Viewpoints in the Okanagan
43 outdoor destinations for viewpoints across the Okanagan Valley.
Lookouts, ridgelines and summits with the lake and valley spread out below.
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Anarchist Mountain Lookout
The Anarchist Mountain Lookout is the South Okanagan's great reveal. As Highway 3 climbs out of Osoyoos toward Rock Creek in a series of switchbacks, a signed pullout on the big hairpin turn opens onto the whole picture at once: the town on its sand spit, Osoyoos Lake stretching south across the border into Washington toward Oroville, the vineyards and desert benches of the valley floor, and the mountains stacking up on either side. It is a free, drive-up stop — no trail, no facilities, just a small roadside pullout with room for a handful of cars — and the one thing to know before you go is the approach: the pullout sits on a divided section of the hairpin, so you can only turn into it when travelling eastbound (uphill, away from Osoyoos). Westbound drivers should continue to a safe turnaround and come back up. Sunset is the classic time, when the lake goes gold and the lights of Osoyoos come on below. The lookout is also a stop on the BC Bird Trail, with soaring raptors and Lewis's woodpeckers among the birds to watch for. If you want a picnic, the Ministry of Transportation's Anarchist Mountain rest area with picnic tables and a pit toilet is about 3.7 km further up the highway.
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Bear Creek Provincial Park
Bear Creek gives you 400 metres of coarse-sand beach on the west side of Okanagan Lake, across the water from Kelowna, with a buoyed swim area and the kind of facilities that make a long day easy: a change house, accessible flush toilets, a concession and a dozen shaded picnic tables. An 80-vehicle lot handles the summer traffic. Dogs are not allowed on the beach and there are no lifeguards. The campground operates from March 20 to October 12, 2026. Behind the beach is one of the Okanagan's best-loved provincial campgrounds: 143 sites, 55 of them with electrical hook-ups, with hot showers, flush toilets, well water, a sani-station and fire rings, and reservations required through BC Parks in the peak season (first-come outside it). The one-hour Bear Creek Canyon Trail loops above the creek to viewpoints over the canyon and the lake to Knox Mountain, and the cottonwood delta is alive with swallows, hawks and, after dark, owls and coyotes.
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Big White Ski Resort
Big White is the Okanagan's big mountain resort, up the road from Kelowna and open year-round. It is the second-largest family ski resort in British Columbia — 2,834 acres of patrolled terrain, one of Canada's largest modern lift systems and more than seven metres of the champagne powder behind its motto, 'it's the snow' — and from December 18 it also runs the largest night-skiing operation in Western Canada, lighting the Bullet Express and Plaza Chair for 38 acres and the longest night vertical in North America, with TELUS Park lit on Friday and Saturday nights. Free Snow Host mountain tours leave the Village Centre every morning at 10:15, and for the 2026/27 season Happy Valley's beginner area gains Polar Passage, a new covered conveyor lift with expanded teaching terrain. Happy Valley is also where the rest of Big White's winter lives: the Tube Park, Canada's highest outdoor skating rink, 25 kilometres of Nordic and Wilderness trails, the illuminated Twinkling Trail, Candle Creek Kennels' dog-sled tours, Outback's snowmobile tours and the horse-drawn sleigh rides — each with its own page on Okanagan Roam. The 2026/27 season runs November 26, 2026 to April 4, 2027. In summer the mountain turns into a bike park — downhill trails, the Big White Slopestyle Centre and a beginner skills area — with scenic rides on the Bullet Chair, e-bike tours and a real alpine hiking network: the 4.5 km Rhonda Lake Trail drops from the top of the chair through spruce and pine to a lake hidden under the Cliff bowl (about an hour one way, 456 metres of elevation), the 1 km Peak Trail loops along the Cliff Bowl rim to the summit cairn in 45 minutes, the 4 km Falcon Ridge Trail climbs the face of the mountain past wildflower streams to a scramble at the saddle, and the short, steep Jamieson Loop finds the last of the winter snow. The resort suggests three hours for the classic loop up Falcon Ridge and down to Rhonda Lake, backed by its wildflower and bird field guides. Hikers ride the chair until 4 p.m. (6 p.m. on Fridays), and dogs are welcome on the lift and must be leashed on the trails. The resort lists driving, parking and EV charging among its free amenities, offers overnight RV parking in summer, and runs shuttles from Kelowna and the airport.
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Brent Mountain Trail
Brent Mountain is the alpine summit above Apex, and the Brent Mountain Trail climbs roughly 5 km through the Brent Mountain Protected Area with 444 metres of elevation gain to the 2,203-metre top, where an unused fire lookout stands in a 360-degree view of the Coast and Monashee ranges and the Okanagan; BC Parks says the trail is well marked and to allow four to five hours return. The main parking area is about 8 km up the Shatford Forest Service Road from Apex Mountain Road; a high-clearance vehicle is recommended and the road carries active logging traffic. There are no facilities, so treat any water. Pets and domestic animals must be on a leash at all times.
