Kimberley has become a new destination fav. for us, so much so that we've started spending many of our summer long weekends here. There's great camping, a wide variety of trails for hiking + biking, and you can easily get a lakeside picnic site on a summer weekend.
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| Family Adventure Bucket List for Kimberley, BC (photo: St. Mary's Lake) |
I've had many requests for this guide, so here you go friends. Enjoy! This guide will be updated annually as well so keep it handy.
This guide has been updated for 2023 with new activities.
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| Spring is a beautiful time to visit Kimberley for the sunflowers |
Destination Introduction to Kimberley, BC
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| Kimberley is an incredible adventure destination! (Photo: Kimberley Nature Park) |
Where to Camp in Kimberley
We've found an amazing gem of a private campground, the Kimberley Riverside Campground, located just outside town.
Highlights of camping here include:
- They have huge wilderness style campsites! Nobody is parking their RV in a paved parking lot, the sites are surrounded by trees, and most sites have good privacy. This isn't your traditional "private campground" where the resort has paved a large field and painted lines on the pavement for each trailer.
- You can set up a trailer or tent on most sites. There are no "trailer only" sites so you can camp side by side with friends who may be camping differently than you (a challenge we always face because we want a full hook up site for our trailer, but still want to camp near our friends who sleep in a tent.)
- Most sites are full service (power, water, sewer) - and as mentioned above, you can put a tent on these sites which is great news for those who need access to power while tenting (even if just to charge devices) or want to fill up water jugs right at their site.
- It’s a private campground that takes reservations a full year in advance for zero stress bookings! Their online booking system is easy to use and there's never a queue to wait in. I do recommend booking early though for long weekends and peak summer camping. We always book a year in advance. (Just check the cancelation policy if you aren't 100% sure about committing that far out.)
- All sites have fire pits (something that is shockingly rare at many private campgrounds.)
- There’s a heated swimming pool, mini golf course ($,) hiking trails all around camp, and you’re on the St. Mary River for fishing.
- They have glamping tents and RV rentals.
- St Mary's Lake is just up the road for serene paddling, the Kimberley Nature Park is across the road for endless biking and hiking, Bootleg Mountain is nearby for downhill mountain biking, and there’s a golf course just down the road.
- You can rent e-bikes, kayaks, or SUPs from camp.
- The campground is always quiet. We camp here over long weekends, and we never have to put up with loud neighbors, parties, obnoxious music, etc. It's a fabulous family campground. - So if you want to have a party at your campsite, please choose a different campground!!
Visit the campground website to make a reservation or to read more about the campground.
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| Camping at the Kimberley Riverside Campground |
Hiking around Kimberley
We're just beginning to discover the amazing hiking trails around Kimberley. Below are some of our favourites so far.
Hiking around the Kimberley Nature Park
Follow this link to visit the official website for the nature park. There you can view maps and get trail suggestions. There are several trailheads for the nature park, including one that is directly across the road from the Kimberley Riverside Campground.
Personally, I like to use the Trail Forks app which is primarily a mountain biking app. Most of the trails in the nature park are designated for shared use (biking and hiking) and Trail Forks is the best resource for piecing together different trails to come up with a loop to bike or hike. Some of the trails are described on the All Trails app, but it isn't as detailed.
See the Nature Park on Trail Forks. - and note that you need to pay for a subscription to use this app on your phone, but you can use it for free on a computer.
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| Bear Hill, one of the many viewpoints in the Kimberley Nature Park |
Our favourite Nature Park Hikes:
Sunflower Hill - The trailhead for this is across the highway from the Kimberley Riverside Campground. We did this 4 km loop from camp one evening and it took us an hour. The trail is especially beautiful in spring when the Balsam root sunflowers are in bloom. They usually peak around the middle of May - the May long weekend.
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| This is what you'll see on Sunflower Hill at the end of May! |
SW Passage Viewpoint - You can access this viewpoint from the Kimberley Riverside Campground as an extension from Sunflower Hill or by just hiking up the Jimmy Russell Trail. Jimmy Russel is part of the Great Trail and is a wide double track gravel road. It climbs 200 metres over 3 km.
To access the viewpoint, turn off the Jimmy Russell Trail when you reach the SW Passage junction. From there it's a short climb to reach the beautiful viewpoint with a bench. It's my favourite spot in the nature park.
