Best-kept secret trail in Kelowna has seven parks, playgrounds

J.P. Squire - Sep 6, 2026 / 4:00 am | Story: 630334 Photo: J.P. Squire You never know what kind of wildlife you will find along Brandt's Creek Linear Park. Usually it's waterfowl but occasionally, you will find this buck who seems accustomed to park visitors. Brandt's Creek Linear Park is a jewel in the city's trail system and the best-kept secret in Kelowna. Fortunately, the Sheriff and Constant Companion Carmen live nearby so they regularly use it to get from the Glenmore Valley to the Parkinson Recreation Centre and the Okanagan Rail Trail. It's the latest entry in my Wild and Wonderful Walks series. If you Google the name, you will find complimentary references to it on Tourism Kelowna, Hike the Okanagan and the All Trails websites. Tourism Kelowna describes it as: "A lively link between nature and neighbourhood—a green ribbon running through Glenmore's heart, an inviting urban greenway that blends nature, art and community spaces, perfect for walking, cycling and family outings." It is 4.3 kilometres one-way with a 100-metre elevation change. It's a gentle incline with paved and gravel sections, weaving through seven neighbourhood parks along a shaded creek corridor. The stroller- and kid-friendly trail passes wetlands, ponds, landscaped parklands, multiple playgrounds, bridges, benches and local art. Look for muskrats, ducks and other birds right beside the trail and in the ponds. If you check the City of Kelowna's website, you'll just get, 'amenities: trails, dog status: on-leash, type: park, area: 5.11 ha.' And there's a map showing a thin green line. Photo: J.P. Squire One of the joys of hiking or biking Okanagan trails through the seasons is seeing all the changes from new spring growth to fall colours, like these trees beside Brandt's Creek Pub. It's as if the neighbours petitioned he city not to tell anyone about this incredible trail because its their secret. The best route is to start at the intersection of Summit Drive and Valley Road. Off-road parking is available on a wide, gravel pull-off almost immediately heading north on Valley Road. The first section from Summit north has no signs (shame, parks department) and is a wide asphalt sidewalk but the best part is just north of the first driveway to multi-unit residences. The best view is walking right next to a metal railing and looking down at Brandt's Creek where the ducks and their ducklings think you can't see them during swimming practice. You enter another world after crossing Yates Road and entering Valley Glen Wetland at 530 Valley Road. A concrete flow structure holds back the water for the wetland, where ducks have a private island and share a floating log with numerous turtles. At the far end of the pond, just before you reach a wooden arch bridge, you will find the first of seven 2007 granite, quartzite and onyx abstract sculptures entitled 'Growth' by Karl Ciesluk. They look like giant stone fruit cut in half with the stone still intact. A well-worn plaque, barely legible, explains: "The works evoke seed pods or fruit, symbolizing renewal and transformation and remind us of the Glenmore Valley's agricultural roots." The Sheriff can't help himself. Every time he enters the first (of two) corrugated metal tunnels, in a deep, resonating voice he yells: "Caaaaaarrrrr-mmmmmen!" But the journey has just begun. Around the corner is Sutton Glen Park, with its wonderful and huge community garden. By this time, you realize all seven parks have the same middle name, Glen, signifying their location in the Glenmore Valley. After crossing Kane Road using its pedestrian-activated walkway and going across the shopping centre driveway, you will find Whitman Glen Park with another playground. Through the second tunnel, look for the waterfowl hiding in the series of small ponds before you cross another wooden bridge. Then, there is a short section of Glen Park Drive (no crosswalk to a sidewalk) and large Matera Glen Park with a basketball hoop and skateboard park. Finally, it's the last short wild section of Brandt's Creek Linear Park phase one. Glenmore Road also has a pedestrian-activated crosswalk to get across its busy four lanes as you enter phase two. A short tree-lined walk takes you between apartment blocks to Snowsell Street and a short walk north to Biggar Road and Cross Glen Park at 307 Biggar Road, with its playground and tennis court. Watch out for loose playground gravel next to a chronically wet trail at the far end. When the Sheriff first discovered the linear park, there were no signs linking phase one and two from Glen Park Drive to Biggar Road. So he phoned the city's parks department. Someone checked it out but said it would take until October