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Camel's Hump
Camel's Hump is the two-humped mountain you see looking east from Lumby, the core of a volcano about 40 million years old, and Tourism Vernon rates the 5.5 km trail Difficult. The hike starts with 1.1 km along the road from the parking area, then climbs close to 200 metres through forest to the first hump and its viewpoint, drops about 75 metres into the saddle, and scrambles up a small rock face to the second summit, where the trail circles a rocky ridge with views over Lumby and Lavington, north to the Mabel Lake valley and SilverStar, and east to the Monashees before returning the same way. Access is by forest service road: from Highway 6 east of Lumby turn onto Creighton Valley Road, then Clier Lake Forest Service Road, then Camel's Hump Forest Service Road, staying left to the parking area 5 km in. Dogs must be leashed under the regional dog-control bylaw.
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Carmi Recreational Trails
The Carmi Recreational Trails are a loop network on the plateau east of Penticton, maintained as a recreation site by Recreation Sites and Trails BC, with the Okanagan View Loop as the main outing: 7 km of packed gravel rated moderate, with a warming hut, benches and a vista point at its northwest corner. The Carmi Loop is an easier 3 km circuit. The trails are used for hiking and mountain biking in summer and snowshoeing in winter. The Garnet Fire Interpretive Site parking lot — 6.2 km up Carmi Avenue and 2.3 km on Beaver Dell Road — has an outhouse, a kiosk and two picnic tables, and there are no fees; a second access is 4 km up the Ellis Forest Service Road. The provincial recreation-site rules ask you to keep pets quiet and under control at all times; no leash rule is published for this site.
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Coldstream Ranchlands Trail
The Coldstream Ranchlands Trail is a 6.85 km loop on Vernon Hill above Coldstream Valley Estates, rated Difficult by Tourism Vernon, that zigzags through grasslands and forest to a high point of 1,011 metres — 324 metres of climbing — with views over Okanagan Lake, Kalamalka Lake, Middleton Mountain, the Coldstream Valley and Bluenose Mountain. The west side of the loop doubles as a mountain-bike climbing trail; the east side is a rockier ascent above a steep ravine and is not recommended for bikes. Wooden cattle gates lead into the undeveloped central portion, which is home to a rich diversity of wildlife, so stay on the designated trails. From the loop trailhead an extra kilometre of steep switchbacks connects down to the Grey Canal Trail; the Regional District's Coldstream Ranchlands section of the Grey Canal Trail is reached from the parking area at 190 Ravine Drive. Dogs must be leashed under the regional dog-control bylaw.
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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.
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Ellis Ridge & Canyon View Trails
Above Penticton on the Carmi side, the Garnet Fire Interpretive Site is the trailhead for two short viewpoint walks managed by Recreation Sites and Trails BC: the Ellis Ridge Trail, 3.5 km round trip out and back and easy to moderate, and the Canyon View Trail, a 2 km easy loop, both with lookouts over Penticton and the Ellis Creek canyon. There are cliff edges, so keep children close. The main lot is 6.2 km up Carmi Avenue and then 2.3 km right on Beaver Dell Road, with an outhouse, an information kiosk and two picnic tables; no fires or camping, and no fees. A second access is 4 km up the Ellis Forest Service Road. The site is also used for mountain biking and snowshoeing. The provincial recreation-site rules ask you to keep pets quiet and under control at all times; no leash rule is published for this site.
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Ellison Provincial Park
Ellison Provincial Park rewards the drive south of Vernon with a different kind of Okanagan Lake day: multiple beaches with buoyed swim areas, a playground for the kids, and around 50 picnic tables plus a picnic shelter to spread out at. Otter Bay is Western Canada’s only freshwater dive park, so divers share the park with swimmers, and there is canoeing, hiking and fishing on top of that. Flush toilets and showers are on site, but there is no boat launch and no lifeguards. Sandy Beach is the park’s pet beach; dogs are not allowed on the other beaches. The season runs roughly April 1 to October 12, and the beaches are about a half-kilometre walk from the parking lot. Ellison is also a campground and a viewpoint park: 71 sites (61 reservable, 10 first-come) with a hot-shower building, spring-water taps and fire rings, and more than six kilometres of trail along the rocky headlands with panoramic vistas of Okanagan Lake north to Spallumcheen and south to Fintry.
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Giant's Head Mountain Park
Giant's Head is the core remnant of a volcano, the landmark that surveys Summerland, and its summit at 845 metres (2,771 feet) offers a full 360-degree panorama of Okanagan Lake, the orchards and the mountains, with viewing tubes pointing out landmarks and a granite boulder holding a time capsule to be reopened in 2067. Enter the park from Giant's Head Road at Milne Road, where iron gates mark the entrance: park there and hike up, or drive to the parking area one kilometre from the summit. The park road is open to vehicles from noon to 9 p.m. and closed to vehicles on Sundays from April 15 to October 30, which makes Sunday the quietest day to walk it. A long, winding road leads to a picnic area and washrooms, and the District's 2026 trail map lays out the ways to the top: the Grind Trail, 1.6 km with 275 metres of climbing and rated difficult; the East Ridge Trail, 3 km and 335 metres, also difficult and uphill-only for mountain bikers; the gentler Friendly Giant Trail, 2.2 km and 135 metres, rated moderate; the 2.6 km roadway itself; and an easy 900-metre Upper Loop around the summit. Dogs are permitted on leash year-round under the District's parks bylaw, and the park's address is 9296 Milne Road.
