The BEST of the Okanagan from Vernon to Penticton, British Columbia - updated 2025

Our favourite place to visit on our summer vacation is the Okanagan region of sunny British Columbia. We usually camp or find a place to stay near Penticton and then do day trips all around the valley from Kelowna down to Okanagan Falls or Oliver.

The Okanagan region offers up consistent sunny hot weather and we have enough fun things to keep us coming back every year.

My son will remember summer moments like this (photo: Swim Bay, Peachland)

We usually camp in Penticton so this guide is heavy on South Okanagan fun and attractions, but I have updated it many times, and it now includes options for family fun as far north as Vernon, and as far south as Oliver and Osoyoos.

This guide is updated annually, but websites change, businesses close or change their hours, and I can't always keep up, so check everything directly before planning your trip.

Jumping off an actual diving board into Okanagan Lake (Swim Bay, Peachland)

 Our Top Favourite Things to do in the Okanagan

This list is in no particular order, but it is the order you will find below if you want to scroll to any part of the guide.

1. Camping in the Okanagan

2. Biking the KVR Rail Trail from Penticton to Okanagan Falls (with bridge jumping and ice-cream!)

3. Biking the KVR Rail Trail from Naramata to Penticton (with tunnel extensions)

4. Naramata Beach Day

5. Paddling or Floating the Penticton Channel and Beach Fun at Skaha Lake

6. Beach Time on Okanagan Lake in Penticton 

7. Enjoying an Adventure Day in Peachland

8. Biking the Myra Canyon section of the KVR Rail Trail near Kelowna

9. Exploring Downtown Kelowna

10. Visiting the Gellatly Bay Outdoor Aquatic Centre in West Kelowna

11. Exploring Lake Country between Vernon and Kelowna

12. Winery Touring across the Okanagan

Beach camping at Wood Lake RV Resort in Lake Country

Camping in the Okanagan

We always camp in the Okanagan and for us it's come down to a couple of favourites.

RV Camping in the North Okanagan

In the North Okanagan, we discovered the Wood Lake RV Resort in Lake Country, ideally located between Vernon and Kelowna for easy exploring around a large area. This is probably the best campground we've found in the Okanagan, but know that you must have a self-contained trailer or RV to stay here. They do not allow tent camping, vehicle camping, or modified cargo trailers/ buses. Your RV must be registered as a Recreational Vehicle.

What we liked best about staying here is that the campground was quiet, clean, staff were exceptionally friendly,  we had full hookups, our site had shade, and you can easily book sites online using the CampSpot website (a reservation service that many of the top campgrounds use.)

There is a "dibs" reservation program, but campers have to stay for two weeks, on the exact same site, and over the exact same dates to take advantage of this advanced booking perk. That means that most people don't qualify, and therefore it's easy for anybody to get a GOOD beachfront site!! This is not a campground where somebody has to die before you can get a good site (Trust me, that is sadly a reality with many campgrounds in the Okanagan.)

This year, I got a beachfront site, right on the sand, and I only booked 6 months in advance (at most.) It was easy peasy and completely stress free.

Know that with all RV Campgrounds in the Okanagan, privacy is limited, space between trailers is tight, and you'll want to make friends with the neighbors. If this isn't your jam, look for a campsite in a provincial park. Unfortunately they don't have power, water, or sewer hookups at sites. So if you want full services, you have to go private (and accept the lack of privacy.)

Also check the campground policies carefully because many require a 7-night stay in summer (especially for beach sites.)

My campsite at Wood Lake. On the sand with the lake just steps away!

RV Camping in Penticton 

In Penticton we always stay at Wrights Beach Camp on Skaha Lake. It's definitely no Wood Lake, is much noisier, more crowded, and the space between trailers is even tighter! But, it's a place to camp, they have full hookups, and it's on beautiful Skaha Lake. We accept the downsides of staying at this zoo-like place when we camp here because options in Penticton are limited.

Getting a campsite at Wrights is much more difficult than at Wood Lake as well because the owners here are stuck back in the 1980s and they don't have official online bookings!! You have to actually pick up the phone and call the campground to make a booking, or you can fill out an online booking request, but staff still has to get back to you to make the reservation.

