North Okanagan brings together a range of natural and cultural themes: you can choose from hikes, lakes, grasslands and insights into the region’s history. For planning your trip, specific distinctions can help—for example, between a designated loop trail, a summit route and seasonal offerings.

Hiking and outdoor activities

Denison-Bonneau Park combines fishing opportunities at Denison Lake and Bonneau Lake with day hikes and self-sufficient backcountry camping. Fishing regulations apply at the lakes; check current advisories before your trip for hiking and overnight stays. The park’s landscape is defined by pristine subalpine lakes and remnants of old-growth forests in the Okanagan Highlands. So if you want to plan an outing around an activity, you’ll find options here for both a day visit and self-sufficient backcountry camping.

Tplaqín / Enderby Cliffs Park is five kilometres northeast of Enderby. The trail starts at a parking lot accessible via Mabel Lake Road and Brash Allen Road. A well-built and maintained single-track trail, the Tplaqín Trail leads to the summit and offers sweeping views across the valley. The park is characterized by dramatic Tertiary-period cliffs and scattered stands of old-growth Douglas fir and larch. It provides important winter habitat for mule deer; elk, cougars, bobcats, lynx, martens and grizzly bears also live there.

The BX Creek Trail offers a way to experience a river route from the mountains down to the valley floor. The BX Falls section is suitable for families and trail running. A six-kilometre return route from the Tillicum parking lot is listed. This specific distance can help with day planning; check current local conditions before setting out.

Lakes and grasslands

Kalamalka Lake is a marl lake: calcium carbonate crystals create its distinctive blue and green colours. At kilometre 4 on the Okanagan Rail Trail, at Kalamalka Lake, there is a developed information and learning site. The combination of lake and informational focus gives a visit there a different emphasis from a summit hike or river route.

Further into North Okanagan, the Grasslands Trail at the Allan Brooks Nature Centre passes through one of the region’s rare and endangered native grassland ecosystems. These grasslands provide habitat for wildlife, pollinators, birds, reptiles and native plants. Opening hours may change, so check them before your visit.

Culture and seasonal offerings

The Armstrong Spallumcheen Museum and Art Gallery is located in Armstrong’s historic downtown. A permanent exhibit of Indigenous artifacts, stories and information offers a cultural focus alongside the landscape experiences. On the Rail Trail, the information and learning site at Kalamalka Lake provides a different emphasis: interpretation along the trail is the focus there, while the museum houses an exhibit downtown.

In summer, Silver Star offers lift-accessed downhill mountain biking, enduro rides such as Beowulf, technical single-track trails and fast, flowing cross-country routes. Conditions and operations vary by season. Further into North Okanagan, the Caravan Farm Theatre stages original productions on a working farm, set against the region’s landscape. Its cultural program is seasonal; current productions vary.

Planning your trip

If you’re looking for a hotel in North Okanagan, you can plan your outings around your interests: for example, a designated six-kilometre return route, summit and valley views, lake and grassland themes, or a museum and seasonal cultural program. The offerings also differ in their planning requirements: summer is specified for Silver Star, opening hours at the Grasslands Trail may change, and the Caravan Farm Theatre varies its program. This can help you decide before booking which experiences you want to shape your stay.

Discover more destinations: Enderby, Vernon, Armstrong, Lumby, Cherryville, Powell River, Central Kootenay, Comox-Strathcona.

Return to the main travel overview: British Columbia.