Okanagan Valley EH
Kettle Valley Railway (KVR)
 |  |  |
Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) is one of the Okanagan Valley's most popular, scenic hiking and biking trail routes in the Okanagan back country navigating mountain ridges, climbing hills, discovering tunnels and circling lakes from Osoyoos to Kelowna BC.
The Kettle Valley Railway was established in 1914 to transport goods and people from town to town throughout southern British Columbia, Canada. The transportation route was a difficult project to construct at times forging through thick forests, blasting rocks and building 18 wooden trestles connecting hillsides.
Today, the popular mountain biking and hiking Kettle Valley Trail looks down on the Okanagan Valley from points of 1100 to 4000 feet above sea level. The terrain varies in difficulty resulting in, best describing the adventure, a section at a time.
Osoyoos to Oliver: The Kettle Valley Trail follows Hwy 97 from Osoyoos visiting fruit orchrds, wineries, Canada's only desert country leading into Oliver, BC.
Access points to the trail is at McAlpine Ridge located north of Oliver and Road 22 south of Oliver, British Columbia, Canada.
Penticton: This section of the Kettle Valley Railway Trail follows in-between Skaha Lake and Okanagan Lake along the dyke of the Okanagan River.
Naramata to Chute Lake (175 kms) :The most challenging section is just north of penticton with climbs of 3000 feet through the Glenfir Tunnel visiting Chute Lake on your way to Myra Canyon and 17 wooden trestles. From the Myra Canyon trestles are some of the best views including looking down on Idabel Lake , Arlington Lakes and Hydraulic Lake.
Access points to the trail is at the crossing of Naramata Road, Arawawana Road, Smethhurst Road or by driving to the end of Chute Lake Road. (Duration: 3-5 days)
McCulloch to Rock Creek: Pass by farmers fields of dreams, forests with wildlife following the logging roads and trail down from Hydraulic Lake and Arlington Lake parallel to Hwy #33 and Kettle River to Westbridge. The Kettle Valley Trail continues under Rock Creek to Westbridge Road which runs parallel to KVR (trail in rough shape suggest staying on Hwy #33).