And, like with Wood Lake, they have a dibs policy where you can book for the following year before you check out if you book the same site/dates, but you only have to stay a week to take advantage of this perk. This means every single camper on the beach books ahead for the following year, and you'll never get one of the best sites. The bulk of beach sites are also reserved for their rental trailer fleet, so accept that you likely won't be on the sand if you camp here.

We did get a beach site one year, photo below, but our neighbors were so horrible, we gave up our site because we didn't want to ever see them again. 😆

Note Wrights allows all kinds of campers from tents to vans, RVs, roof top tents, etc. Bring whatever you've got. Just accept that you might not get a lot of sleep in a tent if your neighbors are noisy.

All waterfront sites require a minimum 7-night stay, Saturday to Saturday in the summer months.

Beachfront  camping at Wrights Beach Camp

Provincial Park Camping in the Okanagan 

Tenters will want to look at the provincial parks where sites are more private. Unfortunately none of the campgrounds have sites with power, so expect generators running a lot of the time because trailers will be using their AC in the hot summer months. And if you camp with an RV, you won't find any provincial sites with full hookups.

Popular campgrounds include Ellison, Kekuli Bay, Fintry, and Bear Creek in the north, and then Okanagan Lake and Sẁiẁs Provincial Park in the south.

My personal top picks would be Bear Creek (Kelowna,) Okanagan Lake (south of Peachland,) and Sẁiẁs Provincial Park (Osoyoos.) 

Visit the BC Parks website for more information and to book sites. 

For other RV Parks, the best way to find a campground is to pull up Google maps, and just start looking for campgrounds in the area you want to camp. Then visit their websites for more information. 

Lakefront camping in the Okanagan (Wrights Beach Camp)

Biking the KVR Rail Trail from Penticton to Okanagan Falls

An annual summer favourite, we love biking from Penticton to Okanagan Falls on the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) Trail. This section of rail-grade trail is relatively flat and travels right beside Okanagan Lake for scenic views much of the time. The trail is not paved but would hardly be considered "mountain biking" either. The only challenge you'll face is the odd sandy bit that can be walked across if need be.

Biking from Penticton to Okanagan Falls 

The distance of this ride is 13 km one way and we usually just ride it from Penticton to Okanagan Falls. Then an adult rides back for the vehicle while we are hanging out in Okanagan Falls at the beach or at Tickleberry's having ice-cream.

For a shorter ride, you can also start at the town of Kaleden and ride round trip to Okanagan Falls and back. The Kaleden to OK Falls section is the easiest part of the trail and is wider than the section from Penticton. It is better maintained over all (less overgrown) and generally better for novice riders.

For more on biking the KVR, read my previous story: Biking the Kettle Valley Railway from Kelowna to Osoyoos.

One of our first rides on the KVR from Penticton to Okanagan Falls

Highlights of this ride for my family:

• Jumping off of the trestle bridge just outside of Okanagan Falls. There is a gate on the bridge with ladders to climb back up.
  
  
• Hanging out at the Kenyon Park Beach in OK Falls (which also has a playground and spray park)
  
  
• Riding to Tickleberry's in OK Falls for Ice-cream (72 flavours!!)

Bridge jumping along the KVR outside Okanagan Falls

Biking the KVR Rail Trail from Naramata to Penticton 

The Little Tunnel on the KVR

The next section of the KVR that we love to ride each year is from Naramata to Penticton. This section of the trail is almost entirely all downhill and at a rail grade, makes for easy coasting. There are different places to start your ride from but I recommend doing it in the Naramata to Penticton direction with a shuttle set up or a family member willing to pick you up at the end. Alternately, an adult could ride back up for the car while you hang out in Penticton below.

The two most popular starts are from either Arawana Road or Smethurst Road near Naramata. The ride is approximately 10 km in length if you choose to stop as soon as you reach Penticton, conveniently finishing near the Bench Market. (Our usual ending spot for fabulous coffee and baked goods.)

The ride can also be extended into a 22 km distance (one way) by starting above the Little Tunnel (which I highly recommend!!) We LOVE riding through the Little Tunnel because how often do you get to ride through a real train tunnel on a bike?? The scenery from the tunnel is also some of the best on any stretch of the KVR. (I'd go as far as to say it is the best!)

And this is the link to the Glenfir parking lot above the Little Tunnel on Google Maps. My husband usually bikes with us to the tunnel and then climbs back up so he can drive and meet us lower down, allowing my son and I to ride one-way downhill towards Penticton.

