Enjoy What the Okanagan has to offer
West Kelowna is a visually stunning community and a four seasons playground.
The community is located on the western shores and hillsides of Okanagan Lake
and boasts: arenas and attractions; beaches and parks, hiking, cross country skiing
and mountain biking trails; shops and restaurants; vineyards and orchards;
and wineries and resorts. The municipality is located at the junction of Highway 97
and 97C (Okanagan Connector) and is the primary gateway to the
Okanagan from B.C.’s most populous region, the Lower Mainland.
The District of West Kelowna has a population of 31,925 (2013
Stats Canada estimate) and an area of 121.4 square kilometres.
West Kelowna is the second most populous municipality in the
Regional District of Central Okanagan, and fourth in the Okanagan Valley.
West Kelowna is a rapidly growing community, recording a 13.5%
increase in population between 2006 and 2011 (Statistics Canada).
The community has a diverse economy, which includes agriculture,
construction, light industry, lumber manufacturing, retail, services,
tourism and wineries.
The Mount Boucherie Community Centre offers Royal LePage Place arena,hockey,
figure skating and ringette. Many residents enjoy a lakefront walking trail alongside
Gellatly Road and several swimming areas along Okanagan Lake, including Willow Beach.
Johnson Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre, in downtown Westbank,
offers public swimming and recreational programs.
Several community and regional parks are scattered throughout the
municipality, offering soccer pitches, ball fields, children’s play areas
and hiking trails. The award winning Constable Neil Bruce Soccer Fields
are also a popular recreational destination.
Entertainment
Swirl and sip your way along the Westside Wine Trail where you will find
not only winery tasting rooms, but restaurants, spectacular views,
outdoor music concerts, art showings and wine education events.
Bring out the geologist in yourself with some volcanic explorations while hiking
up Mt. Boucherie, our 60 million year old dormant volcano.
Another great way to unplug and reconnect with nature is with a leisurely stroll
through the Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park – a century old working nut farm
and a Class A Heritage site.
Spend your Friday nights during July and August at Memorial Park where you
can enjoy complimentary the
Westside farm loop:
Farm Fresh products are ready for your picking and tasting!
Build a sandcastle along the sandy shores of Willow Beach or zipline
into the sparkling waters of Lake Okanagan down at the
Gellatly Bay Waterfront.
Check out Westbank Centre for its collection of ethnic restaurants
and Saturday’s Westbank Farmer’s Market.
Pop over to Governor’s Landing for some Aboriginal fare,
including bannock
Beaches
Some beaches are made for crowds and others are for relaxation.
Our beaches fall somewhere in the middle with a heavy emphasis on relaxation
and ‘family friendly’. It may be your first time here and while for others it is the
nostalgia of family vacations that keeps them coming back.
But one thing is for certain, our beaches all have the same elements:
gentle waves coming upon the shore, the distant sounds of motor boats,
the low buzz of laughter and the sounds of weeping willow branches swaying
back and forth under the hot Okanagan sun.
Top 5 Beaches
Willow Beach – Gellatly Rd
Marina Park – Gellatly Rd
Pritchard Park – Pritchard Rd
Gellatly Nut Farm – Whitworth Rd
Bear Creek Provincial Park – Day Use Area – Westside Rd
Gellatly Bay Waterfront
The Gellatly Bay Waterfront is the place to be for people watching and water fun!
The 2 km promenade links several beaches and parks and is a popular place for walking and bike riding.
On the north end of the bay visitors will find a gathering of three distinct beaches:
Rotary which offers a grassy park and picnic tables.
Gellatly Dog Beach where Fido can run and splash in the water in a safe fenced in area
and the CNR/Gellatly Aquatic Park where diving boards, ziplines and wharf can be found.
The south end of the Gellatly Bay Waterfront has another clustering of beaches.
Willow Beach is the popular beach for sandcastle building and beach volleyball,
Marina Park with its playground and picnic shelter and the anchor of the bay,
the Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park.
This beach is a pebble beach with a playground and tranquil walking paths through a century old
working nut farm.
PARKS
Our parks are made for exploring, relaxing and growing things in!
One of the most popular parks is the Westbank Centre Park – a multi use park housing a walking track,
a water spray park, a community garden and a fenced in off-leash dog park!
During the early morning hours people can be found in the park doing yoga or doing laps
around the track, while the afternoon brings out the families and the grandparents to the waterspray park.
There is nothing better than to splay in the water and run through the sprayers on a hot summer day!
Top 5 Parks
- The great mixed use area of Westbank Centre Park combining a spray park, walking track and community garden into one fantastic park gets top marks from us.
- Zipling into the warm waters of Lake Okanagan and diving off the boards at the Gellatly Waterfront Park.
Need we say more? - Pritchard Park for grassy areas, picnic tables and beach volleyball courts.
- The century old Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park is a favourite place to hang out during the hot summer days, as the canopy of trees provides beautiful shade and the picture taking for portraits is beautiful. It is the number one request spot for family photos in West Kelowna!
We can’t narrow it down to five as our last choice combines all the pet friendly parks West Kelowna has!
Fenced in off leash dog parks can be found at Westbank Centre Park off May St and in
Shannon Woods off Shannon Lake Rd.
Our community is so friendly that we also have two off-leash dog beaches!
A fenced in one at the Gellatly Bay waterfront on Gellatly Rd and one at Kalamoir Regional Park.
Boat Launches
Casa Loma/John Dupuis Boat Launch: Motorized Boat Launch.
Take Campbell Rd Exit off of Hwy 97. Travel for approximate 2km to where Campbell Rd corners left;
turn left on Casa Loma Rd. Boat Launch is on right hand side.
Gellatly Boat Launch: Motorized Boat Launch: Take Gellatly Rd Exit and head towards the lake.
Turn right once you reach the lake. Boat launch is next to the Yacht Club.
Paddlewheeler Park: Non-Motorized Boat Launch: on Pritchard Dr.
Wine
Our vineyards have some of the most mature vines the valley,
with our family owned wineries being some of the oldest around.
Take a tour of the wineries of the Westside Wine Trail
for an experience that will be savoured long after you
Wineries include:
Kalala Organic Estate Winery
3361 Glencoe Rd, West Kelowna
250.768.9700 www.kalalawines.ca
Mission Hill Family Estate
1730 Mission Hill Rd, West Kelowna
250.768.6448 www.missionhillwinery.com
Quails’ Gate Estate Winery
3303 Boucherie Rd, West Kelowna
250.769.4451 www.quailsgate.com
Volcanic Hills Estate Winery
2845 Boucherie Rd, West Kelowna
778.755.5550 www.volcanichillswinery.com
Mt. Boucherie Estate Winery
829 Douglas Rd, West Kelowna
250.769.8803 www.mtboucheriewinery.com
Beaumont Family Estate Winery
2775 Boucherie Rd, West Kelowna
250.769.1222 www.beaumontwinery.com
Little Straw Vineyards
2815 Ourtoland Rd, West Kelowna
250.769.0404 www.littlestraw.bc.ca
Rollingdale Winery
2306 Hayman Rd, West Kelowna
250.769.9224 www.rollingdale.ca