All in Hiking
Bertram Creek Regional Park, located in Kelowna, British Columbia, is a must-visit destination for anyone seeking scenic trails, breathtaking views, and family-friendly amenities. Situated on the banks of Okanagan Lake, this park offers a variety of activities, ranging from hiking and biking to birdwatching and picnicking.
Playa Yelapa is one of the most secluded and beautiful beaches in all of the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Most visitors to Mexico haven't even heard of Yelapa and it has been well hidden and off the beaten path as it has no road access and requires a 1-hour boat ride from Puerto Vallarta to visit its pristine shores. The village is quaint, beautiful, and is perfectly tucked into the tall jungle-covered mountains of the Sierra Madre. No cars, no stoplights, and no high rise can be found in Yelapa making it an excellent place for a quiet beach getaway.
Playa Colomitos is one of the most secluded and beautiful beaches in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, and is a must-visit for anybody visiting the village of Boca de Tomatlan or the Puerto Vallarta area. This incredible beach is perfectly tucked into the Sierra Madre Mountains and lies on the gorgeous shores of the Bay of Banderas. Playa Colomitos could be described as a short stretch of pristine sand that lies in a picturesque rocky cove backed by a jungle ravine with a small creek that empties out into the ocean.
Situated along Highway 6 of the Okanagan Valley in the village of Cherryville, British Columbia is a beautiful day-use park called the Shuswap River Picnic Area. The park makes an excellent stopover for road-trippers making the journey from the Okanagan Valley to the Kootenays region and at certain times of the year when the water is low visitors can even jump in and cool off in the crystal clear Shuswap River.
Situated on the scenic shores of Mabel Lake, British Columbia Is one of the Okanagan Valley’s best-kept secrets and legitimate hidden gems, the Mystic Trail. The trail is essentially a walk through the forest in what could only be described as an enchanted forest full of quirky works of art that eventually leads visitors to a gorgeous beach
Deep into the forested hills of Enderby, British Columbia is the picture-perfect body of water known as Hidden Lake. The lake is an idyllic Okanagan getaway that features plenty of small beaches and coves with warm swimmable water. It also boasts 3 public campgrounds with a total of 46 campsites, as well as day-use spots for those coming for the day. Campsites go for a cheap $15 per night and cannot be reserved as they are secured on a first come first serve basis.
The Evely Recreation Site is located on one of the Okanagan Valley’s most scenic roads, which goes by the name of Westside Road. It is situated between Vernon and Kelowna, British Columbia, and is a great beach and camping destination to visit during your time in the valley. Evely Recreation Site has over 50 campsites and charges a small daily fee to use them and can only be rented on a “first come first serve basis” meaning there is no way to make reservations. Each campsite is equipped with a flat greenspace for tents, picnic tables, and firepits. Most of the sites are lakefro nt and have direct access to the beach on Okanagan Lake.
Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park lies on a picturesque rocky peninsula that extends out into the lake of the same name, Kalamalka, also known as “the lake of many colors”. It is situated about ten minutes outside of the city of Vernon, British Columbia, and is possibly the most popular and beautiful parks in the region. The park features around 978 hectares (2,420 acres) of arid Okanagan Valley wilderness that boasts gorgeous coves and beaches, along with scenic hiking trails looking out over the blue waters of the lake.
The Osoyoos Dune is a beach area situated on beautiful Osoyoos Lake in the world-renowned desert wine region known as the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. The dune is located on the outskirts of the popular beach town of Osoyoos and access requires that you hike through the desert via the Nk’MIp Campgrounds. The land belongs to the local indigenous Okanagan people called the Syilx and is open for public usage. Nk’Mip has plenty of great hiking trails that lead you through picturesque desert landscapes that make it hard to believe that you're in Canada and not Arizona or California.
The Swan Lake Nature Reserve Loop is located at the head of Swan Lake on the outskirts of Vernon, British Columbia. It is one of over 50 lakes in the Okanagan Valley, but Swan Lake is not generally used for swimming as it is quite swampy, though it is very popular for fishing, kayaking, and wildlife watching. The hike which is actually more of an easy walk takes you through picturesque grasslands with grasses that are over 6 feet tall. You will be treated to scenic rolling fields lined with quaint farmhouses and decrepit barns from the days of old. The surrounding hills roll down into the flat prairie-like valley and create a natural canvas with lovely photogenic qualities.
