Hike the Okanagan - Canada's Sunniest Valley

If you've ever wondered why the Okanagan Valley gets so much hype...Here are 3 good reasons!

Charlie Boscoe

Images

P1070209.JPG
On the middle section of the Andesite Grinder

by Charlie Boscoe

Creative Commons: No Derivatives
P1070208.JPG
The trail map next to the parking lot

by Charlie Boscoe

Creative Commons: No Derivatives
P1070363.JPG
Looking down on West Kelowna from the descent path

by Charlie Boscoe

Creative Commons: No Derivatives
P1070362.JPG
The view south from the summit

by Charlie Boscoe

Creative Commons: No Derivatives
IMG_20191110_163338.jpg
Heading home at the end of the hike

by Charlie Boscoe

IMG_20191110_161642.jpg
Looking down on Kelowna at sunset from the summit

by Charlie Boscoe

IMG_20191110_160159.jpg
Keep an eye out for the local wildlife!

by Charlie Boscoe

IMG_20191110_162057.jpg
Gorgeous views on the descent

by Charlie Boscoe

3c6898fc-ff24-4c4b-b335-8e367a5f92ab.jpg
At the northern end of the loop and about to double back towards the start point.

by Charlie Boscoe

Creative Commons: Attribution
9509d0b0-d856-408a-88da-91f224664b47.jpg
Overlooking Cosens Bay.

by Charlie Boscoe

Creative Commons: Attribution

Description

Sitting in the rain shadow of the nearby Cascade Mountains, the Okanagan Valley is the driest place in Canada and has a wonderful climate. Sunny, dry days are the norm here, with rain rare and prolonged wet weather even less common. In the unlikely event that it's raining when you visit, it shouldn't last more than a few hours!

The Okanagan valley is home to Kelowna - the 3rd largest city in British Columbia - and several other sizeable towns, but it's amazing how quickly you can escape into nature from any Okanagan settlement. You need only drive 15 minutes into the hills from any point in the Okanagan and you'll be in some pretty wild terrain! Bears, cougars and rattlesnakes all make their homes in the valley, and there is very little infrastructure outside the main valley floor.

The 3 hikes described here are all remarkably easy to access, and all feel disproportionately wild given their proximity to the urban world. To the north is probably the wildest of the hikes - the wonderful loop around Kalamalka Provincial Park. Coming south you'll find the Okanagan's most famous hike; the trip up Knox Mountain and down to Paul's Tomb. If you're going to do only one hike in the region, make it that one - the view from the summit of Knox is unique and utterly spectacular. The final trip listed here is the short but stiff trip to West Kelowna's Mount Boucherie, a peak surrounded by civilisation on all sides which still manages to feel remote and detached.

This selection is designed merely to whet your appetite for exploring the Okanagan and British Columbia. Given that BC is 1.5 times the size of France, you won't be short of options!

Adventures

Mount Boucherie

A classic Okanagan peak offering a wonderful combination of nature and city