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Glen Canyon Regional Park
Glen Canyon runs for 95 hectares along Powers Creek in West Kelowna, and its trails offer everything from easy creek-side walks to challenging stairs and terrain, with views of the canyon's unusual geology and a 24-metre waterfall. Washrooms are on site, there is a viewpoint, and dogs are welcome on leash. The parking lot is off Gellatly Road South; the Brown Road vehicle entrance is closed from November 1 to April 1 when maintenance is reduced. Hours shift with the seasons, from 6 a.m. to between 6 and 11 p.m. The park is maintained with the help of the Gellatly Bay Trails and Parks Society. The Regional District's designated routes are the 2.3 km Glen Canyon Greenway, rated moderate, the easy 800-metre Doe Trail and the short Buck Trail, with informal paths branching through the canyon; Visit Westside splits the park into a north half of over 4 km and a south half of 2.2 km one way with stairs. The upper canyon is currently under a partial hazard closure, so respect the barriers.
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Goats Peak Regional Park
Goats Peak rises steeply from the shore of Okanagan Lake in West Kelowna, and the payoff for the climb is a lookout with stunning lake and valley views beside towering rock bluffs. A rocky trail crosses protected grassland before a challenging climb through open woodland to the peak; the waterfront sections of this 63-hectare park are conservation areas for shore-spawning kokanee. A washroom is on site and dogs are welcome on leash. Park in the lot off Seclusion Bay Road, near the exits for Highway 97 and the Okanagan Connector, or use the newer access with limited street parking on Whitworth Road. Hours shift seasonally, from 6 a.m. to between 6 and 11 p.m., with reduced maintenance from November 1 to April 1. Two designated trails cover the park: the 1.3 km Big Sagebrush Trail through the grassland, rated moderate, and the 1.4 km Mountain Goat Trail up to the peak, rated difficult by the Regional District.
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Golden Mile Trail
The Golden Mile Trail is Oliver's best-documented hike, a 4 km loop that starts on the scenic property of Tinhorn Creek Vineyards at 537 Tinhorn Creek Road — the winery invites visitors to hike it — and climbs through the vineyard to a gate, then up a moderate incline to a viewpoint over the valley. Where the trail forks, the left path leads to the ruins of the historic Fairview stamp mill and crosses the creek to loop back to the gates. Spring runoff affects both the level and the flow of the creek, so cross at your own risk. Neither the winery nor Destination Osoyoos publishes a dog rule for the trail.
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Grey Canal Trail
The Grey Canal Trail follows the alignment of British Columbia's longest irrigation channel, the canal that once carried water to the orchards and farms across the Greater Vernon valley; in places the old pipelines are still visible beside the path. It is not one trailhead but a series of sections that ring the valley — from The Rise to Davison Road, Turtle Mountain to Blue Jay Road, Silver Star Road to Star Road, Hartnell Road to DeRoo Road, and the Coldstream Ranchlands to Ravine Drive, among others — each with one or two parking areas, so you can walk it in pieces and choose your view. Dogs are permitted on every section but must be on leash. The trail is part of the more than 87 km of regional trails that earn Greater Vernon its 'Trails Capital of BC' title. Add the sections up and they come to roughly 32 km, about 28 km of it off-road, so you can walk it in pieces for weeks. Tourism Vernon rates most sections easy — Turtle Mountain (Blue Jay Road to Turtle Mountain Boulevard) is 3.5 km and Coldstream Valley Estates (Buchanan to Warren) 4.2 km — with the 2.7 km Foothills loop moderate and the 1.1 km Boss Creek section difficult. For a short, steep taste with a story, the 570-metre Nel's Leap Trail climbs a former 1929 ski-jump hill from 43rd Avenue and Alexis Park Drive, past interpretive signs to a bird's-eye view of Vernon, and joins the Turtle Mountain section.
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Jack Seaton Park
Jack Seaton Park is a District of Lake Country destination park that pairs softball diamonds, a padel court and a playground with a small network of natural trails suitable for all skill levels. The trail length is 3.14 km round trip, with an accessible viewpoint that overlooks Okanagan Lake, and the trails cross rocky bluffs burned in the 2017 wildfire and pass an old reservoir and heritage flume. A designated parking area, picnic area and washroom are provided, and the park is open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Dogs must be on leash.
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Johns Family Nature Conservancy Regional Park
Johns Family Nature Conservancy is more than 400 hectares of parkland in south Kelowna with panoramic views of the Okanagan Valley and trails that lead to The Crags, a well-known climbing spot. It is also Canada's third Nocturnal Preserve, a Royal Astronomical Society of Canada designation that keeps artificial light to a minimum, so the sky here is as much of a draw as the view. The main parking lot is off Chute Lake Road just outside the city boundary, less than 1 km along the gravel. Hikers can also start from Lakeshore Road: the Lebanon Creek Greenway is a 2.3 km climb with 450 metres of elevation gain up to the top of the Crags, with shorter trails to make a loop or reach the Kettle Valley neighbourhood; its Lakeshore Road vehicle entrance is closed from November 1 to April 1. A washroom is on site, dogs are welcome on leash, and hours shift seasonally, from 6 a.m. to between 6 and 11 p.m., with reduced maintenance from November 1 to April 1.