To create a loop, return on the Sunflower Hill trail.
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| SW Passage Viewpoint |
Myrtle Mountain - Hikers looking for a longer day hike will like this outing. My husband and I hiked/ran the trail one afternoon and it was a great adventure from camp.
From the campground, drive or walk to the trailhead across the road and start hiking up the Jimmy Russel Trail to Duck Pond. From the Duck Pond Trail you'll take Skid Row to SW Passage (where you can visit the SW Passage Lookout.) Continue climbing the SW Passage trail until you come to the final junction for Myrtle Mountain (Mountain Mine.)
The round trip distance is ~ 7 km and it took us about 2.5 hours at a fast pace, visiting both SW Passage and Myrtle Mountain. A loop can be made with Sunflower Hill as well.
This trail can be biked as well if you're strong at climbing and comfortable with rooty/rocky terrain. My boys did a traverse from town via Army Road and the full Mountain Mime Climb. They then descended SW Passage to return to camp.
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| Myrtle Mt. is the best viewpoint in the Nature Park |
Discover other trails on the Tourism Kimberley website.
I also recommend stopping in at the visitor centre where you can grab paper maps if you aren't a fan of apps.
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| An easy mountain to "climb" |
Hiking around Marysville and Wycliffe
There are two hikes that we like in this area and both are a short drive from Kimberley heading south towards Cranbrook.
Marysville Falls - This trailhead is very close to the Kimberley Riverside Campground and it's a great evening hike to see a beautiful waterfall and several smaller cascades on Mark Creek. The trail is only 0.5 km round trip and easy for young children. You can reach Marysville Falls in 10 minutes. This is also a great hike if it's raining and you're looking for something fun to do.
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| Marysville Falls |
Wycliffe Buttes - This hike is especially beautiful in spring when the Balsam root sunflowers are in bloom, but the viewpoint at the top of the butte is always beautiful. There are a couple of benches when you reach the top of the butte along with a couple of very photographic trees!
The link above shows the loop route that we took following the All Trails app. The loop is 4 km with 160 metres of very gradual climbing.
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| Funky old trees on top of the Wycliffe Buttes Trail |
You can also read more about the trail on the Tourism Cranbrook website where two different routes are described. Both routes go to the top of the Butte. The loop is more gradual though and the trail circles around the back of the lookout rather than climbing straight up the front side.
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| The Wycliffe Buttes Trail is a family favourite of ours near Kimberley |
Hikers looking for a longer outing can also continue from the Wycliff Butte to reach a second butte, Lone Pine hill. We did a loop, hiking to Wycliffe Butte first, continuing on to the second butte, and then returning straight along the fence line past the first butte. The loop was ~ 8.5 to 10 km long and took us a couple of hours. It's generally easy hiking.
The trail to the second butte is generally easy to follow but I would recommend downloading the All Trails route to make sure you stay on trail.
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| Lone Pine Hill, a second butte to visit beyond Wycliffe Butte |
Hiking around Cranbrook
Cranbrook is a short 20 minute drive south from the Kimberley Riverside Campground so we spent a lot of time biking and hiking here on a recent camping trip.
My favourite hike here so far takes you to the top of Eager Lookout.
Technically the Eager Lookout trail is a multi-use biking/hiking trail but I can't imagine biking it. I think it's a much nicer hike. You'll follow a wide double track old road/route to the top of a beautiful viewpoint with benches. The hike is less than 3 km round trip with only 130 metres of climbing.
This is another pretty one in spring when the sunflowers are in bloom.
Visit the Cranbrook Tourism website for more hiking suggestions in this area.
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| Eager Lookout is sunflower heaven in May! |
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| Wildflowers are the highlight of this hike in spring |
Biking around Kimberley
The North Star Rails to Trails path is a converted railway trail, 25 km in length, and completely paved. Start in Kimberley and it is all downhill to Marysville. From here there is a wee bit of uphill but it is mostly flat to Wycliffe. From Wycliffe, you will descend and then climb back up from the St. Mary River Bridge. Once you finish the climb back up, it is relatively flat again until you reach Cranbrook.
There is very little shade on this trail so bring lots of water or else bike it on a cooler day. Starting early is also a good idea before it gets too hot.