If you have e-bikes you can easily ride to the Little Tunnel and back from the Smethurst Parking lot.

Riding through the Little Tunnel above Naramata

For more on biking the KVR from Naramata to Penticton (or from the Little Tunnel to either Naramata or Penticton,) check out my previous story: Biking the Kettle Valley Railway from Kelowna to Osoyoos.


Highlights of this ride and the Naramata area for my family:

• Riding through the Little Tunnel if you start above Naramata
  
  
• Stopping at Hillside Estate Winery below Naramata to sample local wines and grab a snack or lunch on the patio. There is even a path leading down to the winery from the KVR so don't worry about missing the exact spot you should leave the trail. (the path down to the winery is well signed!)
  
  
• Alternately, we've recently discovered Wesbert Winery which is just before Hillside. Exit the KVR on Riddle Road, cross the highway, and you're at the winery. They have a patio and they serve pizza. It's not "cheap" pizza, but it is really delicious (as is the wine.) 
  
  From Wesbert, just ride along the highway for a short stretch heading towards Penticton until you come to the pump track  below. Continue on the KVR from here. 
  
  
• Playing at the  Poplar Grove concrete bike park right across from the Hillside Estate Winery.
  
  
• Riding through orchards and vineyards below the pump track.

• Finishing our ride at the Bench Market, mentioned above. It seriously has the best coffee in Penticton.

Wine for me, kids' mac and cheese for him at Hillside Estate Winery

Concrete pump track by Hillside Estate Winery along the KVR

Riding through vineyards and orchards on the KVR

And 2025 Update: The Big Tunnel on the KVR above Naramata is finally open again after being closed to the public for 40+ years.

Stretching 487 metres, the Adra Tunnel is the longest along the Kettle Valley Railway Trail. It has motion sensor lights and cool train sound effects inside. 

Read more about the Adra Tunnel including how to access it. 

Outside the Adra Tunnel and ready to walk through

On our recent trip, we chose to drive to the Smethurst Staging Area to access Adra. You'll follow the Naramata Creek Forest Service Road, a rough gravel road that should be doable for most vehicles. From the staging area it is a 750-metre hike following the trail marked Sanchez. 

My boys biked the Sanchez trail while I hiked. Then they continued biking down to the Glenfir parking lot on the KVR while I hiked back to the truck, drove down and around, and met them at Glenfir. At Glenfir I started riding as well and we all rode to the Little Tunnel together.

From the Little Tunnel my husband climbed back up, and drove down to meet us at the Wesbert Winery for lunch. All in all, everybody got to ride part of the trail that day, and most of us didn't have to do any climbing in the heat.

With e-bikes, start at the Glenfir parking lot to climb up to the Adra Tunnel. From Glenfir it's a short out and back to the Little Tunnel as well. Alternately, start at the Smethurst parking lot lower down on the Naramata Creek FSR and climb to both tunnels.

Inside the Adra Tunnel

Naramata Beach Day

We always head to Naramata near Penticton for some beach time at Manitou Park. This beach is much less busy than the Penticton or Kelowna beaches, has grass, shade, two playgrounds (one directly beside the beach,) and picnic tables. There is also a great jumping dock  to swim out to.

Manitou Beach is one of the best beaches near Penticton

We also like visiting the wharf in town that you can jump off. Super fun!! And you can paddle between the wharf and Manitou Park if it's a calm day and not too windy.

Jumping off the wharf in Naramata - a vacation highlight!

After our time at the beach, we like touring local wineries on the Naramata Bench. And there are a LOT to choose from. (See the winery section further below.) 

Manitou Beach has a great dock to swim out to (and jump off!)

Paddling or Floating the Penticton Channel and Beach Fun at Skaha Lake

An annual tradition! You can pick up your own floatie, raft, or inflatable water vessel at Canadian Tire in Penticton and then head down to the channel for a couple hours of peaceful floating while you say hi to the local duck and geese population.

Floating the Penticton Channel

The only challenge for this outing is finding a way to get back to your vehicle at the end of your float. We've found a few options for this one.

A. Have an adult bike back (stash a bike at Skaha Beach ahead of time) while the rest of the family hangs out at Skaha Beach.