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KVR Trail – Naramata Bench (Little Tunnel & Adra Tunnel)
The Kettle Valley Rail Trail above the Naramata Bench is the South Okanagan's signature rail-grade walk: packed gravel at an easy to moderate grade, suitable for all ages, with the Little Tunnel viewpoint and its sweep down Okanagan Lake toward Skaha as the classic goal — about 9 km round trip from the Smethurst Road parking lot. Beyond it the 485-metre Adra Tunnel, 8 km along the grade from the Glenfir lot (km 192 to km 184), reopened on May 26, 2026 after the Regional District finished resurfacing, parking improvements, benches, picnic tables, bike racks, split-rail fencing, wayfinding signs and a pit toilet at the north lot; the tunnel is unlit, so bring a proper light, carries two-way foot and bike traffic, has a bypass trail 175 metres west of the north portal, and closes seasonally from late November. For a short visit, the Smethurst staging area is 2.5 km by road past the Glenfir lot and only about 750 metres on foot from the lower tunnel via the marked service road. Along the way, Rock Ovens Park preserves the stone bread ovens that railway crews built beside the right-of-way between 1911 and 1915 — a Regional District park geared to hikers and bikers. The corridor is shared with cyclists, horses and licensed off-road vehicles. Regional District parks regulations require dogs to be leashed.
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Kal Crystal Waters Trail
The Kal Crystal Waters Trail is a 12.57 km route for walkers and cyclists from Okanagan College in Vernon south to Lake Country, rated Moderate by Tourism Vernon. It starts at the Greater Vernon Athletics Park, crosses college land to Varsity Drive, then follows Lakeview Drive on-road with a steep climb to the Kal Lake Lookout and continues along Kalamalka Lakeview Drive (the old Highway 97) to the Kekuli Bay Provincial Park gate. An off-road trail resumes above the Kekuli Bay campground to Bailey Road, descends a former highway, and then splits: right for a rougher 1.8 km to Crystal Waters Road, or left down to join the Okanagan Rail Trail north of the Crystal Waters subdivision. Parking is at the Greater Vernon Athletics Park, the Kalamalka Lakeview Drive lookout, Kekuli Bay Provincial Park, the East Bailey Road lot opposite the Predator Ridge turnoff, and Crystal Waters Road. Dogs allowed on leash.
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Kalamalka Lake Lookout (Highway 97 Rest Area)
The Kalamalka Lake Lookout is the North Okanagan's classic drive-up view, and it has been stopping traffic for generations: from a bench of the old highway above the lake's north end, the whole of Kalamalka — the "lake of many colours" — lies below you, shifting from turquoise to jade to deep blue as the light moves across its limestone-rich water, with the Coldstream valley opening to the east and the hills rolling south toward Oyama. This is the old Highway 97 lookout, now on Kalamalka Lakeview Drive, and since 2015 it has been a full provincial rest area: turn off Highway 97 at the Vista Road / Kalamalka Lakeview Drive exit south of Vernon and you will find marked parking stalls (with room for larger vehicles), two toilets, six picnic tables, animal-proof bins and a xeriscaped terrace — all wheelchair accessible and free. Bring lunch; the picnic tables face the water, and on a clear day the view runs past Coldstream to the Monashees. The lookout is also a waypoint on the Kal Crystal Waters Trail, the 12.5 km walking and cycling route from Vernon to Lake Country, which uses this parking area as one of its access points if you want to stretch the stop into a walk along the old highway toward Kekuli Bay.
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Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park – Cosens Bay
Cosens Bay is the earned beach of Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park: boat in, or bike or hike a 6 km trail to reach it, and that is exactly why people go. Once there, a buoyed swim area waits in the bay and there is plenty of space to stretch out, with a pet beach at the eastern end for your four-legged family member. It is a popular destination for boaters. There are no lifeguards, so bring what you need and plan the trip back. The walk in is the reason naturalists love this park: more than 14 km of trails cross a rare intact grassland where 432 kinds of plants have been recorded, canyon wrens and white-throated swifts nest in the cliffs, and the Rattlesnake Point trail ends at a viewing platform with eight benches turned toward the spectacular view over the lake. Pit toilets only, maintained April to late October.
