Okanagan has more provincial parks than just about anywhere else

Photo: J.P. Squire

Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park has numerous unique features such as panoramic views of Okanagan Lake and the city of Kelowna as you descend the steep Crawford Trail to the edge of the Bellevue (Creek) Canyon and its lookouts.

(This is the fourth in a series of columns about the best trails to explore, city by city and regional district by regional district in the Southern Interior.)

The Okanagan Valley has undoubtedly the greatest density and variety of provincial parks in B.C.

Out of 644 provincial parks, the BC Parks website says the region has 83 parks. Wikipedia lists 15 major parks in the Okanagan-Similkameen, nine in the Central Okanagan and 11 in the North Okanagan.

For numerous reasons, the diamond in this chain of jewels is Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park in the Central Okanagan. The 12-kilometre Myra Canyon rail trail, formerly a key part of the Kettle Valley Railway, is now widely recognized as the best feature of the entire 28,000-kilometre Trans Canada Trail, thanks to its 16 wooden trestles, two steel spans, two rock tunnels and spectacular views of the canyon, Okanagan Lake and Kelowna far, far below.

Photo: Raven Eye Photography

The 2015 Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park Trail Network Map will be updated by Friends of the South Slopes this summer and include a map of Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park.

You can also hike to 10-metre-high benches of tufa mineral deposits, pools, sinkholes and small caves at Angel Springs, deep in to Bellevue (Creek) Canyon and for the hardiest of hikers, to Little White Mountain ,which is noted for its dramatic escarpment.

Myra-Bellevue also has an extensive hiking, biking and horseback riding trail network, most of it on the lower elevation. Friends of the South Slopes deserves the credit for turning the park into a world-class attraction (6,369 volunteer hours in 2024 alone).

FOSS has nearly completed an updated trail map for Myra-Bellevue (plus Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park) with GPS coordinates and expects it to go to print this summer. It will replace the “You are here” maps at key intersections and at the Stewart Road East trailhead. Copies will be available at local bike shops and the three 2025 FOSS trail days.

Three other provincial parks in the Central Okanagan also have noteworthy trails.

Bear Creek Provincial Park, with the second most popular campground in B.C., has three hillside trails—a 2.5-kilometre loop along the rim of the canyon, one leg mid-canyon and a shorter loop in the canyon bottom. All are temporarily closed due to the McDougall Creek wildfire. Its 400-metre beach is perfect for picnics, sunbathing, swimming, canoeing and kayaking.

Located south of Myra-Bellevue and also under the care of FOSS is Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park, one of the largest in the area covering 110 square kilometres. Most of the park is only accessible by foot, bicycle, horseback or boat. BC Parks has a detailed trail map on the park’s website. It also has six marine campgrounds, secluded bays and sheltered sandy beaches tucked into 33 kilometres of undeveloped shoreline.

Fintry Provincial Park is located 34 kilometres north of West Kelowna at the former Fintry Estate of Capt. James Dun-Waters. The estate's original manor house (1911) and octagonal dairy barn (1924) have been restored and are open for summer tours.

For a stair-climb workout you can see much of Fintry Falls (Shorts Creek) after the first 100 steps but can get amazing views after another 300-plus steps. The park has two kilometres of shoreline for picnics, sunbathing, swimming, canoeing and kayaking.

Other Central Okanagan provincial parks are located at Browne Lake, Dark Lake, Eneas Lakes, Trepanier (all fishing) and Wrinkly Face (cliffs).

The Okanagan-Similkameen's provincial parks are:

• Allison Lake near Princeton (camping, swimming, fishing)

• Bromley Rock near Princeton (swimming, canoeing, cliff jumping)

• Cathedral near Keremeos: currently closed after the Crater Creek wildfire (true wilderness experience for hikers with jagged mountain peaks, azure lakes and flower-dappled alpine meadows)

• Inkaneep near Oliver (popular with naturalists, especially birdwatchers)

• Keremeos Columns (5.5K long hike, steep climb to vertically-hexagonal basalt/lava columns 30 metres high along a 100-metre cliff)

* Kickininee north of Penticton has three tiny picnic areas: Kickininee, Soorimpt and Pyramid (swimming, boat launch)

• Nickel Plate near Hedley (hiking, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, rough gravel boat launch)

• Okanagan Falls, renamed sx???x??nitk? (hiking, biking, fishing)

• Okanagan Lake north of Summerland (beautiful sandy/pebbly beaches, panoramic views, swimming, two large campgrounds, lakeside trail between them permanently closed after landslide)

• Otter Lake north of Princeton (nature trail on foreshore, KVR Trail rough due to ATV use, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, waterskiing)

• Skaha Bluffs near Penticton (world-class rock climbing, hiking)

• Stemwinder near Hedley (quaint camping, fishing)

• Sun-Oka Beach near Summerland (one of the most superb beaches in the Okanagan)

• S?i?s, formerly Haynes Point, in Osoyoos (important archaeological site, most popular campground in B.C., near U.S. border so canoeing and kayaking south not recommended)

• Vaseux Lake near Okanagan Falls (wildlife viewing, bass fishing, trails to nearby Vaseux Lake Migratory Bird Sanctuary, canoeing, kayaking)

North Okanagan provincial parks will get their own future Making Tracks column.

Photo: J.P. Squire

Fintry Provincial Park is a popular canoeing and kayaking destination in the Okanagan. Members of the Kelowna Canoe and Kayak Club have enjoyed the group campground while taking lessons and going for group paddles.

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