21 Reasons Why You Should Visit the Thompson Okanagan Region

British Columbia’s Thompson Okanagan region is a year round destination famous for its vineyards, ski resorts, fruit orchards, mountains, lakes, valleys and Canada’s only desert.

But Where is the Thompson-Okanagan Region??

BC’s Thompson Okanagan region cuts a wide swath through the province in a north-south direction beginning at the Alberta border just west of Jasper and ending in the central part of the province at the US border. It includes the region on either side of the North Thompson River down as far as Kamloops and then the entire south central portion of BC including the Okanagan Valley.

21 Reasons to Visit BC’s Thompson-Okanagan Region

• Some of the best skiing in Canada can be found in this region. Four major ski resorts have international appeal, especially it seems for the Aussies, including Big White, Sun Peaks, Silver Star and Apex Mountain. Renown for sunshine and lots of dry powder snow, the areas are also family friendly. Smaller ski areas include Harper Mountain, Mount Baldy and Crystal Mountain.

• Heli skiing is particularly good. People from around the world come to check out the powder. Two companies that have been around for a long time are Canadian Mountain Holidays and Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing.

• Don’t forget cross country skiing, especially at the Silver Star Resort which boasts over 60 kilometers of track set Nordic trails. It’s often the place to see Olympic caliber skiers training.
• Go snowshoeing.
• Dog-sledding is something I’ve always wanted to try. It turns out Big White Ski Resort and Big Bear ATV Canoe & Kayak both offer tours.
• Fishing in one of the numerous fresh water lakes is a popular activity. You’ll probably catch salmon, kokanee, trout and whitefish.

• Take advantage of the lakes with any number of boating activities. Houseboat on Shuswap Lake, try jet boating near Blue River, go water-skiing and power-boating out of Osoyoos, or kayak and canoe in one of the provincial parks.
• A visit to one of the over 100 wineries is a superb activity, anytime really, but in the summer it’s particularly lovely to sit out on a patio and enjoy a glass of wine with lunch.
  

  Nk'Mip Cellars Patio

• Go bird watching. The Vaseux Lake Bird Sanctuary near Penticton draws birders from all over the continent. You may hear canyon wrens or chukar partridges and look up occasionally so you don’t miss the soaring golden eagles. The area is home to a herd of bighorn sheep too.
• Float the Okanagan River Channel on an inner tube.

• Take a 2 hour trip on the Kettle Valley Steam Railway. You’ll see orchards, vineyards and an incredible view from the top of the Trout Creek Trestle Bridge.
• Try some horseback riding.
• Visit the Osoyoos Desert Centre. A 1.5 kilometer boardwalk takes you through the desert ecosystem.
• You can’t miss out on mountain biking a section of the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR). Short sections can be hiked but every summer more and more mountain bikers are discovering the joys of this trail. It’s possible to cycle one day sections near some of the bigger centers like Penticton and Kelowna and to make a three to five day loop out of others.

• Go hiking. There’s plenty to choose from including days worth of alpine hiking in the Mount Robson area.

• Go golfing. There are more than fifty 18 hole courses.
• Visit a fruit orchard. On many farms you can pick your own fruit.
• Visit the Okanagan Observatory.
• Check out the sockeye salmon run on the Okanagan River near Oliver. Every fall close to 30,000 sockeye and Chinook are expected to migrate and spawn.

I think you can see that there are more than enough reasons to visit the Thompson Okanagan area. Spring, summer, fall or winter – there’s never a bad time to come.

And even better – you can win a $750 getaway package from the Thompson Okanagan Tourist association by leaving a comment on my contest post. You have until December 1st to enter.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

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