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Knox Mountain Park
Knox Mountain is Kelowna's largest natural area park, 385 hectares rising roughly 300 metres above Okanagan Lake just north of downtown, and its lookouts are the classic view of the city. The park moves from lakeshore to mountain top through riparian, wetland, ponderosa pine bunchgrass and Douglas-fir ecosystems that the City describes as fragile and easily eroded, so stay on the trails. Walking, running, hiking, road and mountain biking, birding and winter recreation are all part of life here. The park is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; vehicles may drive Knox Mountain Drive to the first lookout from noon to 8 p.m. in the frost-free season, and the road closes in winter, for events and in extreme wildfire risk. Motorized vehicles are not permitted elsewhere in the park. Additional parking is at the western base off Poplar Point Drive. Signature routes include the Apex Trail to the upper lookout — about 5 km round trip on dirt trails with stairs, a moderate 45 minutes to an hour and a half — the 3 km lakeshore walk to Paul's Tomb and Kathleen Lake, the 3.2 km road climb from the base to the top, and the Lochview Trail that connects the park's north side. Dogs must be on leash except in the designated off-leash dog park at 450 Knox Mountain Drive, and smoking, vaping and cannabis are banned in all City parks.
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Kuipers' Peak Mountain Park
Kuipers' Peak Mountain Park in Kelowna's Upper Mission is a short hike with a big reward: five to ten minutes to the top, with some sections that will get your heart rate up, and a stunning view of Okanagan Lake from the peak. The hillside is still recovering from the 2003 wildfire, and the City also features the park for winter snowshoeing. The trailhead is at 792 Kuipers Crescent, reached via South Ridge Drive. Dogs are allowed on-leash only.
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McKinley Mountain Park
McKinley Mountain Park is the City of Kelowna's 'Mini Knox': a 17-hectare hillside park in the McKinley area north of the city where a short hike of about 1 km uphill ends at a fantastic view along Okanagan Lake to both north and south. The City lists it as a hidden gem with trails as its amenity, at 1798 Shayler Place. Be aware of wildlife here, including bears and coyotes. Dog status is on-leash.
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Middleton Mountain (Farnsworth Nature Reserve)
Middleton Mountain is the grassy summit between Vernon and Coldstream, and the Farnsworth Nature Reserve at its top protects native grassland where three loop trails — the Bluebird, North, Middle and South Loop trails — give 360-degree views of Kalamalka Lake, the Coldstream Valley, the Monashee Mountains, Swan Lake and the City of Vernon. Tourism Vernon lists the Middleton Mountain Loop at 2.66 km and rates it Difficult, because steep stairs climb to the summit from the trailhead sign on Mt Ida Drive opposite the Emerald Views housing complex; there is also access from Middleton Mountain Park. Benches and interpretive signs describe the geology, flora and fauna, wildflowers bloom from early spring to mid-June, and deer, marmots, bluebirds, meadowlarks, quail, eagles and hawks live here. Dogs must be on leash — to avoid the cactus as much as to protect the grassland wildlife.
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Mission Creek Greenway Regional Park
The Mission Creek Greenway is Kelowna's great linear park: 16.5 km of multi-use trail following Mission Creek from Okanagan Lake into the hills, linking parks, interpretive viewing areas, rest spots and picnic areas along the way. From the lake the trail is flat and wide — an easy walk or ride — and the difficulty builds through Scenic Canyon, where elevation and stairs take over. Nine main access points have parking, from Lakeshore Road and Truswell Road up to the Field Road lot in Scenic Canyon. Washrooms are on the route, an easy portion of the trail and the washrooms are accessible, and dogs are welcome on leash. It is a shared trail, so keep right, pass on the left, and cyclists must stay under the 15 km/h limit and ring a bell before passing. The Regional District maps the Greenway in sections — 7.5 km from Lakeshore Road to Creekside, 2.3 km from Gerstmar to Hollywood, 7.1 km from Hollywood Road up to Hydraulic Creek, plus a 1.3 km south spur from Casorso Road to Gordon Drive — which is why the mapped total comes to 18.7 km against the 16.5 km headline figure. In 2026 the Gerstmar Bridge project is closing short stretches between Ziprick and Gerstmar roads at times, so follow the detour signs. Hours shift with the seasons (6 a.m. to between 6 and 11 p.m.), and some access points get reduced maintenance from November to March.
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Mount Boucherie – Boucherie Rush Trail
Mount Boucherie is West Kelowna's extinct volcano, and the Boucherie Rush Trail is the way up it: about 6 km round trip, one to three hours, with 275 metres of elevation gain to the 758-metre summit and panoramic views over Okanagan Lake and the valley from the old lava flows. Visit Westside rates it moderate to difficult; the northeast face is for experienced hikers only. The trailhead is the City's Boucherie greenspace at 2775 East Boundary Road (via Bartley Road), with overflow parking at the Darroch Park ball diamonds, and the City lists dogs permitted on leash there. Part of the mountain is private property, so obey the signs, and the City closes trails at times for wildfire-mitigation work.
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Mount Conkle Park
Mount Conkle rises above Prairie Valley on the south side of Summerland, and the District park on its slopes is a local favourite for mountain biking and trail running: singletrack climbs from the Trans Canada Trail up to viewpoints over orchards, vineyards and Okanagan Lake, with Giant’s Head in full view from the top. Trail-mapping sites chart about 11 trails and 19 km. The Kettle Valley Railway was built along the mountain’s flank and the park borders the Summerland Rodeo Grounds; the usual trailhead is off Fenwick Road. The mountain is named for William H. Conkle, who homesteaded here with Alexander McLennan in 1886. After the 2026 Bald Range wildfire the District confirmed Mount Conkle Park open, along with the Trans Canada Trail between Fenwick Road and the Rodeo Grounds, while Cartwright Mountain and the trail east toward Faulder stay closed — check the District’s parks page before you go. Parking costs are not published, and no dog or e-bike rules are published for the park.