When we last rode this trail, my husband parked in Cranbrook and then biked back up the trail to meet us. This meant that he didn't get to ride the whole trail with us but at least we had our truck at the end.
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| Biking on the North Star Rails to Trails Path |
There are a couple of hills to climb that could be walked by young children or beginner riders, but I love the flowy ending to the ride as you descend back down to the trailhead (clockwise direction.)
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| Mountain biking at the Kimberley Nordic Centre |
I started out on this one but personally found it to be way too rocky and rough. I escaped on ski trails while my boys finished it. They completed the loop but they also found it to be unpleasantly rocky on all of the climbs. They said the first two descents were "unremarkable" but the third one was a lot of fun with flowy berms, jumps, and rollers. (So there is a reward if you manage to complete the loop.)
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| Enjoying one of the viewpoints at the Kimberley Nordic Centre on "Magic Line" |
We found the trails in the Nature Park to be quite rocky and challenging, but families will enjoy the two traverses that we have completed.
Check out the map of the area on Trail Forks to see the trails below.
- SW Passage Traverse from the Nordic Centre
We started from the Nordic Centre on the Spruce Trail, a multi-use double track trail that's part of the lit loop for cross-country skiing in winter. (Starting at the Nordic Centre allows you to start high for less height gain when traversing into the Nature Park.
From Spruce, we followed a few singletrack cross-country ski trails, open to multi-use traffic in summer. We followed the Horse Trail, Roy's Cut and Mussers. These trails took us to the boundary with the Nature Park.
Once officially in the Nature Park, we took Higgins Hill, a short connector trail that I walked much of due to the rocky descent. And all this, to finally reach the Army Road, part of the TransCanada Trail (or the Great Trail as it's now called.)
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| Easy scenic riding on the Army Road in the Nature Park |
The Army Road is a beautiful double track trail that traverses through the entire Nature Park. It is great for families or beginner mountain bikers. The section we rode took us through a beautiful lush forest and we felt miles from civilization.
You can also get on the Army Road lower down in the City of Kimberley at the Swan Street Trailhead where you start on the Lower Army Road. We just wanted to start higher up to avoid extra climbing.
We took the Army Road to Jimmy Russell, another section of the Great Trail, and also a wide double track trail that's great for novice riders. From here we were able to hop on the SW Passage Trail, our objective for the ride.
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| Our objective for the ride: The SW Passage Viewpoint |
The SW Passage Trail only climbs 45 metres but I found it too steep to ride. After this, we took the short SW Passage Viewpoint Trail to reach a fabulous lookout that I encourage all families to either hike or bike to. Apparently this trail only climbs another 13 metres, but again, it is straight up, and there's no way any of us could ride it. (Though my boys did ride down.)
My recommendation is to bring a bike lock and to leave the bikes at the junction of Jimmy Russell and the SW Passage Trail. Continue on foot for the final 500 metres of distance. (It was a long ways to push one's bike!)
From the top of the viewpoint we walked/rode back down to Jimmy Russell and continued all the way down to the bottom, ending across the road from the Kimberley Riverside Campground where we were staying. My husband rode back across the park for the truck.
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| Riding down the SW Passage Viewpoint Trail |
- Sunflower Hill Traverse from the Swan Street Trailhead Entrance
Most people just climb up to Sunflower Hill from the Kimberley Riverside Campground and return the same way. All I can say for our excuse is that we don't like climbing if there's a way to avoid it. And we wanted to see more of the Nature Park in another big traverse.
We followed the Lower Army Road, a double track section of the Great Trail, from Swan Street until we reached the Ponderosa Trail, another double track trail but with steeper climbing. We got back on the Lower Army Road and connected on to Eimer's Road so that we could check out Eimer's Lake (not much to see in reality.)
Our goal from there was to reach Elbow, and eventually the Forest Crowne Through Road. Everything we rode was double track easy riding and we were able to traverse much of the nature park without any technical riding.
Sunflower Hill was the objective for the ride and it was a beautiful ridge which we loved riding across. Then the ride down to the campground was a lot of fun as well.
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| Scenic riding along the ridge on Sunflower Hill |
However you reach Sunflower Hill, it is a viewpoint I highly recommend hiking or biking to, and you'll only gain 126 metres if you decide to ride up from the campground. The grade is pretty gentle too.
