Where Can You Go Hiking Near Kelowna?

Kelowna and the surrounding areas, provide some great hiking spots. There is a lot of diversity in the land, which provides a variety of landscapes. You will also get to view historical areas, and get open views that are stunning. Within Kelowna, you can take a walk on a paved path which borders the Okanagan Lake, cottonwoods beside Mission Creek, adventure Knox Mountain, or visit the nature preserves. On the south side you will be able to hike the trails of Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park.

Kelowna Trails

When travelling along the trails in Kelowna, you will come upon lookouts, waterfalls, historic irrigation flumes, abandoned cabins, volcanic structures and forest. Most of the trails are met to hike during daylight, but there are a few that can be taken during the night time. Night time trails include High Rim Trail, which covers 50km (31 miles). This trail stretches over Kelowna, Lake Country, Kalamalka Provincial Park and Vernon,

Noble Adventures

All year long Noble Adventures is ready to provide some exciting activities. Along with a variety of companies and residences, Noble Adventures provides a blend of unique encounters. This thriving business believes in providing a balance in work, life and the environment. You can experience some fun while taking in a wine tour, hike, paddle board, snowshoe or ski getaway.

Myra Canyon

Myra Canyon is a part of the Kettle Valley Railway. The canyon has two tunnels and 18 trestle bridges that provide spectacular views. In addition to hiking the area, you can also rent a bike or get a guided tour. Finishing the route in just one direction, the trail is 12km long.

Myra Canyon Trestle Restoration Society

The Myra Canyon Trestle Restoration Society is the organization that was created by members in 1993 who wanted to recognize the trestles and trails of Myra Canyon that had become unsafe from vandalism and destruction.

With the removal of timbers and tiles from the trestles that were tossed over edge or pilfered, large gaps were formed on the decks making passage over them dangerous. The Myra Canyon Trestle Society formed to save the trestles and prevent further destruction.

What is the Goal of the Society?

The Myra Canyon Trestle Restoration Society has three main objectives. First and foremost, they work to upgrade trestles at Myra Canyon for a safer passage for public visitors. They also work to preserve, promote and protect the heritage, environmental and historical features of the Canyon.

Lastly, they work to maintain and continually improve the former Kettle Valley Railway right-of-way between Little White Forest Service Road at Mile 90.5 and Myra Forest Service Road at Mile 84.5 to include tunnels, parking facilities tunnels and trail ways.

Being a non-profit society in the community, they have around 150 members and growing. Members can join for $10 by completing an online form and paying the membership fee.

Disastrous Fires of 2003 and Reconstruction of the Trestles

Back in 2003, the Okanagan Valley saw its fifth year of droughts making forest fires more dangerous. In August lightning struck in Okanagan Mountain Park which started a fire. Burning for a month, the fire consumed over 200 Kelowna homes, 20,000 acres of fore and parkland and eventually reached the Myra Canyon trestles in September.

After destroying 12 wooden structures and damaging two steel bridges, along with the trail and amenities built over the years, the trestles had to event be rebuilt. The first trestle was rebuilt in 2004 and five more were completed in 2005 and eventually 8 more by 2008.

Mission Creek Greenway

This corridor is one of the city's most heavily utilized parks, with an interpretive centre, salmon spawning channel and a playground with a picnic area. When it's finished, it will be 26 kilometres long and will go from Mission Creek Falls down to Lake Okanagan. Regular surveys conducted by the City polling residents about access to the lake show that the public wants quicker access to the lake.

When it was established thanks to the perseverance of community members, the goal was to create a trail that ran through to Lake Okanagan. In 1996, the Friends of the Mission Creek Society was formed. It is a volunteer group committed to creating the Greenway, Kelowna's most popular recreation corridor. The society raised $700,000 in 1996 to begin construction.

As part of the Greenway's growth, the City cut the ribbon on a one-acre park at Truswell and Lakeshore Road which is part of the Greenway extension along Mission Creek. The space was freshly landscaped and includes a parking lot.

The park, at a cost of $250,000, is near the site of the old La Mission Motor Inn. The lots were purchased by the City of Kelowna and used as a staging area for construction crews working on Lakeshore Road Bridge. City officials were able to obtain some public land beside Mission Creek right behind the Enigma Hotel by swapping some of the old motor inn land in a transaction that cost zero dollars to tax payers.

This creative land configuration means that users of the Mission Creek Greenway can go under instead of across Lakeshore Road and enjoy the close proximity to the lake.

There is one last piece to the puzzle on the Greenway, and that is for the City of Kelowna's real estate division to obtain a public right-of-way directly behind the Walnut Grove.

A public pathway is already in place east of the Walnut Grove, established by the owners of the Water's Edge condominium project who provided the land necessary for a pathway when the condo complex was undergoing development.