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Mount Kobau
Mount Kobau rises west of Osoyoos inside the South Okanagan Grasslands Protected Area, and its summit road is the one road in the protected area open to motor vehicles. From the top, the short Lookout Trail leads to the site of the former fire lookout, where BC Parks describes a panorama of the Okanagan Valley, Osoyoos Lake and the Similkameen Valley; the 3 km Chopaka Lookout Trail runs through forest and grassland to views over the Similkameen. The protected area is managed for hiking, wildlife viewing, cycling and horseback riding through dry grasslands and open forests that BC Parks describes as one of the four most endangered ecosystems in Canada. The summit road is gravel and maintained infrequently, and parking at the trailheads is limited. Camping and campfires are not permitted, there is no water, mine adits are closed, and dogs must be leashed. The summit is also considered one of the best places in Canada for astronomy and hosts an annual star party.
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Munson Mountain
Munson Mountain is home to the giant PENTICTON sign and to the city's easiest big view: from the top, the panorama takes in Penticton, Okanagan Lake and the hills beyond, with photo opportunities in every direction. The walk from the parking area is only about 1 km round trip and suitable for all ages, so it fits between a winery visit and dinner. Take the access road off Middle Bench Road North, then turn onto Munson Mountain Road to reach the parking area at the base. The path is packed gravel, and dogs are welcome on leash, as in most City of Penticton parks.
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Myra Canyon – Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park
Myra Canyon is the Okanagan's signature rail-trail day: the historic Kettle Valley Railway grade curls around the canyon southeast of Kelowna on its trestles, and BC Parks has placed 14 viewpoint benches along the way, with the trestles themselves opening onto the valley and the steep, rocky canyon walls. Walk it or ride it — cyclists are asked to walk their bikes across the trestles, and e-bikes are allowed on the signed trails. Pit toilets sit at the Myra, Ruth and Stewart Road East trailheads and just beyond Trestles 1 and 8. Dogs must be kept under control, and BC Parks notes the backcountry beyond the trail is not suitable for pets. The park stays open through winter, when Little White Mountain offers backcountry skiing and snowshoeing. The classic day is the 12 km one-way section between the Myra and June Springs access points, with 18 trestles and bridges concentrated in an 8.8 km stretch; BC Parks lists roughly 75 parking spots at Myra and about 33 at June Springs, plus the Stewart Road East access from Kelowna. The Little White Trail (Pooley Creek to Upper Crawford) is closed.
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Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park
Okanagan Mountain is 11,321 hectares of rugged wilderness on the east shore of Okanagan Lake, opposite Peachland, with no public roads inside it — which is exactly its appeal. From the north parking lot, the Boulder Loop runs 5 km (about 3 hours, easy) and the Old C.N. Trail 3 km; the Rim Trail, the Pinnacles and the viewpoint near the south lot deliver the big views, and the canyons are good country for spotting sheep, goats and elk. The south lot is reached through Naramata on Chute Lake Road, 6 km of gravel followed by 1.5 km of very rough road. Paddlers can string together day trips or multi-day trips along the undeveloped shoreline, camping at the marine campsites and swimming in the bays. Mountain biking is allowed on the signed trails (e-bikes on designated trails), horses have their own routes, and the park has pit toilets only. Dogs must stay on leash.
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Okanagan Rail Trail
The Okanagan Rail Trail follows the former CN rail bed for roughly 50 km between Coldstream and Kelowna, and 16 km of it run through the District of Lake Country. From the north the compact gravel trail hugs the shoreline of marl-blue Kalamalka Lake and passes under a historic trestle, crosses the Oyama isthmus with its seasonal cafes, shops and Wood Lake beaches, then follows the east shore of Wood Lake past Ribbleworth Falls, orchards and farmland; the Kelowna section is paved. It is an easy, flat multi-use trail shared with cyclists, and dogs must be on leash. The Regional District of North Okanagan lists trailhead parking at 8203 Westkal Road in Coldstream, at Kekuli Bay Provincial Park and at College Way in Vernon, with further access points along Lake Country's section. The trail is not yet continuous: a gap of about 7 km near the Kelowna boundary remains undeveloped, so check the current map before planning a through-trip.
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Pincushion Mountain Trail
Pincushion Mountain is Peachland's viewpoint hike, climbing from the top of the town to a rocky summit above Okanagan Lake. The trailhead is at the very top of Ponderosa Drive, at the Chateau on the Ridge entrance, and the gate where the hike begins sits at 570 metres. The District of Peachland is clear that this is an unmaintained, undesignated Crown Land trail — a wilderness hiking trail rather than a groomed park path — so know your abilities, wear proper footwear and carry water. The District measures the climb at 1.8 km to the 815-metre summit, 245 metres of elevation gain, and suggests 40 to 60 minutes up; the steep dirt and gravel can be slippery, so stay on the trail. Dogs are allowed, on leash through the W.A. Lang Wilderness Park access.
