Hiking in the Okanagan

We discovered that there are lots of opportunities to hike around Kelowna with a variety of different levels of difficulty. Between provincial and regional parks you have a great variety of trails and difficulty.

Bear Creek Provincial Park: (West Kelowna)

This was a small park that is an easy trail with stairs and a hill to climb. Great views of Okanagan Lake, the trail was busy with families and dog walkers,  it was Easter Sunday when we did the walk. Below the trails is a very nice provincial campground that was full of R.V.'s.

Shannon Lake Regional Park: (West Kelowna)

This small park and is easily accessible.  This is a great spot for people to trout fish.  There were lots of people fishing from the shore or the small pier.  Walking here is not very strenuous and is disability accessible.

Spion Kop Hiking Trails: (Lake Country)

View of Wood Lake

North of Kelowna there is an area where the hikes can be easy or more challenging.  This is Spion Kop Hiking Trails. The area is surrounded by new houses but you can escape and feel far away from everyone. The lower trail follows a bench and over looks Wood Lake.  There are two underpasses that you use to walk the trail across highway 97.  The area has excellent signage so that you don't get lost.

Map and Trail Markers

Mission Creek Regional Park and Trails (Kelowna)

This is in central Kelowna and an excellent area for a walk.  You can choose a flat trail along the river and go for miles or walk the hill and visit the numerous small lake within the park. A great area to take children or walk the dog. There are numerous access points along Mission Creek but if you start at Springfield and Durnim there is the EECO Centre that you can explore. If you are visiting in the fall check out the spawning channel for Kokanee Salmon.

Knox Mountain (Kelowna)

This is a great location to get views of downtown Kelowna and Okanagan Lake. For the energetic you can walk to the top of the mountain or for the less athletic take a drive to the top when the gate opens.  There are several trails that traverse the mountain.  At the top you can also choose several different directions.  A park caretaker lives at the top. The day we walked the top there were six deer grazing up the hill behind the pavilion.  We also saw interesting birds living in the forest.

Gellatly Heritage Regional Park (West Kelowna)

Okanagan Lake

This is not a very big park but there is a nice pebble beach on Lake Okanagan.  You can walk around this hazel nut farm and learn about the Gellantly Family and their influence on the history of the area.

Hazel Nut Trees

Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park (Kelowna)

There are lots of trails in this park and there is good signage. You can pick up a map at the Visitors Center in downtown Kelowna. You enter the parking are off of Stewart Road East. There is an interperative trail that helps visitors learn more about the area. This is a multi use area for hiking, biking and horses.  When we visited the area is so large that we never met anyone else on the trails we walked.  There are great views of Okanagan Lake once you make the climb up the mountain.  The area was touched by the 2012 fire that threatened Kelowna. You can experience first hand how the earth rejuvenates itself after a fire.

Forest is Rejuvenating

Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) Trestles

Were not accessible at this time of the year. But this would be an awesome area to hike or bike along the old trestle bridges.  This is a must for our next visit.