Eva Lake is yet another magical body of water located within British Columbia’s stunning Mount Revelstoke National Park. The park itself is 260 square kilometers and is packed full of incredibly scenic hiking trails and a must-see attraction for anyone who is into an outdoor adventure enthusiast.
Your visit to Revelstoke, BC shouldn’t be complete without visiting Eva Lake and its neighbor Miller Lake. The lakes are perfectly tucked into the spectacular Selkirk Mountains range and were created at the end of the last ice age. Eva lake has dramatic mountain scenery with an unbelievable backdrop that will have you rubbing your eyes once or twice just to make sure what you're seeing is even real.
Miller Lake is a breathtaking body of water situated high in the rugged alpine of Mount Revelstoke National Park in British Columbia, Canada. It provides hikers with stunning mountain views and seemingly unreal aqua blue glacial water. It has several outcroppings and rock islands that protrude out into the water allowing for a great place to stop and have lunch in order to refuel for the next section of your hiking journey. Unless of course, Miller Lake is your final destination, then you can stop and enjoy the fruits of your labor and take in the incredible scenery. If you do choose to continue onward than another phenomenal place to visit is Eva Lake, which is another 30 minutes or 0.8 km hike.
Jade Bay Beach is one of about 5 or so beaches located within Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park which is a 978 hectares (2,420 acres) piece of amazing Okanagan wilderness set aside for your pleasure. Kalamalka Lake is situated in the stunning Okanagan Valley, British Columbia and with all of the lakes attributes it is hands down one of the best in the country of Canada. The lake is perhaps most well known for its incredibly vibrant turquoise color that it turns in mid-summer as the warm of the waters has a reaction with a mineral called calcite.
Nanaimo, British Columbia has many beautiful parks and beaches but one of the most popular is Pipers Lagoon Park which features hiking trails with stunning views of the ocean and the surrounding islands, as well as rocky cliffs that look down on picture-perfect coves of clear ocean water. It is a great place to sit and relax on one of the strategically placed benches and watch the sunrise or sunset. The park is around 8-hectares and has many different trails with spectacular lookouts.
Shuswap Falls in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia is the result of the man-made Wilsey Dam site and provides an excellent place for swimming, cliff jumping, kayaking, canoeing, or just a good ole family picnic. There are also several hiking trails leading to beautiful swimming spots and to places where you can observe the dam and waterfalls in all their glory. Shuswap Falls is essentially a recreation area that includes a parking lot, picnic tables, and pit toilets.
Kekuli Bay Provincial Park Is situated in the endlessly scenic Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, and is just a few minutes south of the city of Vernon. It is a gorgeous bay that shimmers with aquamarine colors and is perfectly located on the world-famous Kalamalka Lake. The park has a convenient campground with stunning views of the lake, along with easy access to the water and boat launch. The grounds have large tracts of shrub-steppe grasslands that are common around the Okanagan Valley.
Deep in the heart of the Monashee Mountain range, nestled within the majestic and awe-inspiring beauty, lies Pinnacle Lake. A picture-perfect haven located in the highlands of the popular Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. This glacial lake, sparkles with pristine turquoise waters which is amplified by the surrounding ominous but beautiful snow-capped alpine peaks, seemingly standing guard over the lake below.
Spectrum Lake, British Columbia is situated in the remote Monashee Mountains, which border the Okanagan Valley and stretch into the Shuswap and Kootenays regions, as well as down to Washington State. There are many parks to explore within the Monashee Mountain range, but Spectrum Lake in particular sits in Monashee Provincial Park. The park is known for its wonderful fairytale-esque old-growth forests and vibrant green mosses.
Ellison Provincial Park is situated on the outskirts of the city of Vernon, in the fantastic Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. It has spectacular scenery with sheltered coves of clear jade colored waters, along with gorgeous red sand beaches that are unmatched in their unique beauty. There are many hiking trails throughout the park that take you precariously along the edges of high cliffs that overlook the shores of Okanagan Lake.