B. Pay for the shuttle for at least one adult from Coyote Cruises and rent tubes as well if you need. 

Or, if you're lucky, perhaps you have a family member in your group who doesn't want to do the float and is quite happy to just pick you up at the end. Or you have two vehicles in your group and you can set up a shuttle. (We've done both of the above before.)

Peaceful floating down the Penticton Channel 

Tip for floating the channel: Go early! We always go in the morning before the crowds descend on this tiny channel. Otherwise you'll be playing bumper boats with the masses. 

The channel is also great on stand up paddleboards if you go in the morning or evening. If you're lucky you might even see a beaver or two.

Paddling the channel is fun on a stand up paddleboard

Highlights of Beach Time at Skaha Lake

Skaha Lake Beach and Sudbury Beach are both nicely situated at the end of the channel and have fabulous sandy beaches. They also have docks for jumping off of (a priority for my family when searching for a beach) and slides for little tots along the water's edge. Stand up paddleboards can be rented at Sudbury Beach as well which is a nice bonus.

Beautiful Skaha Beach 

Beach Fun at Sudbury Beach, Skaha Lake

Other highlights would include walking, scooting, or biking along the paved pedestrian pathway along Skaha Lake over to the big playground and splash park at the far end of Skaha Lake Beach. En route you'll pass a Tickleberry's Ice-cream kiosk and a smaller "nature playground." 

No trip to the Okanagan is complete without at least one Tickleberry's visit!

Skaha Lake Park Playground

 

Beach Time on Okanagan Lake in Penticton 

Now that you've spent time at Skaha Lake, it's time to head to Okanagan Lake on the other side of Penticton.

Highlights of this area for my family:

• Beach time beside the lake (great sand and docks for jumping off)

• WIBIT Aqua Park!!  This one starts out fairly affordable if you have young children because kids 7 and under get a free parent supervisor. After that the price goes up when you have to pay for adults to go play with the kids, but it's always a huge highlight for my son and one of the things he most looks forward to doing in the Okanagan.
  
  Also, know that when you purchase a day pass, it's good for ALL Wibit aqua parks in the Okanagan, so you could visit both Penticton and Peachland's parks in the same day. Kelowna and Osoyoos also have parks, if you're doing a longer day trip.
  
  You could drive to Kelowna in the morning, spend the day there, and then still visit the Penticton park late afternoon into the evening. 

Wibit aqua park on Okanagan Lake

• Mini Golf and other fun attractions at Loco Landing. While not entirely "cheap" it's pretty hard to say no to a couple of adventures at this theme park when the kids see it and immediately start begging to go check it out. What I love best about this place is that you can buy a value pass and let the kids try everything. The pass covers every activity in the park including Mini-Golf, Go-Karts, the High-level Ropes Course and any 7 Fun Zone activities!
  
  
• Finally, we always end our Okanagan Lake day by heading across the street to Salty's Beach House. This restaurant/pub is family-friendly and has two fabulous patios! In the daytime, kids are welcome on both the upstairs and main street level patios, but in the evening they are only allowed on the bottom patio.
  
  And, they accept reservations! And you can indicate if you want to be on the patio. 
  
  

For more on Penticton and the surrounding area, check out Visit Penticton.

Mini golf at Loco Landing is a great family activity!

Playing on the High Ropes Course at Loco Landing

Enjoying an Adventure Day in Peachland

An epic day at the ZipZone

Searching for an epic zipline adventure in the Okanagan, brought us to the ZipZone in Peachland: Canada's highest freestyle zipline at 381 feet high.

The ZipZone promises (and delivers:) 

Six of the highest, longest , fastest, epic-est zip lines in Canada, criss-crossing the breathtaking Deep Creek Gorge. Breathtaking views, maximum exhilaration!"

We did all 6 lines and had a BLAST. After, we headed downtown Peachland to Swim Bay and spent some time cooling off in the lake.

Read about our adventure here: Vacation Fun in the Okanagan at the ZipZone, Peachland. 

Epic Ziplining in Peachland at the ZipZone

Visiting the Swim Bay Outdoor Aquatic Centre

Swim Bay is seriously one of the best destinations in the Okanagan for those who like jumping into lakes rather than spending their day building sand castles. Swim Bay doesn't have much for sand but more than makes up for it in cool stuff to do as a family!

The Swim Bay zipline is a LOT of fun!

Jump into Okanagan Lake off the high diving board, off of a zipline or rope swing, or off one of several docks.

