First pick
Cedar Mountain Regional Park
Park or garden
84 ha4.3 km of path
1 hto walk all 4.3 km of path
21 km south-westfrom the centre
Lebanon Creek TrailKettle Pot Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada · CC BY-SA 2.011%protected within 10 km
Outdoors in Central Okanagan · parks, protected land & trails
Protected land around Central Okanagan beats nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns
52 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. Within 5 km are 25 beaches; Swim Bay Beach is the nearest. OpenStreetMap shows one walking route nearby, the Bat House Interpretive Trail.
Protected land
11%
of the land within 10 km
Typical Canadian town: 2.3%
Protected areas
52
within 10 km, 33 public
Typical Canadian town: 14
Nearest provincial park
At the edge
Okanagan Mountain Park
Walking routes
1
named, within 2 km (OpenStreetMap)
Beaches
25
within 5 km (OpenStreetMap)
Character
The outdoors in Central Okanagan, in short
Each figure against Canadian towns of 2,500+; tap a tile for the detail.
Protected land all round11% of the land within 10 km, more than 88% of Canadian townsMany protected areas33 public areas within 10 kmBeaches25 beaches within 5 kmA provincial park at the edgeOkanagan Mountain Park reaches the town
Above all, Central Okanagan offers protected land around it, with the number of public protected areas close by close behind.
Against other towns
How Central Okanagan compares with other Canadian towns
Each figure against the 2,611 Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500+ (not city hubs or reserves), with the town marked and the typical one’s line. This page carries no grade, because Canada’s grading doesn’t cover the outdoors; the comparisons are the point.
Protected within 10 km11%Share of the land and water within 10 km of the town’s edge in a protected or conserved area
Protected in town13%Share of the town’s own area in a protected or conserved area
Public protected areas33Areas within 10 km held by a government or an Indigenous nation
Walking routes1Named OpenStreetMap walking and hiking routes with 300 m+ within 2 km
Beaches25Beaches mapped on OpenStreetMap within 5 km
CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC, 2026), OpenStreetMap (November 2026). Distances from the town’s outline.
Towns its size
Among 40 towns its size, Central Okanagan ranks 5th for protected land within 10 km
The 40 Canadian towns nearest in population (4,692 to 4,876 residents), by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected. Hover for each one’s figures; click for its page.
Protected within 10 km
Central Okanagan11%
Towns its size2%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Public protected areas
Central Okanagan33
Towns its size3
Towns in British Columbia14
Typical Canadian town4
Walking routes
Central Okanagan1
Towns its size0
Towns in British Columbia1
Typical Canadian town0
Against towns its size, Central Okanagan does best for public protected areas: 3 of the other 39 have more.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Protected within 10 km | In town | Areas | Routes | Beaches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dundas NB | 29% | 1.3% | 12 | 0 | 6 |
| 2 | Cumberland County, Subdivision D NS | 15% | 7.1% | 69 | 0 | 13 |
| 3 | Bathurst NB | 13% | 9.9% | 42 | 1 | 23 |
| 4 | Château-Richer QC | 12% | 0.3% | 38 | 0 | 2 |
| 5 | Central Okanagan BC | 11% | 13% | 52 | 1 | 25 |
| 6 | Greenboro East ON | 11% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Qualicum - Redwood ON | 11% | 0% | 25 | 2 | 5 |
| 8 | Guysborough NS | 8.9% | 15% | 308 | 1 | 56 |
| 9 | Sutton QC | 6.6% | 12% | 47 | 14 | 0 |
| 10 | Rosenthal AB | 6.1% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Marmora ON | 5.5% | 8.7% | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Cornwallis MB | 5.5% | 3.7% | 26 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | North End East ON | 4.8% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 3 |
| 14 | Kingsland AB | 3.7% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 15 | Electoral Area H, Nanaimo BC | 3.3% | 1.2% | 56 | 11 | 6 |
| 16 | Glenwood AB | 2.6% | 0% | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | Shippagan NB | 2.5% | 18% | 26 | 0 | 47 |
| 18 | Amaranth ON | 2.3% | 0.2% | 27 | 1 | 1 |
| 19 | Canora AB | 2.3% | 0% | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | Electoral Area B, Nanaimo BC | 2.1% | 3.2% | 38 | 0 | 10 |
| 21 | Woodlands County AB | 1.8% | 1.4% | 25 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Pembina Strip MB | 1.7% | 0% | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| 23 | Maybank MB | 1.5% | 0% | 23 | 0 | 1 |
| 24 | Electoral Area D, Columbia-Shuswap BC | 1.4% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| 25 | Electoral Area D, Fraser-Fort George BC | 0.9% | 0.1% | 4 | 0 | 12 |
