Kelowna Parks Challenge – Trip #39
This week, as part of my Kelowna Parks Challenge, I explored the west side of Knox Mountain Park. I travelled the Paul’s Tomb Trail then went even farther on the Lochview Trail. The scenery was breathtaking and the hiking was great!
Read on for my impressions and reflections.
The Trip
Because Knox Mountain Park is so large, I have been exploring it in pieces rather than trying to see it all in one week. Previously, I explored the East Knox Mountain Park parcel and climbed up to Kathleen Lake. This time, I hiked the trail that leads along the west side of the park.
I started by climbing the Apex Trail, which ultimately leads to the top of the mountain, to the Crown Lookout. This is where the Paul’s Tomb Trail starts. From the lookout, the Paul’s Tomb Trail descends gradually for just over two kilometres, finally ending at the Paul’s Tomb Natural Area. That is the site of the Paul family tomb and a spot of incredible natural beauty. It is also a swimming hole of deserved renown. Many visitors park near the end of Poplar Point Drive, where one can join the trail halfway along and only have a one-kilometre hike left to go.
To the north of the Paul’s Tomb area, the Lochview Trail has recently been formalized as part of Kelowna’s parks system. I suspect the trail has existed for a while, but now hikers can use it without trespassing. The Lochview Trail connects Knox Mountain Park to the Lochview Road Beach Access park, and crosses many large and expensive waterfront lots to do it. It is sited halfway down the steep bluffs from the large and expensive houses that occupy those lots, and provides amazing views up and down Okanagan Lake at every turn.
All in all, this hike was about six kilometres round trip. I did it in five hours, but I could have probably accomplished it in four or less if I hadn’t been stopping to take so many pictures.
Knox Mountain Park (Paul’s Tomb Trail)
The Paul’s Tomb natural area is almost a destination park all by itself. Taking the trail there along the west side of Knox Mountain park feels like travelling to a separate section of the park entirely, even though it is connected to the rest of the park by the Ogopogo Trail near the north end.
At the north end of the trail, the Paul’s Tomb natural area is a beautiful picnic and swimming spot. There are two secluded, rocky beaches along with small, rocky bluffs to climb. People of all ages will find something to appreciate about the spot.
Washrooms and Drinking Fountains: There is no drinking fountain in this part of the park. There are three washrooms in this part of the park. There are portable washrooms by the main parking lot, there are portable washrooms at the Crown Lookout, and there are portable washrooms about half-a-kilometre south of the Paul’s Tomb Natural Area. There are no longer washrooms at Paul’s Tomb.
Dog Rules: Dogs are allowed in this park. They must be on-leash and stay on the trails.
Lochview Road Beach Access
This beach access park does not have an official trail down to the beach. It primarily serves as the starting point for the Lochview Trail. This one kilometre trail allows access to the Paul’s Tomb area and Knox Mountain Park from the north.
For a beach access property, this park is large. Other than the Lochview Trail, this land has not been developed and is forested with a beautiful Ponderosa Pine woodland. To get to this park by car, take Clifton Road around the east side of Knox Mountain and turn left onto Lochview Road.
Washrooms and Drinking Fountains: There is no drinking fountain in this park. There is no washroom in this park.
Dog Rules: Dogs are allowed in this park. They must be on-leash and stay on the trail.
Reflections
The scenery on this week’s adventure was consistently and almost overwhelmingly gorgeous. I hope my photos do it justice. I don’t know how safe the Lochview Trail is in the winter, but the Paul’s Tomb Trail promises to be lovely year-round.
Both the Paul’s Tomb Trail and the natural area are very popular, judging from the number of fellow visitors I saw during my trip. The natural area, in particular, is well-known as a secluded beach, and I saw many groups of people travelling there for a relaxing summer day.
The Lochview Trail is also well-used, though not as busy as the Paul’s Tomb Trail. Where the Paul’s Tomb Trail is two metres wide and smoothed, the Lochview Trail is a more traditional dirt hiking trail, wide enough only for a single hiker. Nevertheless, I passed a few parties of hikers along this trail. It’s not hard to understand its popularity, given its natural beauty.
Conclusions
Since I still haven’t seen all of Knox Mountain, I can’t count it as completed. That means I can only count one new park this week. With the addition of Lochview Beach Access, I have now seen one hundred seventy-two of the two hundred and three parks on the official list in three hundred and three days, or 85% of the parks in 83% of the days. I am still ahead of pace, but things are going to get more difficult.
Many of the parks I have left, such as John’s Family Conservancy and Stephen’s Coyote Ridge are large enough for an adventure of their own, but I can’t have too many more weeks with fewer than four parks. It is going to get tight, but that will only add to the drama. Can I get it done in time? I hope you’ve subscribed to my mailing list so you can follow along and find out.
