The Sproing Guide To Outdoor Fun
The warm weather is a welcoming presence, especially this year! We hope that’s the first and last pandemic Winter we must endure.
While some people love slaying Silver Star’s slopes in the winter, the public’s most significant opportunity for more outdoor enjoyment is undoubtedly the Spring, Summer and early Fall.
In the following post, we want to do so much more than highlight some local outdoor attractions. That blog post’s been done before. Instead, we want to inspire our locals to think outside the box and find some outdoor activities they genuinely enjoy doing. The locations we mention are merely settings for your outdoor activities of choice!
Let’s look at some lesser-known (but still bona fide) health benefits to being outdoors:
- According to this New York State article, breathing in the fresh air also means we breathe in phytoncides. These airborne chemicals contain antibacterial and antifungal qualities that can help fight disease!
- This Harvard Health article highlights research on walking in nature settings vs urban settings. In the study cited, those who walked in nature had lower prefrontal cortex activity, a brain region active during rumination (repetitive and often negative thoughts).
- According to this University of Exeter study, growing evidence suggests an association between access to urban green space and mental health and well-being.
So, it’s not just the vitamin D, or that nature is beautiful. Nature affects us on a cellular level, and we’re part of our living environment. Don’t go outside because you think you should; go outside because you love doing so. Get excited about nature’s subliminal benefits!
Now for the fun part. Here are our favourite places to enjoy nature between Vernon and Salmon Arm!
Ellison Provincial Park
This provincial park is multi-faceted in its beauty and terrain. Near the bottom of the park, tucked in near Okanagan Lake is Ellison Provincial Campground, where you can enjoy spacious overnight campsites. It’s a great campground for families, with its very own nature trail!
Taking the nature trail up to the top, where it meets up with Eastside Road, you will see a parking lot across the road. The territory above this parking lot is home to some of the very best Okanagan trails! These headlands are home to a spectacular flower show in the Spring. While most famous for mountain bikers, many hikers and trail runners enjoy this area as well.
Up near the top of Ellison Provincial Park begin the coveted Predator Ridge trails! You can keep climbing up the mountain with a new set of views at the foot of each clearing.
BX Creek Falls
A local favourite, this highly-accessible hiking trail is only a 12-minute drive from downtown Vernon.
At either trailhead, Cedar forest awaits you. The trail traverses through lush ravines, a stark contrast to the desert-like valley not far from it. The canyon slopes and the running creek work together to create a unique microclimate suitable for hiking and trail running! The creek volume can vary throughout the seasons, often giving you a different hiking experience each time you trek through. Both trail entrances eventually lead you to the grand finale, the falls! No matter the flow level, it’s a natural spectacle for the senses.
The creek continues to reach further into Vernon, where you’ll find an off-leash dog park! Accessible along BX Road, this fully-fenced area provides an abundance of green space and a walking trail around the perimeter. BX Creek is accessible near the back of the park, where your dog can jump in and cool down, provided the water-levels aren’t too high! (please use caution, of course.)
and the running creek work together to create a unique microclimate suitable for hiking and trail running! The creek volume can vary throughout the seasons, often giving you a different hiking experience each time you trek through. Both trail entrances eventually lead you to the grand finale, the falls! No matter the flow level, it’s a natural spectacle for the senses.
The creek continues to reach further into Vernon, where you’ll find an off-leash dog park! Accessible along BX Road, this fully-fenced area provides an abundance of green space and a walking trail around the perimeter. BX Creek is accessible near the back of the park, where your dog can jump in and cool down, provided the water-levels aren’t too high! (please use caution, of course.)
Shuswap River Float
One of the very best Summer activities for those who just want to lounge! Locally known as the ‘Enderby River Float,’ this natural waterway meanders down through the Ashton Creek valley towards Enderby.
You can choose a variety of different places to enter the river for varying float times. These times are also highly dependent on the time of year, as early-Summer floats are much quicker than late-Summer floats. Use the guide here for timing approximations.
Along the way, Spectacular valley and mountain views abound. You’ll flow past expansive fields, forests and even the epic Enderby Cliffs (coincidentally, the next attraction on our list!). Wildlife will keep you entertained along the way, and there are many sections where you can jump out of your floaties and swim or walk along the bottom!
Before entering the river, be sure to respect the local natural environment and be mindful of your needs for the entire duration of your float. Stock up on sunscreen and water in particular, but we also recommend bringing food and a shirt or rashguard to cover up with in case of extreme heat.
Enderby Cliffs
First, a few words of caution: In conquering this hike, your legs will scream at you for a few days!
The Enderby Cliffs tower above the Okanagan Valley, providing unmatched views to the south and the Shuswap region to the north. However, to get there, you must undertake a challenging hike upwards into the mountainside. A summit hike can take anywhere from 2-4 hours, depending on ability and weather conditions.
Upon reaching the summit, most elect to sit down for a while and enjoy the views. You’ll likely witness birds dancing in the updrafts created by the imposing rock face. You’ll also notice volcanic rock formations from millions of years ago, completing the spectacle. Though exhausting, a resulting sense of accomplishment and wonder steals the day to make it all worth it!
Larch Hills
This popular Shuswap recreation area is primarily a cross-country destination, but Larch Hills is still a great place to explore when the snow melts!
Widely used by Salmon Arm residents and those beyond, Larch Hills is nestled in a smaller mountain range just East where Highway 97B meets the Trans Canada Highway. On the other side of this range lies Mara Lake, with Shuswap Lake to the North! A mix of logging roads and single-track trails make Larch Hills an excellent choice for biking, hiking and equestrian use. Use trail-tracking apps like Alltrails to explore ahead of time and map out a fun route for you and your family.
We recommend checking out the Larch Hill Nordics website for year-round information, including accommodation and corral rentals!
Herald Provincial Park
With 79 hectares of beautiful beach and forest, Herald Provincial Park remains a popular destination campground and day-use recreational area.
Campers can enjoy the extensive Shuswap Lake shoreline, perfect for swimming, boating and other preferred watersports. Crossing Sunnybrae-Canoe Point Rd brings you to the forested uplands where abundant nature trails await. The highlight of the uplands is indeed Margaret Falls! This beautiful natural waterfall is less than 1km out-and-back, making it an accessible wonder for all hiking skill levels. There’s also an Upper Loop trail rated as moderate for those looking for a more taxing workout!
Herald Provincial Park is just 14km’s from the Trans Canada Highway near Tappen.
Conclusion
With pandemic-related distaste still on our collective breath, getting fresh air is more important than ever. Winter was difficult for many of us, particularly those that don’t enjoy winter sports. Too much time indoors combined with necessary isolation is not a good recipe for our mental health.
Now that it’s Spring, we can fight back! The key to spending more time outdoors is to find an activity that you genuinely enjoy doing, so it doesn’t feel like a chore. There’s an immense psychological benefit to enjoying nature, and we hope we’ve given you few places to start.
We love where we work and play and feel fortunate to have nature surrounding us, everywhere we look. The Okanagan is an outdoor playground ripe for exploring! Now let’s get outside and get connected, shall we?
Featured Image Credit: Stirling Peters