Includes: The communities of Kelowna, West Kelowna and Vernon. Boutique Shopping, Hotels, Heritage Features, O'Keefe Ranch, Agritourism Attractions, Wineries, Museums, Art Galleries and Performance Venues, Murals, Art Studios, First Nations.
Before the arrival of white settlers, the area was the home of First Nations people in the Stekatkolxne'ut village, which overlooked Okanagan Lake. Fur traders in the early 1800s used the area as a stopping place, calling it MacDonald's Plain, after a Hudson Bay Company officer. The settlement was renamed Westbank in 1908, due to its location on the west bank of Okanagan Lake.
Just outside of Westbank proper is the Gellatly Heritage Park and a beautiful waterfront area with great views of Okanagan Lake. British Columbians have long taken inordinate pride in their fruit and wines. The Westbank area is home to a number of wineries including the architecturally splendid Mission Hill Family Estate Winery, Slamka Cellars, Mt Boucherie and Quails' Gate all set in lush vineyards sweeping down toward Okanagan Lake. Outdoor patio dining is available at Mission Hill and Quails' Gate during the summer season, and most wineries are open year round for tours, tastings and browsing in their well-stocked gift shops.
Departing north on Westside Road we continue to Bear Creek Provincial Park. Here, 5 minutes from Westbank, is a lakeshore with beautiful, sandy beaches and a parkland campground with showers and a horseshoe pit. In the open hillside behind the campsites are 23 km of nature trails to explore. Bear Creek flows through the bottom of the tree-walled canyon, bringing with it small flakes of placer gold. Along the trails above the canyon, ponderosa pine and Douglas fir compete with juniper, bunchgrass, and prickly-pear cactus for the area's meager rainfall. Below, moistened by the mist rising off the waterfalls, is yet another world, one of maple and birch, wild rose, horsetail, and moss.
Further north along Westside Road, you'll find Fintry Provincial Park, a unique Okanagan getaway with a historical flavour. The park is 32km north of Kelowna or 54km south of Vernon on Westside Road. This spectacular waterfront site was the transportation hub of the valley; Hudson Bay Company fur brigade traders passed through here. Easy walking through the park will bring you to the waterfalls and deep pools of Shorts Creek, as well as a suspension bridge and the remains of irrigation and power generation structures. Other features are a ferry wharf from which freight boats operated, a restored Manor house and gardens, a caretakers' house, and several barns, including a beautifully restored octagonal dairy barn, considered state-of-the-art in its day. These buildings are all that remains of the Dunwater Estate, one of the valley's first, and most successful agricultural operations. Much of the valley's milk supply in the early days came from the estate's herd of Ayreshire cattle. The surrounding hillsides have a canopy of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. In addition to the campsites, there are almost 2 km of waterfront, and a large picnic and day-use area. The park, which is home to black bears, bighorn sheep, deer and bald eagles, offers great outdoor activities, with hiking trails leading to Shorts Creek Canyon.
As we travel north, just after Head-of-the-Lake and before we arrive in Vernon, we will step back in time to the late 1800s at the historic O'Keefe Ranch, founded in 1867 by Cornelius O'Keefe. At that time, huge cattle ranches occupied the valley, and ranch headquarters were self-contained settlements. By the turn of the century, O'Keefe and his partner owned 20,000 acres of prime land, and were driving cattle north to sell to the hungry miners in the gold fields. Rain or shine there's always something to do at O'Keefe Ranch where kids and adults alike can experience the history and adventure of pioneer days.
The Westside Experience begins in Westbank and follows the west side of Okanagan Lake to Head-of-the-Lake at the far north end of Okanagan and ending in Vernon.
Bordered by mountains to the west and Okanagan Lake to the east, Westbank welcomes visitors with a host of attractions, including wineries and impressive art and antique shops. Westbank is located on Highway 97 near the western shore of Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley, 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Peachland and 9 miles (14 km) southwest of Kelowna.