to fabricate and install signs. As a result, the Sheriff used his laptop and printer to produce a series of paper signs, inserted them in plastic covers and used plastic wire ties to fasten them to fences and poles to show users the proper route. That fall, proper signs were installed and the Sheriff's temporary signs were removed. From Cross Glen Park, short trails lead across side streets to Newport Glen Park (playground, bench, bridge) and Millard Glen Park. However, there is final wildlife treat at the north end of this final park. Walking across the grass on a slight sidehill, you will discover what the Sheriff has labelled Secret Pond because you can't see it from Millard Court West. Stay there long enough and resident ducks will waddle over expecting the same treats they receive from neighbours. It's a great place for photos. Photo: J.P. Squire Brandt's Creek Linear Park winds through seven public parks like Sutton Glen Park, above, which is home to a huge community garden. The linear park also has numerous playgrounds, tennis court and wildlife ponds. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Back to Homepage Typos News Tips Forums J.P. Squire - Aug 30, 2026 / 4:00 am | Story: 629586 Photo: J.P. Squire Cedars Bridge in Scenic Canyon Regional Park is one of three bridges in phase two of the Mission Creek Greenway. It was named to honour the western red cedars in the vicinity which draw their water from the creek. The Southern Interior wasn't the first to begin establishing linear parks but the region has taken them to heart and created wonderful outdoor recreational opportunities. That realization came to the Sheriff as he was considering which walking, strolling and hiking trails or parts of trails to include in a new series, Wild and Wonderful Walks, for a fall presentation to the North Okanagan Naturalists' Club. According to Wikipedia, a linear park is a type of park that is significantly longer than it is wide. So, obviously they re linear. Also, they are strips of public land running along rivers, streams, canals, dikes, defensive walls, electrical lines, highways, shorelines, wildlife corridors and notably abandoned railroad beds. Penticton, for example, has its stunning 'Magic Mile' Okanagan Lake waterfront stretching from the historic SS Sicamous paddle-wheeler to Penticton Lakeside Resort. Plus the 5.4-kilometre Channel Parkway between Okanagan and Skaha lakes. Unfortunately, the Kettle Valley Railway Trail from Penticton north to Summerland and the KVR South Spur trail from Penticton to Kaleden were closed by the Penticton Indian Band due to deteriorating conditions, and no one stepping forward to assist with repairs and maintenance. That is now under discussion by local governments. Vernon is working toward resurrecting the Gray Canal Trail, which currently consists of eight trail sections but not the entire 50-kilometre former irrigation channel. And of course, it has the north end of the 50-kilometre Okanagan Rail Trail. Kelowna, by comparison, now has a 14-kilometre paved section of the Okanagan Rail Trail from Ellis Street to Old Vernon Road, plus the 3.2-kilometre gravel section to the Okanagan Indian Band reserve. Photo: J.P. Squire Scenic Canyon Regional Park was recently busy with visitors enjoying nature. A sow and two bear cubs ignored the visitors while looking for a meal, above. However, the Sheriff's favourite route in the city is what he calls the 'Grand Kelowna Triangle,' which involves the three sides of a triangle including the ORT from downtown to Leckie Road, Mission Creek Greenway to Okanagan Lake and the Kelowna waterfront from there to the downtown. All three are linear parks. The Downtown Waterfront Promenade, outlined as one of the key Wild and Wonderful Walks in last weekend's column, is a fabulous two-kilometre linear park of paved pathway and boardwalk that connects five signature parks—City Park, Kerry Park, Stuart Park, Waterfront Park and Rotary Marsh Park. Heading further south past the tunnel under Highway 97, the city has completed most of a paved off-road linear park that showcases the Abbott Street heritage conservation area and a seemingly-endless series of large public parks and road-ends, the latter almost-private neighbourhood beaches. Parking on-street or at those parks and road-ends, you can stroll as far as you want or do it in several sections. The Mission Creek Greenway begins at one of the newest parks on Okanagan Lake and winds its way up to Mission Creek Regional Park, then briefly on Creekside Road to Gerstmar Park, then up to Scenic Canyon Regional Park for phase two. After crossing three scenic bridges, erosion has washed out a section of the Grassland Trail past the steep stairs but you can reconnect at