Regional & provincial parks
There are numerous regional and provincial parks in Kelowna and the surrounding area that you can enjoy.
Regional Parks
Regional Parks are managed by the Regional District of the Central Okanagan and include:
Bertram Creek Regional Park: Located on Lakeshore Road 1.5 kilometres past Cedar Creek Winery and 2.7 kilometres before Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park. Bertram Creek Regional Park is a 17.9-hectare site along the shore of Okanagan Lake that offers swimming, a boat beach, playgrounds and playing fields.
sntsk'il'ntən - Black Mountain Regional Park: Located on the eastern slopes of Kelowna, this park can be accessed via Joe Rich Road, Swainson Road, or Tower Ranch Road. The park features a network of trails through endangered grasslands, offering a unique hiking experience. Visitors can enjoy various trails ranging from easy to difficult, with opportunities for snowshoeing in the winter months. Dogs are permitted on-leash, and there are reduced maintenance services from November to March.
Johns Family Nature Conservancy Regional Park: Follow Chute Lake Road approximately 2.9 kilometres from the start of the gravel road to the Johns Family Nature Conservancy Regional Park sign and parking area. The 79.5-hectare Cedar Mountain park was combined with a 323-hectares land donation and renamed the Johns Family Nature Conservancy Regional Park in 2013.
Mill Creek Regional Park: The park is in the Ellison area of north-east Kelowna. To get there, drive past the airport on Highway 97N and turn right onto Old Vernon Road. Follow this for 1.1 kilometres, continuing straight onto Spencer Road for another 450 metres. The parking lot is accessed via a gravel road on the right. The 15.3-hectare Mill Creek Park offers a cool and quiet trail system that follows Mill Creek into a series of waterfalls. There is a picnic area and dogs are permitted on-leash.
Mission Creek Greenway: There are numerous access points to the 16.5-kilometre Greenway including ones off of Lakeshore Road, Gordon Drive (parking in the Mission Sportsfield), Casorso, KLO Road, Springfield Road at Durnin Road, Ziprick Road (parking area), Graham Road, Gerstmar Road (parking area), Tamarack Drive, Creek Street, Hollywood Road, Pasadena Road, East Kelowna Road, Hollywood Road south (trailhead and parking area) and in Scenic Canyon Regional Park (parking lot off Field Road). Mission Creek Greenway is a green corridor that provides year-round access to the outdoors. Each day more than 1,000 people use the trails for walking, running, biking, horseback riding and wildlife viewing.
Robert Lake Regional Park: Located at the end of Curtis Road (accessed off of Sexsmith Road) in north Kelowna. Robert Lake is a conservation park and, because of the sensitive ecosystem, there is no access or trails leading to the lake. There is an information kiosk and viewing area for birdwatchers equipped with binoculars or scopes. The time of the year will dictate what species may be migrating through or nesting.
Stephens Coyote Ridge Regional Park: Park access is located off the west side of Glenmore Road, across from the landfill in north Kelowna. Stephens Coyote Ridge Regional Park contains 102 hectares of forests, grasslands and ponds. It’s largely untouched by weeds and is pristine habitat for wildlife. There are hiking and biking trails, and wildlife viewing opportunities available in the park.
Provincial Parks
There are two major Provincial Parks near the City of Kelowna:
Myra-Bellevue Canyon (Kettle Valley Rail Trestles): The primary trailhead is off Stewart Road East. Access to the Myra Canyon trestles is from Myra Forest Service Road or from June Springs Road and Little White Forest Service Road. The lower portion of the park, off Stewart Road, is popular with mountain bikers. The higher trailheads offer access to the famous Kettle Valley Railway trestles and tunnels, as well as the escarpment of Little White Mountain. Other activities include horseback riding, hunting, wildlife viewing and winter recreation.
Okanagan Mountain Park: Access is by boat from Okanagan Lake or from Kelowna via Lakeshore Road. A boater's paradise, this park dominates the east side of Okanagan Lake between Kelowna and Penticton. Six marine campgrounds, secluded bays and sheltered sandy beaches tucked into the 33 kilometres of undeveloped shoreline make water exploring a true adventure. Above the lakeshore is over 10,000 hectares of rugged landscape with mountain lakes, grasslands and spruce-fir forests accessible only on foot, horseback or bicycle. Trails and rustic campsites are the only facilities available.
