The Okanagan Rail Trail in Lake Country, BC

The trail's own site gives 52 kilometres when it is complete, along the old CN line from Lumby Junction in Coldstream to Kelowna. It is not continuous yet.

The District's 2022 trail map puts 16 kilometres of it inside Lake Country.¹

From the north it follows the shore of Kalamalka Lake and passes under a historic trestle, crosses the Oyama isthmus, then runs down the east shore of Wood Lake past Ribbleworth Falls, orchards and farmland.

Over the whole trail, more than 24 kilometres follow lakeshore and creeks.²

Compact crushed aggregate through Lake Country and the North Okanagan; the developed section in Kelowna is paved.

In 2025 the District paved the stretch between Woodsdale Road and the Quail Trail connection south of the Lodge Road crossing, for walking and cycling all year. The District describes the trail as a continuous, minimal grade corridor.³

The District's trail map marks parking at Woodsdale Road for 40 vehicles, at the Oyama boat launch on Oyama Road for 65, and at the north end of Pelmewash Parkway for 39, two of them accessible.

Lodge Road and Beaver Lake Road cross the trail further south, and the Pelmewash Parkway trail joins it at its north end.⁴

Walking, cycling and rollerblading, with dogs on a leash and under control at all times. Skateboards are allowed only on the paved sections in Kelowna.

Electric bicycles that meet the BC Motor Assisted Cycle Regulation are allowed. A bike with a gas engine is not, and neither are golf carts, all-terrain vehicles or snowmobiles. Overnight camping and open fires are not permitted.⁵

Not yet as one trail. When the trail's site was read, it said the section of nearly 7 kilometres from Old Vernon Road, north of Kelowna International Airport, to the Kelowna and Lake Country boundary was not yet developed.

Check the trail's map for what is open before you plan a ride south.⁶

Yes. The District's map shows a 20 kilometre loop: the rail trail on the north and east sides of Wood Lake, the Pelmewash Parkway trail on the west side, and the roadside along Woodsdale Road and Highway 97 to close it.

The Pelmewash trail is paved, 6.8 kilometres long and wheelchair accessible.⁷

Several sections of the trail, washrooms included, are not maintained in winter. The trail's site suggests a fat bike, snowshoes or cross-country skis for Lake Country and Vernon.

The paved stretch from Woodsdale Road past Lodge Road was built as an all-season route.⁸

Three interpretive sites with signs: Kalamalka Lake at km 4, Ribbleworth Falls at km 23 and Carney Pond at km 40.

Inside Lake Country there are also heritage markers by the Lake Country Museum and Archives, with stories of the area's cultural history.⁹

Four owners: the City of Kelowna, the District of Lake Country, the Okanagan Indian Band and the Regional District of North Okanagan. Each runs and maintains the section inside its own boundaries.¹⁰