Field Road, heading downstream to Rock Ovens or upstream past geological wonders to McCulloch Road. When complete with phase three, the Greenway linear park will be 26 kilometres in length from Okanagan Lake to Mission Creek Falls. Tourism Kelowna describes the three main sections as: Lakeshore to Creekside Road (7.5 km, easy, flat and shaded); Creekside to Hollywood Road (2.2 km, easy, flat, watch for gold panners); and Hollywood Road to Hydraulic Creek (7.1 km, moderate, climbs into Scenic Canyon with switchbacks, bridges and striking geological features like Layer Cake Mountain and Pinnacle Rock). Scenic Canyon Regional Park, from the 2080 Hollywood Road South parking lot to the steep stairs, is only two kilometres, while Mission Creek Regional Park to the stairs is six kilometres, both one-way. It's your choice. Just upstream from the Scenic Canyon parking lot is Trout Pond where rainbow trout were reared from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. The Sheriff remembers when it was fenced all around with netting overhead to stop birds from catching an easy meal. For a bit of nostalgia, the Sheriff pauses at the first creek crossing, Friends Bridge (named for Friends of Mission Creek, the volunteers who dreamed this trail and then made it happen. A small sign commemorates the contribution of Harald Hall, a founding member of FOMC Society. As the city hall reporter for The Kelowna Daily Courier, the Sheriff quoted the city's affable finance director for years and got to know him well. He is missed. The second crossing is the Cedars Bridge, named for the western red cedars absorbing creek moisture there. The third crossing is Smoothing Stones Bridge. Smoothing stones (N'wha-kwisen) is the Okanagan Nation word for Mission Creek. Next week: Kelowna's unique (and best) linear park beside a small creek, Brandt's Creek Linear Park. Photo: J.P. Squire The Trout Pond in Scenic Canyon Regional Park has reverted to a more natural backcountry pond after it was decommissioned as a rainbow trout rearing pond from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Back to Homepage Typos News Tips Forums J.P. Squire - Aug 23, 2026 / 4:00 am | Story: 628799 Photo: J.P. Squire The unique Myra Canyon section of the former Kettle Valley Railway is now absolutely the most scenic section of the Trans Canada Trail, according to the author of The Best of the Trans Canada Trail. The North Okanagan Naturalists' Club issued a challenge and the Sheriff is responding with a new series called Wild and Wonderful Walks. The Sheriff has been invited to present a new version of My Favourite Trails at the club's Nov. 4 regular meeting. (It won't be difficult to remember the date because it's sister Wilma's birthday. Her age will not be revealed because she is nine years younger than the Sheriff.) The Vernon-based club learned about this one-hour presentation to the Central Okanagan Naturalists' Club in the spring but it's unclear if the North Okanagan club received positive feedback from their Kelowna counterparts. Last year, the Sheriff did a similar two-hour presentation to members of the Society for Learning in Retirement in Kelowna about his favourite trails from the Shuswap to the South Okanagan to the Kootenays. In hindsight, those were mainly focused on cycling, or for the past seven years specifically, on e-biking. So it would be a challenge to come up with shorter distances and relatively flat terrain for 'mature'hikers, especially those who love birding. Photo: J.P. Squire Rotary Marsh in downtown Kelowna was a 1990s project by the Rotary Club of Kelowna. The answer comes from his constantly-updated list of the top trails in the Southern Interior. The plan is to outline two or perhaps three great trails per column—perfect for early morning and late day strolls to avoid the summer heat. At the top of the list has to be the spectacular Myra Canyon, where the Trans Canada Trail winds over 16 wood trestles and two steel spans and through two rock tunnels. A kiosk at the Myra Station end has large posters showing not only birds typical in the sub-alpine forest but plants and animals. It's perfect for naturalists. The canyon is 12.5 kilometres end-to-end but most visitors don't go much past the four- or five-kilometre mark from Myra—even though it is flat railway grade—because they have to walk back. New this year is the Myra Canyon Explorer, which you can download from the Friends of the South Slopes website (foss-kelowna.org). On the trail, as you walk up to each of the 21 points-of-interest, you can read a quick historical note about that location. Of course, you can also park at the Ruth Station end (June Springs Road, Little White forest service road) but it is a long walk to get to the first