There are more than 60 provincial parks located in the Okanagan Valley. Each of these parks are quite popular in the summer, so people looking for solitude may want to camp out in the more remote options such as Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park. The Okanagan Valley offers plenty of hiking trails. There are many options such as the Kettle Valley Railway Trail, which follows a now defunct railway bed. The Okanagan Valley is also a popular place for golfers. It offers 37 courses that remain open from March to November. Popular courses include Kelowna Springs Golf Club, which is built along seven natural lakes, and Gallagher's Canyon Golf & Country Club, which overlooks its namesake. Okanagan Valley is also a bastion for abundant wildlife where you can see a variety of birds and animals in the summer such as the trumpeter swan, wood duck and beaver.
The Okanagan Valley includes four world-class ski resorts that offer downhill skiing and four other resorts that have cross country trails, snowmobile trails and helicopter skiing. One of the most popular is the Apex Mountain Ski Resort, which has 1,112 acres of fall-line skiing and snowmobile trails. Big White Ski Resort, located on one of the region's highest peaks, offers more than 100 runs at an altitude of 1,750 meters. For those with children, head for the family friendly Harper Mountain Ski Hill. This affordable mountain has downhill skiing, night skiing, snowboarding and cross country skiing trails designed for adults and children.
Kelowna is a city of 111,000 people located on the eastern shore of Lake Kelowna. Locals like to say the city enjoys more than 2,000 hours of sunshine annually. The city's highlight for visitors is its cultural center, which features museums, art galleries, flower gardens, shopping and restaurants. For golfers, there are 15 courses and in the summer, the sandy beaches of the lake offer a great place to rest in the sun and enjoy water activities such as fishing. According to local legend, a sea monster named Ogopogo lives off the shores of Kelowna, though one has sighted it to confirm the tale.