Repeat. Many times. (And send somebody to grab coffee from the Bliss Bakery if you're going to be hanging out here for a while.)

The high diving board is fairly terrifying!

Visiting the Wibit Aqua Park in Peachland

We usually visit both the Penticton and Peachland wibits in the same day for an action packed water day. Both parks are included in the same price. 

The Peachland park is smaller than the Penticton park, but it's fun for an hour in the afternoon.

Peachland Wibit Aqua Park

For more on the area around Peachland, visit Destination Peachland and make sure you stop to visit a winery or two on your way home from the beach.

Playing on the rope swing at Swim Bay

Biking the Myra Canyon section of the KVR near Kelowna

Of all the sections of the Kettle Valley Railway, this is by far the most popular (and busiest) for good reason. In a short 8.5 km distance, you'll ride over 18 trestle bridges and through 2 tunnels between Myra Station and Ruth Station. It's a great ride for children and very well maintained (though certainly not paved.)

It's very easy to ride the round trip distance with kids from either trailhead because the trail is relatively flat.

Our first ride on the KVR back in 2013 (Myra Canyon)

Tips for this ride: Arrive very early to avoid the crowds. Also, make sure your children are ok with basic bike skills which would include being able to pass pedestrians safely as this section of trail sees a lot of foot traffic. The bridges are also shared with hikers, so novice riders should walk them when the trail is busy.

Note some of the photos below show narrow pathways across the bridges where wooden planks were placed down the middle for bikes. This was always challenging because they weren't wide enough for cyclists to pass one other, or for bikes and hikers to share the same space, resulting in many accidents (with fallen cyclists or collisions between bikes and hikers.)

I'm happy to say that every bridge now has wooden planks fully covering the bridge surfaces, making for easier passing, and for safe two-direction traffic. 

When we just rode this trail, 2025, every bridge was fully wide enough for easy passing and we never had to dismount from our bikes.

You get to ride across 18 trestle bridges!

For more on biking the KVR from Myra Station to Ruth Station check out my previous story: Biking the Kettle Valley Railway from Kelowna to Osoyoos

Bikes can also be rented at both trailheads for this bike ride.

The best bike ride in the Okanagan!

You get to ride through two train tunnels!

One of the two train tunnels on the Myra Canyon KVR ride

Other area highlights:

The Kelowna Mountain Bike Skills Park off of the Mission Creek Greenway is a great place to spend an hour or so. There's a pump track, jump park, and a wooden structure with ramps. Check out the map on the site above and plan your return route from Myra Canyon so that you pass by the bike park.

Kelowna Mountain Bike Park

Exploring Downtown Kelowna

We always spend at least half a day downtown Kelowna at the Kelowna City Park.

Highlights of this Visit:

• WIBIT Aqua Park - and this inflatable water park is the largest one in the Okanagan.
  
  
• Playing at the spray park playground (with zipline,) and skate park - all side by side at City Park
  
  
• Walking, along the paved waterfront pedestrian pathway between City Park and the Royal Kelowna Resort. (Look out for Ogopogo, the mythical sea creature that lives in Okanagan Lake.)
  
  
• Lunch or dinner at the Earl's rooftop patio. (And as with all popular restaurants, aim to arrive early for lunch or dinner if you want to get on the patio.)

The Kelowna wibit is the largest one in the Okanagan

For more on family fun in Kelowna, visit the Tourism Kelowna website.

Ogopogo and the annual photo with this fun sculpture downtown Kelowna

Visiting the Gellatly Bay Outdoor Aquatic Centre in West Kelowna

The Gellatly Bay Park is a recent new discovery for us, and it was a great way to cool down on our way back to Penticton after biking Myra Canyon.

Located in West Kelowna, this park has 3 diving platforms of different heights, a zipline over the water, and floating docks you can swim out to. There is also a small beach area. 

Gellatly Bay Wharf with diving platforms

We loved this park and the diving platforms were a lot of fun. My son loved the zipline.

Note there are no lifeguards on duty here so supervision of young children is imperative! The water is very deep and young swimmers should wear a life jacket.

