Wilden Kelowna: 5 Reasons to Move to Wilden

Imagine living just 15 minutes north of Downtown Kelowna in wooded hills frequented by area wildlife, where every single-family home and townhome has quick and easy access to miles of wild hiking trails. That's Wilden. This master-planned community was designed with expansive natural space and wetlands protection in mind. And it's conveniently close to Okanagan Lake, the airport, and the city of Kelowna itself. Here are the five best reasons to love living in the Wilden neighbourhood for homebuyers moving to Kelowna.

Modern Homes and Outdoor Activities Galore

Homes for sale in Wilden are often built with exposed stone, wood, and a wide surface area of exterior glass. In addition to utilizing a Modern style of architecture, the homes are built with modern design techniques that are friendly to the environment (not to mention the homeowner's long-term utility bills). Neighbourhoods in the community are designed and constructed to blend more fully with the surrounding environment and hillside terrain. Every design decision in this master-planned community is geared toward preserving wetlands and the natural surroundings.

And speaking of the hills, the views from Wilden are exquisite; many homes have nature views of forested areas and the valley below or of Okanagan Lake to the west. People who appreciate an active outdoor lifestyle love this neighbourhood and its proximity to parks, lakes, ponds, and Kelowna's best hiking trails.

Stephens Coyote Ridge Regional Park

Stephens Coyote Ridge Regional Park is accessible from Wilden on Hidden Hills Drive. However, dog owners may want to tackle the trail system from the northern access trailhead through this park. The Stephens Coyote Trailhead parking lot is on Glenmore Road, about 5 kilometres north of Wilden. The dog park in North Glenmore, the only place where dogs don't have to be on a leash, is located right at the parking lot. This is a fenced-in, double-gated park where owners can take their dogs off-leash and let them run around and get some exercise.

The park has more than 15 kilometres of unpaved hiking trails through wooded areas. Wildlife is common, and hikers should watch for bears. Most of the trail system is relatively flat, so the trails are rated both "Easy" and kid-friendly by hikers. It can take several hours to walk its trails, depending on how much of the park a person wants to see on an outing.

Knox Mountain Park

Wilden is the perfect jumping-off point for visiting Kelowna's best parks. There are two main entrances to Kelowna's "crown jewel" park, the 385-hectare Knox Mountain Park. One is on the southern edge of the park near Downtown, and the other is in the Wilden neighbourhood. Visitors who hike to the top of Knox Mountain are treated to some of the best views of Okanagan Lake—the shores of Kelowna's best beaches—and the entire Kelowna Valley. It's also possible to drive to the First Lookout on the mountain from 12:00–8:00 p.m. during the non-frost season. Hikers, joggers, bikers and dog walkers are welcome to use the park from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. daily.

Knox Mountain Park is largely undeveloped, which is why it's home to various types of wildlife. Mule deer, coyotes, marmots, chipmunks and occasionally moose can be viewed in the park. This is also bear country; although encounters with bears are rare, park managers ask that visitors be careful. Hikers should carry a bell and make noise while walking through the area to ensure they don't accidentally startle a bear.

Walking to the top of the mountain from the base will carry visitors through multiple ecosystems, including riparian, wetlands, bunch grass, and Interior Douglas fir. Smoking in the park and building campfires are prohibited due to the dry nature of these ecosystems.

One With Nature

Access to nature is one of the main reasons residents love living in Kelowna. The developers of Wilden own much of the land and wild spaces between Kelowna in the south and Stephens Coyote Ridge Regional Park in the north. Even though the land is private property, trails run through it that residents of Wilden are allowed to use. Signs in various neighbourhoods mark the beginnings of these trails. When anyone needs to reconnect with nature, they're welcome to set out on an outdoor adventure along these wooded trails.

The trails are unpaved, and visitors use them at their own risk. Bears and occasionally mountain lions are encountered in the woods and hills around Wilden. Dogs must be leashed, and smoking, camping, campfires and motorized vehicles are prohibited. Cameras monitor the property, and the owners expect all rules to be followed to keep the area unspoiled.

More trails and access points are planned for the future. Current trailheads in Wilden are located at:

• Echo Ridge cul-de-sac
• Rio Drive & Upper Canyon Drive
• Two access points from Forest Edge
• Base of Wilden Ridge Drive
• Crest of Wilden Ridge Drive
• End of Red Sky Court

Access to Numerous Amenities

Even though the Wilden neighbourhood has a very rural vibe, residents have easy access to the best things to do in Kelowna. To explore further from home, the neighbourhood is just 15 minutes from Kelowna International Airport. The airport has dozens of outbound flights from three major carriers daily, with destinations across Canada and as far away as Cancun, Los Cabos, and Phoenix.

Shopping, groceries, restaurants, and other service businesses are available off Glenmore Road. The Orchard Plaza Shopping Centre is another five minutes south on Harley Avenue. The Okanagan Lake Shopping Centre is just across the bridge in West Kelowna, about 20 minutes from Wilden.

The neighbourhood is less than 15 minutes away from the University of British Columbia - Okanagan Campus, which offers dozens of undergraduate and graduate programs.

The valley is home to 18 golf courses, dozens of local wineries and breweries, thousands of hectares of parks, and two ski resorts, each within an hour of Wilden. These are just some of the many outdoor activities near Wilden that residents can easily enjoy.

Friendly Neighbors & Amazing Views in Wilden

The developers plan to build new construction homes in Wilden in the coming years, with minimal impact on the surrounding environment. This is excellent news for homebuyers considering Kelowna's best neighbourhoods, as Wilden will have more homes in the future. The Kelowna area around Okanagan Lake has one of the mildest climates in all of Canada, thanks to the local geographic features. This makes it a go-to destination for yearly vacations, but beware: many visitors wind up staying here!

If the opportunities in Kelowna excite you, contact the agents at KelownaHomes.ca at 250-999-9844 to get in touch with a local real estate agent who can help you find the perfect home in Kelowna today.