Kettle Valley Railway Biking, British Columbia

The Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) is an old, abandoned railway bed that has a new lease on life as a non motorized biking and hiking trail. It is located in southern British Columbia. Outside Magazine once named the trail as one of the top 10 to cycle. The trail is broken into subdivisions or sections with a total length of approximately 600 kilometres. In theory you can cycle from Castlegar in eastern British Columbia to Hope which lies about 2 hours east of Vancouver, though that would take the better part of two weeks.

The Kettle Valley Railway is truly a fantastic trail especially since it is possible to cycle it in sections depending on how much time you have. The trail covers a wide variety of terrain. It will take you through remote backcountry, past lakes, forests, over old railway trestles and then in the Penticton area you’ll find yourself cycling through vineyards and orchards.

Last week I spent a few days cycling a section from Chute Lake through Penticton and on into Okanagan Falls and Oliver. It was fabulous! This is what I would recommend.

• Plan on a stay of a few days in the Penticton or Naramata area. There are lots of campsites, B&B’s and small inns to choose from. Some options include the Naramata Inn and Spa, Apple d’Or Guesthouse (a 5 star property), Burrowing Owl Winery and Guesthouse, D’Vine Dreams B&B and the Sandy Beach Lodge and Resort.
• Either bring your own bike or rent bikes from either Okanagan Bike Rentals or the Freedom Bike Shop in Penticton.
• Grab a map from a tourist information office and head off. It is an easy cycle from Penticton down along the canal, along the west side of Skaha Lake and into Okanagan Falls. (Try an old fashioned milkshake at Lollies in Okanagan Falls). For more energetic people I highly recommend riding up the road to Chute Lake from Naramata and then hooking up with the Kettle Valley Trail. The road up is steep but quiet and the views are pretty darn good. The reward is the ride down. The grade is a steady 2% for 18 kilometres if you stop in the Naramata area or 28 kilometres if you continue onto Penticton. Views from the Little Tunnel at Mile Marker 122 are fantastic.
• Did I mention the other reward? Wine tasting at wineries found all along the Naramata Road.
• The Oliver section can be done as a day on its own, especially if you’re into wine tasting. There is a nice loop starting at the tourist information center in Oliver that takes you on bike paths which are both paved and unpaved and then along the length of Black Sage Road. Consider a lunch stop at the Burrowing Owl Winery.

It’s not all fun and games on the KVR and I believe a word of caution is in order. Once you are past the village of Naramata it will immediately feel remote so head off prepared. Carry water, food, a map, rain gear and a cell phone. Cell coverage is excellent.  Also, bring a few bike tools and a repair kit for a flat tire.

Lastly use some common sense with regards to the following:

• rattlesnakes – do not attempt to pick up
• bears – we saw a big black bear but it scurried off. Read my August blog on bear attacks.
• poison ivy – do not touch the three leafed plant with shiny leaves though in the fall the leaves become red and yellow. If you inadvertently touch it wash the area imediately with soap and water.

Happy trails. This one will put a smile on your face.

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