Zipline at Gellatly Bay

Jumping off the highest diving platform

Exploring Lake Country between Vernon and Kelowna

There's no shortage of fun to be found between Vernon and Kelowna. Below are some of the highlights that we discovered while camping at the Wood Lake RV Resort: 

Biking the Okanagan Rail Trail between Vernon and Kelowna

The wide gravel trail is relatively flat and very family-friendly. Shade is limited though so choose a cooler day or go early. For an out and back ride, start at Kal Beach in Vernon, and ride to Kekuli Bay and back in 16 km return. The scenery doesn't change beyond Kekuli. 

Alternately, if you get somebody to pick you up at Wood Lake, the ride is approximately 17.5 km one way from Vernon to Oyama Road where I recommend lunch at either Pane Vino Pizzeria or the OKF Grill.

Biking the Okanagan Rail Trail from Vernon to Wood Lake

Stunning scenery on the Okanagan Rail Trail along Kalamalka Lake

Beach time in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park

My favourite beach was at Juniper Bay. It's a short walk down to the lake on a nice paved trail from the main parking lot. There are outhouse bathrooms down by the lake and children will find sand to play in. The water is emerald green and crystal clear.

From Juniper Bay you can paddle around Rattlesnake Point to Cosens Bay to the south, or you can paddle around the corner to Jade Bay to the north.

Note that the Juniper Bay beach gets ridiculously busy. Jade Bay also has a beach but the trail down isn't paved, so it sees fewer crowds. Alternately, hike over to Cosens Bay beach to escape even more people. Download a map of the area here. 

Emerald green water on Kalamalka Lake

Hiking to the summit of Skion Kop Mountain! 

From the summit you'll be able to look down over both Okanagan Lake and Wood Lake. The trail is steep to the tower, but it's very doable if you get an early start to beat the heat, AND make sure you take a photo of the map at the parking lot, and stick to the Arrowleaf Trail (both on the way up and down.)

We took a lot of random trails, and most of them went straight up! The Arrowleaf Trail winds it way gently up the mountain until you reach the Summit and Tower Trails.

The link above takes you to the All Trails website. Use the route as a "guide" but make sure you check out the map in the parking lot as well. The Arrowleaf Trail wasn't obvious from the parking lot. And the All Trails route is a loop, but honestly, unless you like steep and rubbly, follow the same trail up and down.

The hike only climbs 250m height if you drive up into the neighborhood to the Arrowleaf trailhead. Start at lake level and you'll be climbing more than double that!

This small summit provides the best views of the area and you'll see it everywhere you go in Lake Country.

Hiking shoes recommended. There are many rubbly sections on the trail. It's definitely not a trip to do in sandals.

Skion Kop Summit in Lake Country

Beach Day in Vernon at Kal Beach 

Of all the beaches between Vernon and Kelowna, this is hands down the best one for families. The sand is beautifully soft (and there's a large beach!) There's a long wharf you can jump off with ladders to climb back up, there's grass with trees to provide shade, there's a decent sized parking lot across the road (close enough that you won't need to load a gigantic wagon or make several trips,) and there's clean bathrooms. There's even a snack shack.

If you want to check out other beaches, I used the Tourism Vernon website where they have a great list of surrounding beaches with descriptions.

Kal Beach in Vernon

Bike Park Touring 

If you have kids who like pump tracks, jump lines, and bike skills parks, there are are two great ones in the area, one in Vernon, and one near Winfield. Both 100% free.

The Becker Bike Park in Vernon was our favourite. This park has a large asphalt pump track (that was empty in the middle of the day,) a progressive jump line with options for beginners through extreme advanced riders, a drop zone with a variety of sizes from small to large, and downhill flow trails.

And note the website isn't entirely accurate for what to expect at this park. I think it's been upgraded since the website was created. There is only one pump track, not three. 

In Calgary this park would have 50+ kids at it! 

Large jump line and 100% free to use 

It was the downhill flow trails that impressed us the most. The climb trail only gained 30 metres, but then you had options for descent from easy to advanced. The black trail had huge berms, jumps, and features. My son loved it and rode several laps.

I loved the flow trails because they were very accessible for youth who might not want to climb 500+ metres before finally reaching the top of a trail. And it was MUCH more affordable than going to a ski resort and paying for lift accessed riding.

The flow trails were a fabulous addition to this park! 

Next we visited the Lake Country Bike Park which just opened in 2025. 

The bike park features a very large progressive jump line, a large dirt pump track, a skills area with wooden features, and downhill flow trails. 

