Outdoor Destinations in Summerland, BC
5 verified outdoor destinations in Summerland.
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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.
♥ Local Favourite
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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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Peach Orchard Campground
Summerland owns and runs its own campground, and it sits where a municipal campground should: two blocks up the hill from Peach Orchard Beach on Okanagan Lake, a short walk from the cafés, bakeries and tasting rooms of the village, with the KVR and the Peach Orchard loop trail close by. The park spreads 121 sites through the trees — most with power and water, the rest with water — and adds the things that make a family week easy: hot showers, proper washrooms, a general store on site and firewood for sale. It is the base for a Summerland holiday that does not need a resort: swim at the beach in the morning, ride the Kettle Valley Steam Railway or tour Bottleneck Drive in the afternoon, and walk back to camp for dinner. Book through the campground office; the season is spring to fall.
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SWR Boat & SUP Rentals
SWR Boat & SUP Rentals runs from the dock at Summerland Waterfront Resort & Spa on a secluded stretch of Okanagan Lake shoreline, 15 minutes north of Penticton, and it is open to day visitors as well as resort guests — the resort itself notes that you do not have to be staying there, and rentals are booked through an open online portal. Stand-up paddleboards and kayaks go out from the dock for a quiet paddle along the bay, and for a faster day there are powerboats and a luxury pontoon (minimum age 21 to rent motorized craft; towable water toys are not permitted with rental boats; fuel and taxes extra). The dock is reached along the public lakeshore path toward the yacht club. It is a seasonal operation — open Thursday to Monday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and it closed for the 2026 season on September 21 — with The Bistro at the resort open to everyone afterwards.
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Summerland Ornamental Gardens
The Summerland Ornamental Gardens have been growing on the bench above Trout Creek since 1916, when the Dominion Experimental Farm planted them to show Okanagan settlers what would thrive in a dry climate — and more than a century later that is still the point. Fifteen acres of heritage trees and lawns roll toward the canyon rim, but the heart of the modern garden is its xeriscape and native-plant beds, where the plants that belong in this valley are labelled with their Syilx Okanagan names alongside the Latin, so a walk here doubles as a field guide to the sagebrush country you have been driving through. Birds work the shrubs year-round, spring brings the big bloom, and the seasonal hours stretch from an 8 am opening to 8 pm on summer evenings (shorter in winter, weather permitting). Admission is by donation, with $5 a person suggested; dogs are welcome on leash and there are several places to park off Highway 97. The gardens are run by a volunteer society, the Friends of Summerland Ornamental Gardens ([email protected]), whose plant sales and tours are the best way to take a little of the Okanagan home.