Youth Influencers on Places off the Beaten Track

As part of the Travel Penticton, Youth Influencers Program, KVR Middle School students were tasked with writing blogs focusing on four key traveler types: Adventurers, Athletes, Families and Foodies. Below is one of a series that will be released over the next few weeks. We hope that you enjoy these insightful and candid reviews by our local youth and that they encourage you to visit our wonderfully diverse City.

Places off the Beaten Track in Penticton

By: Cai Lewendon and Ethan Gillett

To adventure is to escape. To conquer the unknown and have to expect the unexpected.

If you’re reading this, it’s probably because you’re an adventurer. Penticton has many outdoor experiences to offer. Here’s some of the adventurous things you can do on the list, there’s kayaking, rock climbing, bouldering, mountain biking, dirt biking, kitesurfing, ziplining, skiing, sledding, the list is basically endless.

Next on the list is The Channel; a water way connecting Skaha Lake and Okanagan Lake and during the summer many people float down it.

Or if you’re looking for greater views head up to Skaha Bluffs where you can hike or rock climb to great peaks to see the Okanagan Valley, and for those Instagram posts that’ll blow everyone away.

Now, from that endless list earlier here is some of the places that can help you do these experiences. Hoodoo Adventures can coach you on rock climbing, bouldering, backpacking, mountain biking, paddle boarding and kayaking. At Freedom Bike Shop its easy to find the mountain bike you want because its choices for customizations are endless. Penticton Bike Rentals by Okanagan Lake rent out squad bikes, any type of bikes you need to urban travel around Penticton, they even have hoverboards. And last but not least there’s ZipZone in Peach land where you can have an amazing time on their zip line course.

If you’re still low on places to go, here are some great locations and places on the unbeaten path. First of all, you can head up to the peak of Giant’s Head Mountain in Summerland, BC which is 5 minutes out of Penticton is a very fun and entertaining trail my family and I enjoy all the time. The trail is steep in places but no climbing is required. Length is 1.6 KM from the beginning to the end or summit. The elevation gets up to around 350 m (1050 ft). Time from base to top is about 25-40 minutes and 20-30 minutes coming down, depending on how good the hikers’ abilities are. There is quite a bit of wild life such as lots of birds from chickadees to magpies. There are also lots of deer that you will find all over Penticton and maybe even some marmots.

The Kettle Valley Rail (KVR) Trail is the longest rail trail in British Columbia extending from Hope to Castlegar. What was one a massive railroad system, the old now non-operable tracks are home to a massive recreational trail going almost 650 km (400 miles) of connected pathways throughout the region and Okanagan. This trail is very fun and long and is not just for people who are afraid of heights. There are lots waterfalls that go around 200 ft. During the summer, hikers trekking through the forest areas will find meadows covered with wildflowers. Those who head higher up the trails and off- road are rewarded with outstanding and amazing views of the area, including Manning Provincial Park and Cathedral Provincial Park.