Wooden features at the Lake Country bike park

The flow trails weren't much though compared to the ones at the Vernon bike park. Visit this park if you like dirt pump tracks instead of asphalt, and if your kids like jump parks.

We haven't seen a dirt pump track in a long time!

Other Family-friendly activities in the Lake Country Area:  

• Lake Country Summer Concert Series - Enjoy live entertainment every Friday night all summer long in Swalwell Park, Winfield. We got to see an ABBA tribute band when we were there, and they were fabulous! 
  
  
• Kangaroo Creek Farm - Get up close to a variety of different exotic animals at this family park where you'll get to interact with the animals and even hold some of them. Meet kangaroos, wallabies, sugar gliders, birds, goats, capybaras, porcupines, and reptiles. It's a fun place to spend a day in Lake Country.
  
  And note the kangaroo photos below were taken a long time ago. I can't guarantee that the park still has (or always has) baby kangaroos that you can hold. Inquire directly with the park and maybe don't promise anything specific to the kids before visiting.
  
  
• Silver Star Mountain Resort - This large ski resort is open in the summer for lift accessed mountain biking and hiking. Visit their website for information on pricing and trails.
  
  
• Splash Down Vernon - Everybody loves waterslides and this is the only park between Vernon and Osoyoos. Note for the 2025 season, some of the slides are closed, pending approval to open, so check the website. Discount pricing is currently in effect. 
  
  
• Oyama Zipline Adventure Park - The park has 7 different ziplines including rope bridges, half-pipe slack lines and 3 exciting side-by-side racing lines. There's also an aerial obstacle park with 3 different courses and ziplines. And they have a smaller kids park for children ages 3-11.

Meeting the baby kangaroos at the Kangaroo Creek Farm

Who doesn't love a baby kangaroo!

Winery Touring across the Okanagan

We love winery touring while we're out in the Okanagan and we try to fit at least one winery tour in per day. Fortunately there are vineyards spread across the entire valley and there will always be a winery near your chosen activity for the day.

This sign always makes me laugh!

Notes for Winery Visits

• Some wineries won't allow children inside, so plan accordingly. There are usually picnic areas outside, so we just bring an I-pad and our son happily sits outside with his device (and he loves winery visits for this reason.)
  
  
• Bring something respectable to wear to the winery if you've been at the beach before. Shorts + a T-shirt are fine, but you'll want to cover up the swim suit.
  
  
• You should be able to visit most wineries for a tasting without a reservation. Groups should still make a reservation and it's a good idea to check the winery website before visiting.
  
  
• Check the hours of the winery before visiting! Most wineries have a couple of days each week where they are closed. 
  
  
• Do research before you visit! Most wineries will charge a tasting fee and you want to know how much that is before you visit. $5 is fine, but $10 per person really starts to add up quickly!!
  
  Also, some wineries will waive tasting fees if you purchase a bottle of wine afterwards (per person,) but we have visited many wineries that won't, and it ends up being a very expensive visit when they still expect you to buy wine after the tasting.
  
  
• I recommend checking out the prices per bottle of wine before visiting a winery. Many wineries have affordable wine, but some are very expensive! If you want your taisting fees waived at some wineries, you'll be expected to buy a bottle or two of wine (and I like to know if $40 is the starting cost for the cheapest bottle!)
  
  
• We enjoy visiting wineries with restaurants where we can order lunch and get a nice glass of wine alongside. Check the online menu before you visit though. Many of the menus have nothing on them that the average child (or even many adults) would eat! I don't want a $40 cheese platter for lunch.

Some of our favourite wineries include: 

Vernon:

One of our favourite wineries that we like to visit is Gray Monk, located north of Kelowna in Lake Country (conveniently close to the Kangaroo Creek Farm so that you can pair wine tastings and kangaroo hugging for your day outing.) Gray Monk also has a gorgeous patio and restaurant so we often visit for lunch. (after visiting the kangaroos.)

And on a recent visit we discovered that they have a Sunday brunch which we thoroughly enjoyed. (Make a reservation!)

Brunch at Gray Monk is divine!

Kelowna / West Kelowna:

We haven't visited this winery yet, but I just put Off the Grid Winery on my list for next year because they have farm animals and a food truck with poutine!! And the winery is friends' (The TV show) themed. Win win win!

