KVR (Kelowna to Penticton)
Individual Trail
Central Okanagan / Kelowna/Penticton
40 min driving from Downtown Kelowna
The Kettle Valley Railway trail is a historic path through the province, stretching from Hope to Castlegar. Although it is no longer fully functioning, the 100-year-old trail makes for a great hike and is popular with cyclists.
The full trail stretches 600km but the section mentioned on this page will take you across the world-famous Myra Canyon Trestles and lead you to the City of Penticton. You will cross at least 20 trestles and pass four tunnels. The route is 76.5km and has been completed in just less than seven hours, providing a ride back to Kelowna from Penticton is available.
In the summer of 2003 a lightning bolt hit a tree sparking a disastrous fire that destroyed a large part of the Kettle Valley area, since then trestles have been restored and the vegetation has started to slowly grow back. Several types of wildlflower including Indian Paintbrush, Wild Larkspur, Western Columbine and Lupines are now in bloom during the summertime.
During the summer it is recommended to bring water as it can get very hot on the trail, Fall can be a more manageable climate for hiking. There is still some debris lying around so keep an eye out for loose rock, holes and fallen trees which may occur on parts of the trail. If you are biking, make sure to bring the necessary equipment, it’s a long walk back if you get a puncture.
Wildlife includes coyotes, deer, bears, cougars and a variety of birds.
* Warnings were made in 2012 on leaving cars at the beginning of the Myra Canyon trail due to frequent break-ins.
Basics
Features
| Creator: | Josh Hoggan |
|---|---|
| Duration Class: | Multi-Day |
| Seasons: | Spring, Summer |
| Difficulty Description: | A very long, but easy, trek. |
| Dogs: | Permitted on leash. |
| Children: | Not recommended due to duration. |
| Cell Service: | Unknown |
| First Listed: | 2012-Jun-10 |
| Last Updated: | 2014-Nov-02 |
| Duration One-Way (solo): | 330 min |
|---|---|
| Duration Round-Trip (solo): | 690 min |
| Trailhead GPS: | 49.799297000,-119.312515000 |
| Trailend GPS: | 49.503605000,-119.581444000 |
| Distance: | 75.90 km (one-way) |
| Elevation at Start: | 1,251 meters |
| Elevation at End: | 389 meters |
| Elevation Minimum: | 389 meters |
| Elevation Maximum: | 1,297 meters |
| Elevation Gain: | 346 meters (one-way) |
| Elevation Loss: | -1,208 meters (one-way) |
| Slope Up: | 1.10% (one-way) |
| Slope Down: | -1.70% (one-way) |