trestle (especially if you get a flat bike tire at the first trestle and have to push your bike all the way back). The best views and highlights are at the Myra end. NONC members probably didn't know but the Sheriff participated in a Central Okanagan Naturalists' Club outing in the spring organized by the birders. The group parked at the foot of Knox Mountain, walked over to Sutherland Bay and then south through Waterfront Park, stopping at Rotary Marshes in particular. Not only is there a huge occupied osprey nest but a myriad of birds in the marsh and bushes surrounding it. With a bit of a stroll along industrial Ellis Street, you are better off parking on the side of Manhattan Drive, west of Ellis Street, and looking for the entrance to Sunset Drive Park. It's not marked by a sign (shame, City of Kelowna) but it has a short walk past a heron sculpture (and occasionally a heron), past an art nouveau-style bench and occasion deer. Crossing Sunset Drive is the entrance to Rotary Marsh (again, no sign). The most amazing part was the expertise of CONC birders who are able to see small birds at great distances, as well as identify them by their calls. The Sheriff, brought his powerful marine binoculars and was dumbfounded. This walk is a study in contrasts. The estuary of Brandt's Creek is a beautiful man-made marsh with a series of boardwalks for wildlife viewing. Walking through Waterfront Park with its man-made lagoons, waterfalls and waterfront boardwalk in front of townhouses and highrises, it is an urban experience. It's like going from wild to wonderful. It's the same drill here: Walk as far as you want through Waterfront Park, along the promenade in front of the Delta Grand Hoteland, through City Park on its new Cold Sands Beach walkway and to the Highway 97 underpass tunnel (It is 4.3 kilometres from Knox Mountain.) And then walk back. It has great views for an evening stroll as the sun sets in the west. Next column: Walking other parts of the Sheriff's favourite local e-bike ride, the Grand Kelowna Triangle. Photo: J.P. Squire Rotary Marsh, which recreated the original waterfront wetlands in the 1990s, is the best location to view wildlife right next to a major urban area of Kelowna. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Back to Homepage Typos News Tips Forums J.P. Squire - Aug 16, 2026 / 4:00 am | Story: 628074 Photo: J.P. Squire A series of guest speakers praised the collaboration between local governments, contractors and volunteers during an official opening for two new sections of the Okanagan Rail Trail. The official opening of two new sections of the Okanagan Rail Trail on Aug. 5 had surprises and inside stories. The ceremony was held at the corner of Old Vernon Road and Airport Way, where a new two-kilometre paved section in front of Kelowna Airport ends and a 3.2-kilometre gravel section to Commonwealth Road begins. A 2.6-kilometre section from Commonwealth to Beaver Lake roads, through the Okanagan Indian Band reserve, remains unfinished. A 500-metre section north of Beaver Lake Road, now part of the District of Lake Country, has new packed gravel and a new crossing light at Beaver Lake Road. Kelowna now has a 14-kilometre paved trail from Ellis Street to Old Vernon Road, a great out-and-back for cyclists who want a flat trail with a unique mix of urban, industrial, airport and rural settings. When parking at Old Vernon Road, cyclists can go as far as they want on the other 35.5 kilometres of gravel trail to Coldstream. Among the curious facts was Kelowna MP Stephen Fuhr stating: "The trail welcomes almost 600,000 uses each year." That must be based on a series of trail counters in the city, Lake Country and North Okanagan which can be unreliable, according to officials. Photo: J.P. Squire Kelowna MP Stephen Fuhr, Secretary of State for Defence Procurement, was the first to e-ride the new section of Okanagan Rail Trail on Wednesday. The Sheriff has a 2022 city chart illustrating four-year average use and projected annual use. The four counters from Gordon to Highway 33 ranged from 40,000 to 90,000 users annually. (The current link to Kelowna counters is here: https://data.eco-counter.com/ParcPublic/?id=4198# ) The counter under the Bernard Avenue overpass, for example, tallies an average of 867 users daily (316,455 per year). Another curiosity was Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas saying more than 5,000 donors contributed $600,000 to building the section from Old Vernon Road to Commonwealth Road out of $2.7 million toward the entire trail. A City of Kelowna sign at Old Vernon Road says it was $900,000. Fuhr recalled his early interactions with Duane Thomson, a director with the fund-raising Okanagan Rail Trail Initiative, after he was elected Kelowna-Lake Country MP in 2015. "I didn't know who Duane Thomson was but he quickly became my best friend. He phoned me incessantly over and over and over. 