Dilworth Mountain Park

Dilworth Mountain is the ridge that rises out of the middle of Kelowna, and the City's park on its crest gives you, in its own words, some of the best vantage points in the city — about 1,000 feet above the valley floor, with downtown Kelowna and Okanagan Lake spread out to the west, the Kelowna Golf and Country Club directly below, and the mountains beyond the lake. The payoff comes cheaply: park in the lot off Chilcotin Crescent and the lookout trail is a short, easy walk, while the gentle Dilworth Ridge Trail loops the top of the mountain for about 2.6 km on gravel through meadows and pockets of forest, passing one lookout after another and the distinctive hoodoo formations on the mountain's flanks. It is a neighbourhood park as much as a viewpoint — there is a small playground for kids, and dogs are welcome on leash on the trails — which makes it an easy sunset stop between dinner downtown and home. One caution: in periods of extreme wildfire risk the City closes the lookout area, so check the park's page in high summer before you head up. Parking is free.