Drenched in sunshine on the shore of Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, Summerland was incorporated as a municipality in 1906, thanks to the vision of John Moore Robinson, who enticed future orchardists to the area proclaiming summer weather forever. The community is located on Highway 97 on the western shore of Okanagan Lake, 12 miles (20 km) north of Penticton and 18 miles (28 km) south of Peachland. Directly across Okanagan lake is the community of Naramata. British Columbians have long taken inordinate pride in their fruit and wines and Summerland boasts both welcoming visitors to sample world class wines while enjoying the scenery of nearby lakes and mountains. Take a guided or self-guided wine tour, and experience the magic first hand.
Walking Tour Pamphlets of Summerland are available at the museum or Visitor Info Centre. Although many of the town's historical structures have been lost through fire, Summerland still boasts many fine old buildings, providing us with a link to the past and a key to the future. A visitor can spend an entire day at the Summerland Ornamental Gardens, established in 1914, and once an active research area of the Dominion Experimental Farm. A 1920 English cottage houses the interpretive centre, and displays the agricultural and horticultural history of the Summerland Research Station. The Canyon View Path behind the main lawn offers breathtaking views of the Trout Creek Canyon and the Kettle Valley Railway Bridge.
The Kettle Valley Railway offers a unique two-hour journey on one of BC's few remaining fully operational steam railways. From May to October, enjoy a tour along a preserved ten-kilometer section of the original railway. Constructed between 1910 and 1914, the Kettle Valley Railway was an engineering marvel, linking the towns of southern British Columbia, climbing from 1100 to 4000 feet above sea level, and traveling over 18 trestle bridges. The locomotive, a 1924 Shay steam engine, pulls two 1950s passenger coaches, the Kettle Car (open air) and the Caboose.
Enroute to Westbank and Kelowna our South Okanagan Lake Experience moves north to Peachland, located on Highway 97 on the western shore of Okanagan Lake, 18 miles north of Summerland and 21 miles southwest of Kelowna. Peachland claims to be Ogopogo's hometown! While all the communities on Okanagan Lake pay homage to this famous watery beast, it's at Squally Point, just across the water from Peachland's downtown area, that Ogopogo is thought to make his (or her) home. Besides lake monsters, Peachland is known for its wonderful waterfront and beaches, fruit and wines of the Chateau Ste-Claire and Hainle Vineyard Estate Wineries. The community museum is located in a unique 8-sided wooden structure, one of the few of its kind remaining from early days of settlement.
Hardy Falls Park in Peachland is a cool oasis in what can sometimes be a hot landscape. A pleasant walking trail (easy 3 km return), complete with seven footbridges, leads to a splendid little waterfall hidden away at the head of a narrow canyon. The shade and the cool water attract a wide variety of wildlife as well as human visitors. In the spring, wildflowers brighten the canyon walls and the underbrush along the trail. Carp spawn in the creek and dippers nest in the cracks of the waterfall. In October, crimson Kokanee Salmon dart among creek riffles. Harry Hardy was one of the first orchardists in the Westbank area, and Hardy Falls Park is named in his honour. The park is adjacent to Antlers Beach Park, where you can head for a dip after your walk.
Includes: The communities of Penticton, Naramata and Summerland. Boutique Shopping, Hotels, Heritage Features, Agritourism Attractions, Wineries, Museums, Art Galleries and Performance Venues, Art Studios.
The South Okanagan Lake Experience departs from Penticton north to the community of Summerland which was the site of the first electric light service in the Okanagan in 1905, and the first college in Western Canada in 1906. The largest steel girder bridge of its kind in North America (built in 1913) spans the dramatic Trout Creek Canyon just south of the town centre. Sam McGee, immortalized in the Robert Service poem The Cremation of Sam McGee was a Summerland pioneer from 1909 to 1912. Famous Canadian writer George Ryga made Summerland his home, and his property is now a well-known art center in the Okanagan.