| 26 | Hampton NB | 0.8% | 0.9% | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | St. Stephen NB | 0.7% | 0.2% | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Richmond AB | 0.7% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| 29 | Saint-Jacques QC | 0.3% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Rossmere-B MB | 0.3% | 0% | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 31 | Baturyn AB | 0.3% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Empire Park AB | 0.3% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Macewan Glen AB | 0.2% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 34 | Grand Valley ON | 0.1% | 0% | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | Kindersley SK | 0.1% | 0% | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | South Common ON | 0.1% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 37 | Saint-Agapit QC | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 38 | Flin Flon (Part) MB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 39 | Barrhead AB | 0% | 0% | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 40 | Central McDougall AB | 0% | 0% | 0 | 3 | 1 |
The map
Central Okanagan on the map: green space, protected land and paths
The town’s parks, woods, protected land and paths, with its named places numbered.
Green: OpenStreetMap parks, gardens, playing fields and woods. Hatched: CPCAD protected areas.© OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); CPCAD (OGL-Canada)
Places to walk
Walk in Central Okanagan: 29 named parks and woods
Cedar Mountain Regional Park is the largest, at 84 ha; the rest follow by size, numbered as on the map.
29 named parks and woods, 438 ha in all
Parks & gardens 438 ha
The green is scattered, with no place over 19%.
Ideal Lake Recreation Site
Park or garden
57 ha
20 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
McCulloch Reservoir Recreation Site
Park or garden
31 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
23 km south-eastfrom the centre
McCullough Snowmobile Trails
Directionsto a point inside
Doreen Lake Recreation Site
Park or garden
32 ha
25 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Dee Lake Recreation Site
Park or garden
28 ha
24 km north-eastfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
Browne Lake Recreation Site
Park or garden
24 ha0.7 km of path
10 minto walk all 0.7 km of path
17 km south-eastfrom the centre
Highlands Trail - High Rim Trail
Directionsto a point inside
Tower Ranch Park
Park or garden · 330 m outside town
20 ha1.9 km of path
25 minto walk all 1.9 km of path
2.8 km southfrom the centre
Directionsto a point inside
All 29 named parks and green spaces
Cedar Mountain Regional ParkPark or garden · 84 ha · 4.3 km of path
DirectionsIdeal Lake Recreation SitePark or garden · 57 ha
DirectionsMcCulloch Reservoir Recreation SitePark or garden · 31 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsDoreen Lake Recreation SitePark or garden · 32 ha
DirectionsDee Lake Recreation SitePark or garden · 28 ha
DirectionsBrowne Lake Recreation SitePark or garden · 24 ha · 0.7 km of path
DirectionsTower Ranch ParkPark or garden · 20 ha · 1.9 km of path · just outside town
DirectionsJames Lake Recreation SitePark or garden · 23 ha
DirectionsSwalwell Lake Recreation SitePark or garden · 22 ha
DirectionsOyama Lake Recreation SitePark or garden · 17 ha
DirectionsIsland Lake Recreation SitePark or garden · 15 ha
DirectionsKaiser Bill Lake Recreation SitePark or garden · 11 ha
DirectionsMountainside ParkPark or garden · 8.7 ha · 0.8 km of path
DirectionsEllison Dog ParkPark or garden · 7.3 ha · 1.3 km of path
DirectionsHydraulic Lake Recreation SitePark or garden · 8.6 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsKing Edward Lake North Recreation SitePark or garden · 8.8 ha · just outside town
DirectionsMoore (Bullman) Lake Recreation SitePark or garden · 8.2 ha
DirectionsHigh Noon ParkPark or garden · 7.6 ha
DirectionsDamer Lake Recreation SitePark or garden · 6.7 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsStreak Lake Recreation SitePark or garden · 5.5 ha
DirectionsPostill Lake Recreation SitePark or garden · 4.2 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsPriest Creek Linear ParkPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsMinnow Lake Recreation SitePark or garden · 1.3 ha
DirectionsPriest Creek Cabin Recreation SitePark or garden · 1.0 ha
DirectionsLeon Creek ParkPark or garden · 0.8 ha · just outside town
DirectionsLuxmoore Linear ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsMcCarren ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · just outside town
DirectionsProvidence ParkPark or garden · 0.4 ha · just outside town
DirectionsCountry Rhodes ParkPark or garden · 0.3 ha · just outside town
DirectionsSource: OpenStreetMap parks, gardens, commons and woods with a name, in the town or within 400 m, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Sizes are the mapped outline’s.
