There’s something magical about a train trestle. Multiply that by 18, add in two tunnels and tons of views and you’ve got the makings of a great hike (or bike ride) along the old Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) line that curves around Myra Canyon in Kelowna, B.C.
Expect great views of while hiking or cycling the Kettle Valley Railway trail that curves around Myra Canyon in Kelowna, B.C. You also cross 18 wooden train trestles like the one pictured above.
My husband and I had known about the KVR trail for years. This part of the old railway has been restored by a group of volunteers a couple of times. Initially, in the 1990s, they made the 18 trestles safe for recreation. Then, after the devastating wildfire in 2003, they reconstructed the damaged trestles, a project that took nearly five years. So this past summer, during a quick two-day stay in Kelowna, we set out with the kids, bag lunches and lots of water to hike the most epic portion — the 2.5 kilometres between trestle 18 and the second tunnel, for a round trip of 5k (a perfect distance for kids!).
You can even see Okanagan Lake from the trail.
Yes, this meant we were essentially hiking backwards from the terminus trailhead at Myra Station, but lots of other people seemed to have the same idea. And no wonder — we crossed seven trestles of varying lengths and heights, and enjoyed views of the other trestles across the canyon. It’s a popular cycling trail, too, and most of the two-wheelers seemed to be making a day of it by pedalling the entire, mostly-flat, 12-kilometre trail in one direction, turning around, and then cycling back again (for an easy 24k ride).
Next time we visit we are going to bring our bikes!
With the lure of an afternoon spent swimming at the pool complex at Manteo Resort, our lakefront lodgings, we turned around on the other side of the tunnel and headed back to the car. In all, it was a fun outing that combined exercise with pretty Okanagan scenery and a bit of the area’s history (there are interpretive signs that detail the region’s railway past). We’ll definitely be back to hike or cycle the entire trail!
One of two old train tunnels along the Kettle Valley Railway trail in Myra Canyon near Kelowna.
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