Sugarloaf Mountain

Sugarloaf Mountain

Fintry

50 min from Downtown Kelowna
50.214888, -119.497891

Nestled outbound from busy city life, on the other side of the lake from Sparkling Hill Resort and about 11 km north of Fintry, enjoy the serenity of this breathtaking hike.

As your feet trek across the moss-laden forest floor, allow your senses to embark on a journey of purity as you engulf yourself in fresh mountain air, and the smells of new growth since the 2018 fire.

As your breath calms, and your heart rate lessens in this natural sanctuary, your peacefulness is abruptly challenged with an incredibly enticing uphill gauntlet.

The double wide path quickly narrows into a meandering single track with the occasional natural obstacle. Halfway up, make a choice at the large rock cairn to either trek right or left to reach the summit to complete the loop. The fork to the right was barely visible in 2023 due to overgrowth.

South-facing vistas of Okanagan Lake and mountain ranges to the west adorn the skyline as you perch yourself on one of many rocky mountain ledges.

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Route
  • Short
  • Average
  • Loop
  • 4.54 km round-trip
  • 1 hr 10 min solo
  • 1 hr 45 min group
  • 401 m gain
  • Variable Width
Kids & Pets
  • On-Leash
  • Child-Friendly

Address

50.214888, -119.497891

Driving Time

From Downtown Kelowna, approximate travel time by car is 50 min.

Notable GPS Co-ordinates

Detailed Directions

The drive to Sugarloaf Mountain follows the precarious Westside Rd route for over 40 km (nearly an hour from downtown Kelowna), before veering off 11 km north of Fintry to the left up a forest service road. There are many potential forks in the drive-in; stick to the main road or take our GPS map.

The 3.75 km trek up the dirt road is transverable by virtually all cars (including a 2008 Toyota Prius and Subaru BRZ 2013) with due care. Do not deviate off the main road; there are many smaller forks.

  1. From downtown Kelowna, take the bridge to West Kelowna
  2. Take the Westside Rd exit.
  3. RESET ODOMETER IMMEDIATELY
  4. At 41.2 km (after Fintry and Killarney Beach), turn LEFT onto a wide gravel road (Sugar Loaf Forest Service Road) with signs for the North Westside Rd Transfer Station.
  5. RESET ODOMETER AGAIN.
  6. 1.1 km, pass over a cattleguard.
  7. At 1.5 km, notice a sand pit to your right, but continue on the main road to your LEFT.
  8. At 1.8 km, keep LEFT to stay on the main road.
  9. At 3.75 km, arrive at the small clearing with signs for Sugarloaf Mountain!

Google Directions

Use our written directions in preference to the Google directions below as they are likely more accurate.

  • Starting Elevation: 698 meters
  • Ending Elevation: 698 meters
  • Maximum Elevation: 1041 meters
  • Minimum Elevation: 698 meters
  • Elevation Gain: 401 meters
  • Elevation Loss: -401 meters
  • Slope Up: 16.00%
  • Slope Down: -18.00%

We have a downloadable GPS map for this trail!

Last Updated on Thursday, April 27, 2023

Need help using it? See our FAQ.
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Map Waypoints

GPS Notes
We have often color-coded our GPX tracks. While it is not always the case, we have tried to use the following convention on our newer maps:

Green/Blue: human-verified by our volunteers.
Purple: overgrown trail, bushwhack, or on private property.
Red: default color or not reality-checked
Yellow: Road
Other Colors: May have been satellite traced or imported from third party sources.

While we strongly believe our GPS are accurate, please be aware that no logging system is perfect and to be aware of potential errors. Use at your own risk.
  • Jennifer Stonner

    Attempted to get to the trail head today.. no luck. The road going up is so unbelievably rocky, you’re lucky if you don’t pop a tire! We had to turn around, our little car wouldn’t make it up

    Friday, August 23, 2019 at 12:13 PM

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