Close to home
Most of Central Okanagan is more than a short walk from a park
Residents of each 2021 dissemination area, at a point inside it, within 400 m (about a 5-minute walk) of a park or playing field mapped on OpenStreetMap.
Within 400 m (0%)Further (100%)
Central Okanagan0%
Towns in British Columbia72%
Typical Canadian town83%
About 4,800 residents live further than 400 m from one. That is below the typical Canadian town (83%).
Protected areas
The 52 protected areas near Central Okanagan
Every protected and conserved area in CPCAD within 10 km of the town’s edge: parks, reserves, wildlife areas and conservation land.
Inside Central Okanagan13%
Within 10 km11%
Towns in British Columbia6.7%
Typical Canadian town2.3%
Of the 52, 33 are public land; the others are privately held. Graystokes Park leads for size with 11,958 ha. Not named: 16 areas held privately or with no public owner on record.
Graystokes ParkProvincial park · 11,958 ha · reaches Central Okanagan
Okanagan Mountain ParkProvincial park · 11,321 ha · reaches Central Okanagan
Myra - Bellevue ParkProvincial park · 7,696 ha · reaches Central Okanagan
Kalamalka Lake ParkProvincial park · 3,218 ha · reaches Central Okanagan
Cougar Canyon Ecological ReserveNature reserve · 553 ha · reaches Central Okanagan
Browne Lake Ecological ReserveNature reserve · 114 ha · reaches Central Okanagan
Myra - Bellevue Protected AreaNature reserve · 52 ha · reaches Central Okanagan
Browne Lake ParkProvincial park · 47 ha · reaches Central Okanagan
Wrinkly Face ParkProvincial park · 43 ha · reaches Central Okanagan
KLO Creek Regional ParkMunicipal park · 16 ha · reaches Central Okanagan
13 more named areas within 10 km are in the figures.
1 area recorded only by its type (a provincial layer such as wildlife habitat areas) is counted, not listed.
Source: Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) 2.9.0, Environment and Climate Change Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
National & provincial parks
Graystokes Park starts at the edge of Central Okanagan
National parks (Parks Canada) and provincial or territorial parks by direction and distance from the town’s edge: every one within 10 km, and the nearest of each within 100 km.
National parkProvincial park
Provincial park
Graystokes Park
At the edge120 km²since 2001
Provincial park
Okanagan Mountain Park
At the edge113 km²since 1973
Provincial park
Myra - Bellevue Park
At the edge77 km²since 2001
Provincial park
Kalamalka Lake Park
At the edge32 km²since 1975
Provincial park
Browne Lake Park
At the edge0.5 km²since 2004
Provincial park
Wrinkly Face Park
At the edge0.4 km²since 2004
For a national park, people in Central Okanagan travel more than 100 km. 8 provincial parks lie within 10 km.
Source: CPCAD 2.9.0 (ECCC): areas and outlines, distances outline to outline; directions from the town’s centre point.