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Ponds Park & Trail
The Ponds Park & Trail offers over two kilometres of paved trail in Kelowna's Upper Mission with excellent views of Okanagan Lake and the city. The City describes it as flat and accessible to everyone, including people using motorized scooters or wheelchairs, which makes it one of the few view walks in the valley that everyone can share. Bring the kids for the playground in the park that overlooks the city. Dogs can come too — just make sure they are on a leash. The park is at 1213 Frost Road.
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Rocky Ridge Park (Turtle Mountain)
Rocky Ridge Park is Vernon's quickest 360-degree view: a small Regional District park on the summit ridge of Turtle Mountain, in the Alexis Park neighbourhood on the west side of the city, where a few minutes of walking earns a panorama that Tourism Vernon counts among the city's iconic viewpoints. Start at the small trailhead parking lots on Turtle Mountain Boulevard, between Razorback Court and Leatherback Road, and follow the flat 0.4 km trail west behind Razorback Court to a wooden staircase; the stairs carry you up onto the open rock of the ridge, and from the top the whole of Greater Vernon turns beneath you — the city and Coldstream to the east, Swan Lake to the north, and Okanagan Landing and the north arm of Okanagan Lake to the southwest, with the three lakes that ring the valley in view on a clear day. It is short, steep in the stair section and exposed on the rock, so mind small children near the edges, and there are no facilities at the top. Parking is at the trailhead lots; the Regional District does not publish a fee, and none has been confirmed, so check on arrival. Come at golden hour, when the grassland and the lakes light up.
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Rose Valley Regional Park
Rose Valley Regional Park is 250 ha of natural parkland in the Rose Valley neighbourhood of West Kelowna, with a network of multi-use trails, spectacular views over the valley, a conservation area and a natural pond where birds and other wildlife can be spotted. The park was badly burned in the 2023 McDougall Creek wildfire and is recovering through a phased, large-scale restoration effort, including volunteer tree planting. As of May 2026 the Regional District reports it partially re-opened with some areas still closed to visitors — observe the barricades and signage and check the RDCO wildfire-recovery page before you go. Washrooms are provided and dogs are welcome on leash. Visit Westside describes the main circuit as about 6 km round trip with roughly 80 metres of elevation gain, moderate to difficult, taking two to four hours.
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Scenic Canyon Regional Park
Scenic Canyon is where the Mission Creek Greenway turns wild: a 229-hectare natural area in southeast Kelowna where the trails follow Mission Creek and KLO Creek beneath Layer Cake Mountain and Pinnacle Rock, two of the valley's most striking geological features. The Greenway runs right through the park — its Hollywood Road to Hydraulic Creek section is 7.1 km and rated moderate, with stairs and bridges — so it suits walkers who want more than a flat stroll, while the park's own short trails add the 1.2 km Saskatoon Trail, the 230-metre Rock Ovens Trail past the old stone ovens and the steep 240-metre Pinnacle Trail, rated difficult. The Black Bear Trail is currently closed and parts of the park are closed for hazards; obey the signs. Washrooms, picnic tables and viewpoints are in the park, and dogs are welcome on leash. Park at the end of Field Road or at the Hollywood Road South entrance; the Field Road and McCulloch Road vehicle entrances are closed from November to March, when maintenance is reduced. Hours shift with the seasons, from 6 a.m. to between 6 and 11 p.m.
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SilverStar Mountain Resort
SilverStar is the North Okanagan's four-season mountain resort above Vernon, and in winter it is a whole village of things to do rather than a single ski hill. The alpine terrain runs to 3,304 acres and 133 runs over 760 metres of vertical, served by ten lifts including the Des Schumann Summit Express gondola, with long green and blue cruisers off the front side, steep powder-filled chutes on the Putnam Creek backside and three terrain parks; on Friday and Saturday nights the lights come on for four kilometres of groomed night skiing and the Bannister Night Park at Silver Queen. The resort's My1Pass idea is what sets it apart: one day ticket or season pass unlocks seven activities — downhill, cross-country skiing on the resort's 55-kilometre half of Canada's largest daily-groomed Nordic network, 16 kilometres of snowshoe trail, 15 kilometres of fat-bike trail, skating on Brewer's Pond, tubing at Tube Town and (with a season pass) night skiing — each of which has its own page on Okanagan Roam. Volunteer Mountain Hosts lead free guided tours of the alpine and Nordic trails every morning from Town Hall, snow-cat dinners run to Paradise Camp on the backside, and the new Ravenwood cabin hosts snowshoe dinner tours. The Nordic trails open on November 20, 2026 and the alpine season runs November 27, 2026 to April 4, 2027. Summer turns the same slopes into the SilverStar Bike Park — the resort describes it as one of Canada's best downhill mountain-bike experiences, with downhill, enduro and cross-country riding, skills areas and a pump track — while walkers and trail runners have 16 km of forest and mountain trails: the easy Paradise, Mountain View, Tin Tin and Sidewinder loops out of the village, the hiking-only Silver Queen Trail, and, from the top of the Des Schumann Summit Express gondola at 1,915 metres — some 300 metres above the village — the Ridge Walk (no bikes), the Attridge Scenic Loop and the Alpine Meadows. Hikers pick up a complimentary trail day ticket at the Ticket Office; Monday to Thursday the summit is reached by the Comet Express after a gentle 20-minute walk down to the lift. The resort publishes no dog rule for its trails, and the surrounding regional district requires dogs on leash unless in a designated off-leash area. Lessons, rentals, restaurants, cafés and lodging are in the resort village.
