Kelowna's Juicy Tips

Gosh – where do I even start with this?! In an area with so many wonderful hiking trails, it’s difficult to pick just a few. Still, it has to be done, especially since we’re now into that time of year when mornings are cooler, days are sunny with light breezes, and evenings cool off. Perfect hiking weather. Here are my top picks – please be sure to comment with your favourites, too!

A terrific picture sumbitted to our Picture Perfect Contest, showing off beautiful mountain scenery so common on our hikes.

For starters, this is a great list of hikes from the Tourism Kelowna website. Another great resource is stopping by Outdoor Adventure Gear at 1967 Harvey Ave. (between Choices and Total Pet), and speaking with Linda Jones-Evans, who is an expert on hiking trails in the area. She’ll offer great tips, maps, and gear that you may need. You can also register for a series of hikes that Linda leads through the Rec Centre this fall. Check out the Parks & Recreation brochure for information.

I was speaking with Linda the other day, and she likes to take her groups on a variety of trails, including the hike to Paul’s Tomb on Knox Mountain (which I’ll be talking about on the radio show today), Hardy Falls near Peachland (for families and beginner hikers), and for longer day hikes, she suggests trails in the Okanagan Mountain Park. But remember: bring lots of water! Some of these loop hikes are several hours, like the Boulder Rim Trail which is about 5 hours long, so you want to make sure you have lots of H2O. Viewpoints from this area are nothing short of spectacular!

Going back to that Paul’s Tomb hike, there are all sorts of hikes on Knox Mountain. Paul’s Tomb is great because you get to have a swim at the end of the trail! The walk is about 2 km one way, and quite a gentle hike. If you wanted something more vigorous, trails from the first lookout also go up the mountain to the top lookout, and branch out from there. To get to Knox Mountain, take Ellis Street to it’s northernmost end (just past downtown, really), and you will be right in the municipal park. Find out more about Knox Mountain on the Friends of Knox Mountain website.

Bear Creek is also beautiful at this time of year. Just a 25 minute drive from Kelowna along Westside Rd., you’ll find a great hike that takes you up quite high (lots of stairs!) on the canyon ridge overlooking Bear Creek and the magestic falls. A contestant for the Picture Perfect Contest sent in 2 great photos of Bear Creek taken this month, so I’m including one of them in this blog as it really shows off the views from up here!

A great photo submitted to our Picture Perfect Contest taken August 19

And don’t forget Mission Creek Greenway, which is perfect for any ability level. The path is beautiful, meandering along the creek for 17.5 km. You’ll find cyclists, joggers, families, and dog-walkers – even people on horseback – along this trail. In September, watch for the spawning Kokanee Salmon, who swim upstream here and are fascinating to watch. You can also stop by the EECO Centre for information sessions on the spawning Kokanee – but this is for another post!

The pretty Mission Creek, that will be the spawning site for Kokanee Salmon in September

Whatever you do, definitely lace up the hiking boots or running shoes, and get out on a trail! The weather is perfect for it, and viewpoints are breathtaking. If you have your own favourites to add, please do so by commenting – we would all love to hear about them. Have fun!