Footpaths and woods
Paths to walk: 568 km in and around Central Okanagan
OpenStreetMap footpaths, paths, bridleways and steps, and tracks open on foot, in the town and 1 km around it; woods as mapped (landuse=forest, natural=wood).
Footpaths
568 km
in and around the town (1,522.1 km²)
Woodland
91%
about 1,380.1 km² of mapped woods
Footpaths · km per km²
Central OkanaganTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Footpaths0.4
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
Central OkanaganTowns in British ColumbiaTypical Canadian town
Woodland91%
0%50%100%
For woods, it beats 100% of Canadian towns. For path density, 70% of Canadian towns do better.
Source: OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Mapping varies by place: a dense figure can mean keen local mappers as much as many paths.
Walking routes
1 walking route near Central Okanagan
Named walking and hiking routes on OpenStreetMap with at least 300 m within 2 km of the town, longest first; national routes lead.
Local
Bat House Interpretive Trail4.5 km
Source: OpenStreetMap (route relations hiking, foot and walking), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL. Trans Canada Trail sections as OSM maps them.
When to get out
Central Okanagan is best on foot in April to September
Daylight at the town’s latitude and ECCC’s 1991–2020 normals (Vernon, 37 km away). Good months: long days, highs of 15–30 °C, light rain.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.5 | 10.0 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.4 | 16.3 | 15.9 | 14.4 | 12.5 | 10.6 | 8.9 | 8.1 |
| High (°C) | 1 | 4 | 10 | 15 | 21 | 24 | 29 | 28 | 22 | 13 | 6 | 1 |
| Rain & snow (mm) | 37 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 45 | 55 | 37 | 30 | 34 | 41 | 49 | 44 |
Highs peak near 29 °C in July and fall to 1 °C in January. Precipitation runs from 25 mm in March to 55 mm in June. Snow totals about 93 cm a year. The climate in Central Okanagan →
Beaches
Central Okanagan has 25 beaches close by
Beaches on OpenStreetMap within 5 km of the town’s edge, nearest first, with directions.
Swim Bay Beach2.6 km from town
DirectionsOyama Beachmixed · 3.2 km from town
DirectionsBeasley Park Beachsand · 4.4 km from town
DirectionsThe map adds 22 unnamed stretches of beach. No open data on beach water quality covers every province, so check with public health before a swim.
Source: OpenStreetMap (natural=beach), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Things to do
Viewpoints and waterfalls near Central Okanagan: 40 and 2
Viewpoints, peaks, waterfalls, picnic sites, nature reserves, playgrounds, dog parks, campsites and boat launches mapped within 2 km of the town.
40Viewpoints9Hills and peaks2Waterfalls8Nature reserves5Picnic sites15Playgrounds1Dog parks27Campsites2Slipways
The highest named peak nearby is Litte White Mountain, at 2,171 m. There are 40 viewpoints, more than of anything else.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 40
Damer Lake Viewpointin town
DirectionsEddy's Viewin town
DirectionsRose Lookoutin town
DirectionsSandy Knoll Lookoutin town
DirectionsThe Monolithin town
DirectionsPine Trail Lookout1.7 km from town
DirectionsSummerhill Winery2.0 km from town
DirectionsPlus 33 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 9
Black Knight Mountain1,289 m · in town
DirectionsLitte White Mountain2,171 m · in town
DirectionsLittle White Mountain2,168 m · in town
DirectionsLong Mountain1,637 m · in town
DirectionsBuck Mountain1,997 m · 0.0 km from town
DirectionsJubilee Mountain2,132 m · 0.6 km from town
DirectionsGrizzly Hill1,410 m · 1.1 km from town
DirectionsLayer Cake Mountain740 m · 1.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 peak more.
Waterfalls 2
Plus 2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Nature reserves 8
Graystokes Provincial Parkin town
DirectionsWrinkly Face Provincial Parkin town
Directionssntsk'il'ntən - Black Mountain Regional Park0.1 km from town
DirectionsKLO Creek Regional Park0.4 km from town
DirectionsMcCulloch Cross-Country Ski Trails Recreation Site0.4 km from town
DirectionsClarance Greenspace1.2 km from town
DirectionsWoodhaven Nature Conservancy Regional Park1.8 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 nature reserve more.