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Spion Kop Recreation Reserve
Spion Kop is Lake Country's summit trail system: over 17 km of marked trails and connectors in a 350-hectare wilderness recreation reserve above Wood Lake, ranging from easy/moderate to most difficult and winding through cool forest and grassy slopes along old glacial ridges, bluffs and basalt cliffs. All trails ultimately lead to the Spion Kop summit and its 360-degree view of Wood, Ellison, Kalamalka and Okanagan lakes, the Oyama benchlands and isthmus, and Little White, Knox, Bear, Terrace and Silver Star mountains. The District's trail map lists the Summit Trail at 2.4 km, Lupine at 5.6 km, Tower at 5.2 km and Paintbush and Ridge Line at 1.5 km each, and notes heritage horse-logging trails and stretches of the historic Old Mission Road. Large raptors, mule deer, bears and coyotes live here. Marked trails are recommended for hiking; parking and access are at the trailheads, including one midway along Pelmewash Parkway. Some 420 acres on the southwest side are private property — no trespassing. Keep dogs on leash.
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Spotted Lake (kłlilx'w) Viewpoint
Spotted Lake — kłlilx'w to the Syilx people — is one of the strangest and most beautiful sights in British Columbia, and you can see it from the side of the road. About 10 km west of Osoyoos on Highway 3, a roadside pullout on the north side of the highway looks down over a small lake so dense with minerals that, as the water evaporates through the summer, it separates into dozens of round pools, each ringed in white and tinted blue, green or yellow by its own chemistry. The pattern changes week by week and year by year, so no two visits look the same; late summer, when the pools are most distinct, is the classic time, but the lake is worth a stop whenever you pass. This is a viewpoint, not a destination you walk into. Spotted Lake lies on private Osoyoos Indian Band land and is a sacred Syilx site: there is no access beyond the fence except through authorized Sẁiẁs Spirit Tours access. Visitors view the lake from the roadside pullout and should not approach the gate, the shoreline or the water. Pull fully off the highway, take your photographs from the pullout, and if you want to understand what you are looking at, book the guided cultural tour or visit the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre in Osoyoos, where the story of the lake and its people is told first-hand. Parking at the pullout is free.
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Tplaqín / Enderby Cliffs Provincial Park
The Enderby Cliffs are the landmark of the northern Okanagan: at nearly 1,200 metres, the cliffs tower 850 metres above the valley floor and reward the climb with a sweeping view over both the Shuswap and the Okanagan Valley. The 2,299-hectare park sits 5 km northeast of Enderby — from Highway 97A turn east on Cliff Avenue, which becomes Mabel Lake Road, then left on Brash Allen Road to the trailhead. Stay on the designated trail: it crosses a community watershed and the soils are easily damaged. Dogs must be on leash. Small Reeves Lake inside the park is a marshy spot popular for trout fishing. No facilities are listed by BC Parks, so come self-sufficient. The Tplaqín Trail is 6.5 km one way, climbing from the 462-metre trailhead to the 1,150-metre summit — nearly 700 metres of gain — with viewpoints at the 2 km and 3 km marks and a bench partway up; BC Parks calls it strenuous, allows one and a half to two and a half hours each way, warns that falling rock is common, and does not permit bicycles. The upper trail follows the top of the cliffs, so stay on the trail and keep children within reach.
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sntsk‘il’ntən–Black Mountain Regional Park
sntsk‘il’ntən–Black Mountain is a vast 640-hectare regional park on Kelowna's eastern slopes, where trails climb through endangered grasslands to open viewpoints over the city and the valley. The park carries an nsyilxcən name — the Regional District offers an audio clip to help with pronunciation — and was created through a collective effort to protect this landscape; further park development is still underway, so expect a natural, lightly built experience rather than a finished network. Seven named trails already cover about 13 km — the 3.3 km sntsk‘il’ntən Trail, the 2.7 km Grassland Trail, the 2 km Coyote and Ephemeral Pond trails, the 1.5 km Flume Trail, the 1 km Ridge Trail and the short Hoodoo Trail, rated easy to moderate — while the difficult Summit Loop is currently closed and a section of the park is closed for conservation. Dogs are welcome on leash. There is a parking area off Swainson Road, and the park can also be entered through Tower Ranch Hillside Park, with street parking on Tower Ranch Drive. Park hours shift seasonally, from 6 a.m. to between 6 and 11 p.m., with reduced maintenance from November to March.