Discover opportunities for birding, hiking, cycling and stargazing beyond the beaches and wineries
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Known for its wine and California vibes, Kelowna summers tend to revolve around lake days and tasting rooms. Point in fact—I’ve lived here seven years and we always hit a beach and go wine touring when guests come to town.
But I recently discovered a few new-to-me activities—and tried a couple of old standbys a different way — during a staycation at Kelowna’s oldest resort, the historic Hotel Eldorado. It was a good reminder of why my family moved here: easy access to nature and all of the pursuits that are possible when wildlife, water and forest trails are close at hand.
Here are some ideas for adventuring beyond the beach this summer.
Birdwatch at Robert Lake
North of town, Robert Lake Regional Park packs a lot of birdlife into its two hectares of water ringed by cattails and bulrushes.
“Every morning you come here is different,” said Kalin Ocaña, a bird expert and interpreter with the Regional District of Central Okanagan. “You just never know what’s going to drop in.”
On a spring morning we saw yellow-headed blackbirds calling from the bulrushes, American coots waddling across a grassy field, and male Ruddy ducks blowing bubbles through their bright blue bills in an effort to impress the ladies.
Those were just a few of 296 bird species Ocaña has spotted there—the highest species total of anywhere in Kelowna. Other good birding spots include Rotary Mark Park downtown and “Secret” Beach where Mission Creek empties into Okanagan Lake.
Stargaze at a Nocturnal Preserve
High above the city, the Johns Family Nature Conservancy protects 162 hectares of land that was donated by Kelowna residents Alfred and Nancy Johns in 2013. Now a popular hiking and rock climbing spot, the park was named Canada’s third Nocturnal Preserve by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in 2023.
The Regional District of Central Okanagan offers night programs in the park in the spring and fall, and will be leading a full moon hike there on July 18.
Paddle on Okanagan Lake
Early in the morning, before jet skiers and splashing youngsters take over the water, Okanagan Lake is a glassy surface perfect for paddling. I set out in a kayak from the private beach shared between the Manteo and Eldorado resorts, and glided north past Rotary Beach Park and Boyce-Gyro Beach Park, one of only two boats on the water.
More ambitious kayakers can tackle part of Kelowna’s 27 kilometre long paddle trail that passes three lakeside resorts, two bird sanctuaries and numerous beaches. Regular buoys mark distances and alert paddlers to beach access points where they can rest or stop for a swim.
Cycle Myra Canyon
Thanks to Vos, I learned that the “viewing platforms” on the longer trestles were used to hold water barrels in case a steam locomotive sparked a fire back when the recreational pathway was a railway. Vos also took us through a historic KVR work camp and talked about the hardships faced by railway workers, including a diet of mostly bread that was baked in still visible rock ovens.
The family-run business also rents out bicycles, adult trikes and dual bikes for self-guided riding, and reserving ahead during summer is recommended. E-bikes are not part of the company’s arsenal.
“I want it to be more like slow travel,” said Vos, who encourages visitors to stop for pictures and views along the way.
Learn about indigenous plants
Syilx knowledge keeper Jasmine Peone led our small group through Rotary Marsh Park downtown where native plant species like wild rose, western red cedar, frog leaf, red willow and Oregon grape all grow in abundance. With a great blue heron looking on, she showed us plants that can be eaten (rose petals), turned into medicinal teas (burdock, rose hips), or used to make everything from fish traps (red willow) to axe handles (black hawthorn).
“You never know how nature might inspire you!” she said. Indeed!
Hike up a volcano
On a busy summer morning, Apex Trail in Knox Mountain Park can feel like the Grouse Grind. But locals know the best views are from the top of the city’s extinct volcanoes, and Knox—the closest to downtown—delivers the biggest reward for lake and city vistas.
The Okanagan Valley is a small rift valley that formed when tectonic plates pulled apart and released magma that formed a range of volcanoes. They have eroded over millions of years into the rounded humps of Mount Boucherie in West Kelowna, Spion Kop in Lake Country, and Knox, Dilworth and Black mountains in Kelowna. All are hikeable.
I trek to the top of Knox every spring when the yellow Okanagan sunflowers are blooming; in summer, get an early start to beat the heat or plan to cool off in the lake post-hike.
E-bike the new Boucherie pathway
After a quick lesson on how to use them, we set off toward Quails’ Gate. As a bonus, the e-bikes’ panniers can hold up to 12 bottles of wine (and throttle mode lets you effortlessly zoom back up the hill to Grizzli). Naturally, I purchased a few bottles to take home with me, and to sip between summer adventures.