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| Riding down the Sunflower Hill Trail in the Nature Park |
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| We spend hours at the Kimberley Bike Park |
"Kimberley's newest machine built trail is a 1.5km downhill/ flow/ jump trail. This trail can be ridden by all riders and has nice smooth dirt with very few rocks. The 44 features include tons of table tops and a gap jump over a big fallen tree, as well as one over a rock garden. Every big feature has an easier alternate line. This trail has 40 berms from top to bottom with the biggest ones being 6+ ft high." - Trail Forks
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| Kimberley's premier downhill trails at Bootleg Mountain |
"Built as an option for riders who want to progress a bit higher and more advanced than Nimby (Miss Demeanour). This new trail is fast and fluid with giant berms and terrific tabletops for intermediate riders." - Trail Forks
Safe to say, if you don't like berms or tabletops, you'll want to give Bootleg a pass. (I was content to be the shuttle driver for these rides.)
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| Starting off on the beginning of PPP, high up on Bootleg Mountain |
Biking on the Cranbrook Trail Network
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| Easy family-friendly biking on the Chief Isadore Trail |
"This is an easy beginner trail that is 1.2 metres wide that climbs at 3 - 5 % from the Chief Isadore Trail to the Kettle Lake parking lot. The lower part of the trail can also be linked with Elephant Run to make a nice 3.8 km beginner loop.This makes for a great first ever downhill run. This trail is also a part of the Cranbrook Great Trail Loop" - Trail Forks
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| Pilsit is a fabulous flowy beginner mountain bike trail |
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| Biking through the Cranbrook Community Forest |
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| Rainy day biking around Sylvan Lake |
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| College of the Rockies bike park and flow trails |
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| Easy biking across the Cranbrook Community Forest |
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| Padawan is a great mountain bike trail for novice riders |
Lake Fun and Paddling around Kimberley
1. St Mary's Lake
St Mary's Lake is the closest option and is just up the road from the Kimberley Riverside Campground. It is a large lake and a beautiful destination for paddling on a calm day. Watch the wind before you head out too far into the middle of the lake.
There are lakeside picnic sites as well, but the beach area is rocky and there is no sand. The water is also pretty chilly so this is not really a "swimming lake."
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| St Mary's Lake is a beautiful spot for paddling near Kimberley |
2. Wasa Lake
For an awesome day trip, head north to Wasa Lake where you'll find a beautiful sandy beach and warm water for swimming. The lake is 45 minutes to the north so pack a lunch and plan to spend the day here. The lake also allows motor boats for tubing and other water sports.
Take a good shower after swimming here because swimmer's itch can be a problem.
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| Family-friendly Wasa Lake |
3. Lazy Lake
And near Wasa Lake, a visit to Lazy Lake will get your heart pumping! This incredible lake has cliff jumping, an amazing rope swing, and is a great place to paddle around with no loud motor boats. There is also a healthy painted turtle population.
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| Lazy Lake is one of our favourite day trips from Kimberley |
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| Cliff jumping at Lazy Lake |
There's also a small FCFS campground here (see the link above for more information) or you can camp at nearby Wasa Lake which takes reservations.
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| Turtle Rock is a fun paddle stop in the middle of the lake |
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| Lazy Lake is our fav. lake near Kimberley |
Note for Lazy Lake:
- You'll need paddleboards, kayaks, or a canoe to move around the lake between the rope swing (opposite side of the lake from the day use area) and the cliff jumping (which is near the day use parking lot.) Only small motorized fishing boats are allowed for power boats.
- There is also no beach here, so this is purely a paddling/ destination.
- There is no picnic area so don't plan to show up with the entire extended family. There are no picnic tables, there is one pit toilet in the parking lot, and there is no area to set up a picnic or have a BBQ. There is a small fishing dock and then a small rocky beach area near the day use parking lot (intended for launching boats.)
- Please park in the day use area and leave the campground on the other side of the lake for registered guests.
- There is a path leading down to the water from the day use parking lot, but be prepared to hike your gear/boats down to the lake. It's only ~200 metres or so down to the lake, but be prepared to take a few trips if you have kayaks or a canoe.
- This is a quiet, peaceful lake. Locals would appreciate your cooperation with this. So leave the bluetooth speaker behind.