Picnic sites 5
Plus 5 picnic sites without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 15
Plus 15 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks 1
Ellison Dog Park0.1 km from town
DirectionsCampsites 27
Hydraulic Lake Campgroundin town
DirectionsIdeal Lake Recreation Sitein town
DirectionsMcculloch Reservoir Campgroundin town
DirectionsThe Grand Viewin town
DirectionsThe Monolithin town
DirectionsFlyfish Lake # 1 Recreation Site0.7 km from town
DirectionsLoon Lake Recreation Site1.2 km from town
DirectionsPlus 20 campsites without a name on the map.
Slipways 2
Cedar Creek Boat Launch1.7 km from town
DirectionsPlus 1 slipway without a name on the map.
Source: OpenStreetMap (tourism, natural, waterway and leisure tags), © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
Next door
Next to Central Okanagan
The nearest places, coloured by the share of the land within 10 km that is protected; tap one for its outdoors page.
KelownaDuck Lake 7Lake CountryTsinstikeptum 10Central Okanagan
Under 1%1–5%5–15%15–40%40%+
| Town | Protected within 10 km | Areas | Routes | Beaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Okanagan | 11% | 52 | 1 | 25 |
| Kelowna 9.0 km | 13% | 36 | 0 | 42 |
| Duck Lake 7 9.6 km | 0.5% | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| Lake Country 14 km | 6.1% | 20 | 0 | 22 |
| Tsinstikeptum 10 15 km | 2.4% | 21 | 0 | 29 |
None of its neighbours has twice the protected land around it that Central Okanagan has.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Beaches. A beach counts when its centre point lies within 5 km of the town’s outline. Names come from the map.
- Walking routes. Only named route relations count; a park’s own path network may not show unless it is mapped as a route.
- Private land. Land owned by individuals, companies or conservation groups counts toward the figures but is never named: a person’s land isn’t a place to visit.
- Protected land. Measured on CPCAD’s outlines: the part of a 10 km band around the town that lies in a protected or conserved area, water included.
- National and provincial parks. The nearest national park and the nearest provincial park are always shown when they are within 100 km.
Questions about the outdoors in Central Okanagan
How far is the nearest provincial park from Central Okanagan?
Okanagan Mountain Park, which reaches the edge of town.
Which is the biggest protected area near Central Okanagan?
Graystokes Park: 11,958 ha, a provincial park.
Is there protected land near Central Okanagan?
Yes: 11% of the land within 10 km is protected.
Is there a beach near Central Okanagan?
Try Swim Bay Beach, 2.6 km from town, first of several.
Where can you walk near Central Okanagan?
Try the Bat House Interpretive Trail.
When should you visit Central Okanagan for the outdoors?
April to September: long days, mild highs and little rain.
How far is Central Okanagan from a national park?
None within 100 km of Central Okanagan.
Sources
The sources behind Central Okanagan’s outdoors figures
Protected areas: Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD) 2.9.0, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 2026: every area within 10 km and the nearest national and provincial parks, measured outline to outline.
Walking routes and beaches: OpenStreetMap, November 2026: named hiking, foot and walking route relations within 2 km and beaches within 5 km.
Towns: Statistics Canada 2021 Census boundaries and populations; the comparison is the Canadian towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500+, not city hubs or reserves.
When to go: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020, from the nearest station that publishes them.
Green space, paths, woods, things to do: OpenStreetMap (Geofabrik’s Canada extract), November 2026: parks, gardens, playing fields, woods, footpaths, the coastline and things to do in and around each town.
Residents: Statistics Canada 2021 Census dissemination areas (population, boundaries), each at a point inside it.
Walking routes and beaches © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence (ODbL).
Not on this page: trailheads and trail grades, and beach water quality. No open Canadian dataset gives these for every town yet.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).