A wide variety of regional parks in the Central Okanagan

Photo: J.P. Squire

Sometimes, new trails just appear out of nowhere like this trail upstream of the Gordon Drive Bridge. It parallels Mission Creek Greenway for a short distance and offers a rougher trail than the smooth gravel of the Greenway.

(This is the third column in a new series detailing of the best trails to explore city by city, and regional district by regional district, throughout the Southern Interior.)

The Regional District of Central Okanagan has some of the best trails in the Okanagan although you may find one thing puzzling.

Many newcomers will wonder why the City of Kelowna has more than 200 parks, beaches and green spaces, yet you will still find numerous regional district parks inside the city limits.

"Regional parks are paid for by all residents of the Central Okanagan and can be located anywhere within the region," explains Wayne Darlington, the regional district's manager of parks capital planning and asset management.

"Regional parks differ from municipal parks as the predominant purpose for regional parks is for passive recreation and conservation of larger natural spaces. Regional parks generally don’t provide sportsfields, playgrounds, etc. as a primary service.

"We do have limited numbers of each of these to support the regional community. Regional parks are typically the connection and larger natural area nodes that connect to municipal and/or provincial park systems."

Photo: Friends of Mission Creek

When complete, Mission Creek Greenway will extend 26 kilometres from Okanagan Lake to Mission Creek Falls. The 7.5-kilometre phase one from Lakeshore Road to Mission Creek Regional Park was opened in 1997 and the 8.5-kilometre phase two was added through Scenic Canyon Regional Park in 2005.

In fact, the regional district has more than 2,100 hectares of parkland in 30 regional parks, including more than 86 kilometres of designated trails.

The best creekside linear park is the stunning Mission Creek Greenway. The 7.5-kilometre phase one from Lakeshore Road to Mission Creek Regional Park was opened in 1997, thanks to the efforts of Friends of Mission Creek.

In 2005, the 8.5-kilometre second phase was added through Scenic Canyon Regional Park, which has spectacular geological features like the Rock Ovens, Pinnacle Rock and Layer Cake Mountain.

The fall kokanee spawn is not to be missed in Mission Creek Regional Park which has a children's fishing pond (Go Fish program), Robert Hobson Environmental Education Centre for the Okanagan (EECO) and Sutherland Hills trail network.

The best lakeside trails are in Kalamoir Regional Park in West Kelowna, with plans to widen the main north-south trail to 2.5 metres (not the original proposal of 4.5 metres).

Here are other regional parks in the Central Okanagan:

• Goats Peak Regional Park, south of Kalamoir: Rocky trail rises steeply from Okanagan Lake through grasslands and up a challenging climb to the peak.

• The second best kokanee spawn is at Hardy Falls Regional Park, south of Peachland, where you cross a series of small bridges over Deep Creek to the falls. Beside it is Antlers Beach Regional Park.

• Gellatly Heritage Regional Park in West Kelowna is small but offers a self-guided tour to learn about the history of the Gellatly family, its cemetery and heritage buildings.

• Glen Canyon Regional Park in West Kelowna offers easy walks and challenging stairs while following Powers Creek up to a 24-metre waterfall.

• Kaloya Regional Park in Lake Country occupies a peninsula extending into Kalamalka Lake with a sandy beach on one side and wetland habitat on the other, an ideal spot to launch canoes and kayaks.

• Lebanon Creek Regional Park in Kelowna has a 2.3-kilometre trail with a 450-metre elevation gain from Lakeshore Road to the Crags in Johns Family Nature Conservancy.

• Mill Creek Regional Park in Ellison has a shaded, flat trail following Mill Creek to falls and a swimming hole.

• Okanagan Centre Safe Harbour Regional Park in Lake Country has a boat launch and small beach suitable for launching canoes and kayaks.

• Raymer Bay Regional Park off Westside Road is a hidden gem, great for swimming.

• Reiswig Regional Park on Wood Lake has mature poplar trees with birds of prey, like osprey, nesting in the canopies. It is next to the District of Lake Country's Beasley Park.

• Robert Lake Regional Park in North Glenmore protects a sensitive alkali playa (salt flat) habitat, which attracts more than 140 species of birds.

• Rose Valley Regional Park, a hidden valley paradise in West Kelowna, has numerous hiking trails with panoramic views of Okanagan Lake and Kelowna.

• Shannon Lake Regional Park in West Kelowna also hosts the popular children's learn-to-fish program.

• Sntsk‘il’nt?n Black Mountain Regional Park has stunning views and hiking trails through endangered grassland ecosystems.

• Stephens Coyote Ridge Regional Park in North Glenmore is still closed after a wildfire.

• Traders Cove Regional Park on Westside Road in West Kelowna has two swim areas, one in a small warm bay.

• Trepanier Creek Greenway Regional Park borders a canyon with a five-kilometre trail from the Okanagan Connector to Peachland Elementary School.

• Woodhaven Nature Conservancy Regional Park in the Lower Mission area of Kelowna has a beautiful trail system through four natural ecosystems: black cottonwood, Douglas fir, Ponderosa pine and western red cedar.

Photo: J.P. Squire

Mission Creek begins high in the mountains east of Kelowna near Big White Mountain, travels rapidly through a variety of biogeographical zones to finally slow and meander through lowlands to the shore of Okanagan Lake.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.