Summerland:

Dirty Laundry is a great family-friendly winery where you can order pizza and even sample beer flights on their outdoor terrace.

I also like the Sleeping Giant Fruit Winery. 

And, on my list for the future:

• Veh oh lay Acres winery - They have casual affordable food and farm animals.)
  
  
• Summer gate - They have waffles on Sundays 

The pizza at Dirty Laundry is decadent! 

Penticton:

Farm Gate Winery is one of our absolute favourite wineries in the Okanagan. They're situated next to a fruit market south of Penticton in Kaleden and I'm pretty sure they don't charge for tastings (though we always leave with a case so wouldn't pay a fee anyway.)

They are predominantly a fruit winery, so if you don't like sweet wines, you probably won't love this one, but they make the most amazing wines for summer patio sipping - at a very affordable price!!

For a very reasonable price you can mix and match to create a box of 12 bottles of wine. It often comes down to less than $12 per bottle of wine! And it's good wine!! Amazing wine in fact. 

We LOVE the wine at the Farm Gate Winery

My son is a huge fan of the Covert Farms Family Estate Winery south of Penticton, where you'll find a giant bouncy pillow for the kids, farm games, animals, and a huge field to run around in after tasting the wine.

Other wineries of note:

• Play Estate Winery, Penticton - they have a patio and a menu filled with delicious appies including chicken wings!! 

Covert Farms Family Estate Winery

Naramata: 

A few notable mentions for families include:

• Hillside Estate with a patio for lunch, and located right on the KVR trail
  
  
• Wesbert Winery with pizzeria and easy to access from the KVR trail
  
  
• JoieFarm  with hot dog lounge - and I promise I'm not kidding!
  
  
• Bench 1775 which has a patio bistro with affordable snacks 
  
  
• Elephant Island - They have amazing fruit wines and ciders, and tastings are done on a shaded outdoor terrace Bring something to occupy the kids (books, I-pads, etc.) - And, they give children free fruit drinks.
  
  
• Chain Reaction Winery - Also has pizza and is bike themed
  
  

And if you're not a wine drinker, there is also a family-friendly brewing company located right along the KVR route. The Abandoned Rail Brewing Company serves pizza, and the kids will enjoy their fresh apple slushies.

Elephant Island is a great fruit winery

Oliver and the South Okanagan:

I have to give a shout out to my personal favourite winery, Silver Sage Winery, south of Oliver. We visit this winery every year, and come home with a box of wine each time. We love that there is no tasting fee, and you get to sample 10+ different wines (including dessert wine.) The wine makers do all of the tastings themselves and are extremely entertaining! This is not your average "stuffy" winery. Everybody has a good laugh and a fabulous time at their tastings.

Note the wine is definitely on the sweet side, which I love, but it won't appeal to all wine drinkers out there. If you like sweet wine, it is the best you'll find in the Okanagan for a very affordable price.

There's also a beautiful patio area for children to read books or play while you taste the wine.

Our fav. winery in the Okanagan

Another favourite winery, recently discovered is Platinum Bench near Oliver. Go for the bread, stay for the wine!

At this winery you get bread samples with your wine tasting, each bread perfectly paired to go with the glass of wine you're sampling. 

"Along with our delicious BC wines, we offer the unique addition of fresh artisan bread baked on site. We carefully cultivate our own sourdough starters, which we bake daily in delightful flavour combinations meant to pair with Platinum Bench wine"

Not only is their wine amazing, the bread is seriously to die for! Go early if you want to buy fresh bread. It sells out fast. Fortunately they usually have frozen bread you can buy (and with the Okanagan heat, it'll be thawed in time for dinner by the time you get back to your campsite!)

Other favourites include Nostalgia (Oliver,) Stag's Hollow (Okanagan Falls,) Hester Creek (Oliver,) Maverick Winery (Oliver,) Quinta Ferreira (Oliver,) and Lakeside Cellars (Osoyoos.)

We stock up on their wine every time we visit the Okanagan!

Winery visits allow you to sample so many different wines!

Note this guide was not sponsored and I wasn't paid to promote any of the businesses featured. I try to update this guide regularly, but individual websites should be visited before planning your trip to the Okanagan.

Enjoy your next trip to the Okanagan and let me know if I've missed something my family should check out next year when we travel west again for our annual summer vacation. I'm already counting down the months...