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| Rope swing at Lazy Lake |
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| Lazy Lake has a healthy painted turtle population |
4. Peckham's Lake in Norbury Provincial Park
We recently visited Norbury Provincial Park near Fort Steele and discovered a great gem for swimming, paddling, and fishing. There is a small rocky beach area, a fishing dock, and grassy areas where you can set up a picnic blanket. The water is also deep enough at the end of the dock for jumping off (always fun for the kids.)
Power boats are prohibited so this is a peaceful lake.
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| Peckham's Lake in Norbury Provincial Park |
There was one picnic table I believe, and the day use area was relatively small, so I would choose a different lake if you wanted a picnic with a larger group.
There is also a campground here and reservations can be made in advance.
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| Peckham's Lake is chilly but good for a hot day! |
5. JimSmith Lake
JimSmith Lake is located just outside Cranbrook and the day use area has been recently renovated with a beautiful sandy beach and new playground. This lake is great for swimming, fishing, and paddling. Bonus, there are no motor boats on this lake so it's a serene place to kayak or stand up paddle.
There is also a campground in the provincial park and reservations can be made in advance.
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| Peaceful paddling on JimSmith Lake |
6. Moyie Lake
Moyie Lake is a large lake south of Cranbrook where motor boats and related water sports are permitted. Don't expect a serene paddling experience as a result, and the lake can get very wavy when it's windy.
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| Playing in the waves on Moyie Lake |
We loved the sandy beach in the provincial park, and swimming in the waves was very fun. Overall, it's a beautiful lake and the day use area is huge for an extended family gathering or large group picnic. There is also an ice-cream/slushie truck on site.
There is also a great campground here, and reservations can be made in advance.
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| Moyie Lake has a large sandy beach |
The Lake Koocanusa Waterpark is an hour and a half away, but it was one of our favourite trips from Kimberley. I wouldn't make the trip if we were just camping for a couple of nights, but if you're in Kimberley for a week, it's a great destination for a day on the water.
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| The Lake Koocanusa Water Park at the Sunshine Marina |
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| This inflatable waterpark will be your child's fav. highlight from their vacation |
Reservations can be made in advance online, and adults are welcome to sit on the dock to watch without paying. We like to book the first time slot of the day which is a bit cheaper because the play time is only an hour and a half. The other time slots allow for 2.5 hours of playing. - personally, 1.5 hours is plenty and you'll be exhausted after that time anyway. And it's always quieter first thing in the morning.
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| Now THIS is a day at the beach! |
And a warning if you don't like long drives from camp, don't show your kids the photos of this park. And be careful of taking them as a "one time treat" because they will want to go every single year!
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| The slides are HUGE! |
The Tourism Cranbrook website has other suggestions for lakes in the area for boating, fishing, beach fun, and paddling.
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| You could spend a week exploring the lakes around Kimberley! (Photo: Lazy Lake) |
Dining, Coffee shops, and Restaurants in Kimberley
I have to confess that we haven't eaten out a lot in Kimberley but we do have a few favourite spots we like to visit.
For casual (but super delicious food) we always go to the Pedal and Tap Restaurant in the Platzl downtown. I highly recommend the Mucked up fries and the spaghetti balls. Order the burgers if you have a big appetite (and an even bigger mouth - seriously they're ginormous!)
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| The Platzl downtown is a great place to find food, coffee, and to go for a stroll |
For fine dining, it has to be the Old Bauernhaus Restaurant, an authentic Bavarian restaurant housed in an authentic German barn which was dismantled and shipped to Canada.
For a good cup of coffee, we always head to the Snowdrift Café in the Platzl downtown.
For a full list of options here, please visit the Tourism Kimberley website.
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| The chicken burger and mucky fries from the Pedal and Tap |
Other Fun activities around Kimberley
Below are a few other suggestions to keep the kids occupied.
Swimming in the Flume, downtown Kimberley - The Mark Creek Flume is a great place to cool off on hot days in Kimberley.
Note the water would be over the head of most children so bring life jackets if your kids can't swim and watch them carefully.
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| Kimberley's "outdoor swimming pool" |
Tourism Kimberley has more suggestions for family fun as well on their website including the underground mining railway in town, golfing, visiting the Kimberley aquatic Centre, rafting, and horseback riding.
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| The Marysville Falls Hike is a great family outing! |
