wide enough for a full-size truck — and a section of exposed shelf road near the sub-alpine zone will test your nerve if you’ve got any drop-off anxiety. Views of the Fraser Canyon, the town of Lillooet, and the Camelsfoot Range to the northwest open up fast and don’t let go.

This is a Difficult route minimum — experienced drivers with a lifted, lockers-equipped 4×4 will feel at home, but stock rigs will scrape and struggle on the rocky upper pitches. Bring full-size spare and recovery gear. The FSR is typically snow-free from late June through October; after rain, the shale turns greasy and the road becomes a different animal entirely. No permit required. Fuel in Lillooet before you go — there’s nothing out here. Cell service drops to zero within a few kilometres of the pavement.