'Can you help? Can you get us some money? We need money. We need money,' Fuhr said Thomson said. 'We were able to do that in April 2017, to find $500,000 under the Canada 150 program.' Fuhr said he told Thomson to stop calling after that but he didn't. 'Once he figured out he could get more money, he kept calling. And I'm happy to say by April 2018, we were able to find another $1.3 million. The bottom line is it wasn't eas. We found a path. The government stepped up and I'm really happy to say they contributed in a big way to what we have right now." The major question is, when will the reserve section be constructed and paved? "That little piece of land just north of the airport has to be given back to (the band),' aid Fuhr hedging his bets. It was theirs originally. Addition-to-reserve usually takes a long, long time but this federal government is very, very, very focussed on making sure First Nations get their land back. "I don't want to give you a timeline but I am encouraged to say that I think this is going to happen soon,' said Fuhr. 'Like, while-I'm-elected. Soon. I'm gonna make this a priority, to make sure we get this done. The government wants to make this happen." Ceremony host Mac Logan, the city's general manager of infrastructure, noted the project included removing a considerable amount of dry plant material along the trail edge. "We're reminded more than ever that doing this FireSmart work is extremely valuable to our community and I assure you that we're not finished. This is just a milestone. We have many more things that are coming, including paving the section to the north, putting in amenities for users, putting in guide signage." Dev Fraser, co-president of Friends of the Okanagan Rail Trail, said FORT is planning to add wayfinding signage this fall to Old Vernon Road and Beaver Lake Road (some may be in temporary positions until the addition-to-reserve is completed). Then, more at Commonwealth Road after the ATR and planned Commonwealth changes. "The money flowed in fast enough that we could get two large sections done from Lake Country north all the way to Coldstream and then the airport south right to the lake. And the good news (is) there are still sufficient funds to complete the last two kilometres through the OKIB lands," he said. Regular users will notice a short, original rail line section in front of the airport terminal. Brian Beach, the city's senior project manager, explained the rail bed section adjacent to the short-term lot is scheduled for construction in 2027, along with a new roundabout intersection at the entrance to the airport and the rail trail crossing. 'This will be a challenging construction project to maintain vehicle and rail trail traffic through the area,' said Beach. Photo: Contributed It's now hard to believe that this is what the Okanagan Rail Trail looked like earlier in the year before the City of Kelowna began work on the section between Old Vernon Road and the city boundary in Lake Country. says J.P. Squire. This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet. Back to Homepage Typos News Tips Forums More Making Tracks articles About the Author J.P. Squire arrived in the Okanagan Valley from flatland Chatham, Ont. in the middle of the night in the spring of 1980. Waking up in the Highway 97 motel, he looked across the then-four-lane roadway at Mount Baldy and commented: "Oh my God, there's mountains." Driving into downtown Kelowna, he exclaimed: "Oh my God, there's a lake." The rest is history. After less than a month in Kelowna, he concluded: "I'm going to live here for a long time." And he did. Within weeks and months, he was hiking local hillsides, playing rec hockey at Memorial Arena and downhill skiing at Big White Ski Resort. After purchasing a hobby farm in the Glenmore Valley in 1986, he bought the first of many Tennessee Walking Horses. After meeting Constant Companion Carmen in 1999, he bought two touring kayaks and they began exploring Interior lakes and B.C.'s coast. The outdoor recreation column began with downhill ski coverage every winter as the Ski Sheriff but soon progressed to a year-round column as the Hiking, Biking, Kayaking and Horseback Riding Sheriff. His extensive list of contacts in Okanagan outdoor recreation clubs, organizations and groups means a constant flow of emails about upcoming events and activities which will be posted on Castanet every Sunday. You can email the Sheriff at: [email protected] . The views expressed are strictly those of the author and not necessarily those of Castanet. Castanet does not warrant the contents.