To launch this blog and my Kelowna explorations, I have decided to set myself a challenge. I have decided to visit all of Kelowna’s 200+ city and regional parks in one year. That’s more than one park every two days. Read on for the details.
I’ve made an official list, based on the list on the city website, of the 203 parks I intend to visit. I tried to include a lot of items, such as beach access sites, boat launches, and undeveloped sites, in order to keep things challenging, but I left out linear parks and active transportation corridors because they seem more like trails than parks. I included most regional parks because they are within city limits, but I excluded provincial parks because they are mostly outside city limits.
For a park visit to count, I will walk all of the official trails in the park and visit all of its features. I also intend to take a picture of every one of them. Even though this is a walking blog, I don’t intend to walk all the way to every park. Some of them are quite far from where I live. Nevertheless, when possible I intend to visit parks that are near each other by walking from one to the other. This should give me insight into local neighbourhood character and landforms.
I look forward to sharing what I learn with you and to all the explorations I am going to need to do every week to successfully meet this challenge!
Update: The challenge has begun! Below are the links to my trip logs, recording my visits to the various parks and my impressions of them. Starting with Trip #6 I have been making YouTube videos, which are also linked below.
- Trip #1 (July 22, 2019) – Kasugai Gardens, Stuart Park, Kerry Park, City Park, Anchor Park
- Trip #2 (July 27, 2019) – Water Street Boat Launch, Waterfront Park, Rotary Marsh Park, Sunset Drive Park, Recreation Avenue Park
- Trip #3 (August 3, 2019) – Sutherland Bay Park, Poplar Point Drive #1 Beach Access, Jack Brow Park, Manhattan Drive Beach Access
- Trip #4 (August 13, 2019) Part 1 – Rowcliffe Park, City Park, Lake Avenue Beach Access, McTavish Avenue Beach Access, Vimy Avenue Beach Access, Beach Avenue Beach Access, Burne Avenue Beach Access
- Trip #4 (August 13, 2019) Part 2 – Cadder Avenue Beach Access, Royal Avenue Beach Access, Strathcona Park, Maude Roxby Wetland, Francis Avenue Beach Access, Kinsmen Park, West Avenue Beach Access
- Trip #5 (August 24, 2019) – Walrod Park, Knox Mountain Park (Mount Royal Trail), Martin Park, Knowles Heritage Park
- Trip #6 (August 26, 2019) – Jean Road Trails, South Kelowna Centennial Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #7 (September 6, 2019) – Lombardy Park, Bankhead Park, Duggan Park, Richmond Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #8 (September 21, 2019) Part 1 – Cameron Park, Osprey Park, Abbott Park, Cedar Avenue Beach Access, Meikle Avenue Beach Access (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #8 (September 21, 2019) Part 2 – Watt Park, Watt Road Beach Access, Boyce-Gyro Park, Rotary Beach Park, Cook Road Boat Launch (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #9 (October 1, 2019) – Mission Creek Regional Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #10 (October 11, 2019) – Mission Creek Regional Park, Wenric Crescent Greenspace, Gerstmar Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #11 (October 16, 2019) – Millbridge Park, Stillingfleet Park, Pacific Park, Mary-Ann Collinson Memorial Park, Parkinson Recreation Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #12 (October 26, 2019) – Millard Glen Park, Newport Glen Park, Cross Glen Park, Matera Glen Park, Whitman Glen Park, Sutton Glen Park, Vallen Glen Wetland (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #13 (November 1, 2019) – Hartwick Park, Sonora Park, Golfview Park, Calmels Park, Redlich Park, Jack Robertson Memorial Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #14 (November 6, 2019) – Caro Park, Knox Mountain Park – East, Upper Canyon Open Space, Blair Pond Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #15 (November 18, 2019) – Robert Lake Regional Park, Shetland Park, Barlee Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #16 (November 25, 2019) – Knox Mountain Park (Kathleen Lake) (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #17 (December 2, 2019) – Glenmore Road North Greenspace, Naito Park, Wyndham Park, Terrace Hill Park, Still Pond Park, Hidden Lake Park, Begbie Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #18 (December 9, 2019) – Ballou Park, Lost Creek Park, Skyland Open Space, Wilden Ridge Pond Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #19 (December 15, 2019) – Roxby Square, Rutland Centennial Park, Briarwood Park, Mugford Park, Brighton Park, Rutland Lions Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #20 (December 29, 2019) – Windermere Park, Fascieux Creek Wetland (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #21 (January 2, 2020) – Hollywood Park, Moraine Park, Hollydell Park, Davie Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #22 (January 11, 2020) – Mission Recreation Park, Thomson Marsh Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #23 (January 21, 2020) – East Kelowna Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #24 (January 27, 2020) – Rutland Recreation Park, Sumac Park, Edith Gay Ball Park, Wigglesworth Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #25 (February 3, 2020) – Ellison Dog Park, High Noon Ball Park, Mill Creek Regional Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #26 (February 11, 2020) – Chichester Wetlands Park, Harris Park, Hartman Park, Tower Ranch Hillside Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #27 (February 18, 2020) – Curlew Park, Kettle Valley Sports Field, Quilchena Park, Providence Park, Mountainside Park, Jewel Park, Winslow Park, Main Street Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #28 (February 22, 2020) – Fairhall Park, Johnson Road Park, Summerside Park, KLO Creek Regional Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #29 (March 3, 2020) – DeHart Park, Mission Ridge Park, Crawford Estates Bridle Paths, Redridge Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #30 (March 11, 2020) – Belgo Park, James Hockey Park, Garner Pond Park, Bella Vista Park, Black Mountain Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #31 (March 18, 2020) – Braeloch Road Beach Access Park, Cedar Creek Park, Lebanon Park, Bertram Creek Regional Park, Swick Road Beach Access Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #32 (March 23 & 25, 2020) – Guisachan Heritage Park, Mappin Court Park, KLO Sports Field, Munson Pond Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #33 (March 27, 30, & 31, 2020) – Quarry Park, Powerline Park, Southridge Park, Southridge Detention Pond & Open Space, Frost Road Open Space (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #34 (March 25, April 2, June 10, 2020) – Bluebird Road North Beach Access, Bluebird Beach Park, Belmont Park, Lakeshore Road Beach Access, Thomson Creek, Hobson Beach Park, Central Okanagan Sailing Association (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #35 (June 18 & 22, 2020) – Sarsons Beach Park, Eldorado Road Beach Access, Cascia Linear Park, Collett Road Beach Access, Farris Road Beach Access (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #36 (June 26, 2020) – Dewdney Road Beach Access #1, Dewdney Road Beach Access #2, Dewdney Road Beach Access #3, Dewdney Road Beach Access #4, Dewdney Road Beach Access #5 (YOUTUBE)
- Trip # 37 (July 4 & 5, 2020) – McKinley Landing Park, Dubbin Road South Beach Access, Dubbin Road North Beach Access, McKinley Road Beach Access, McKinley Mountain Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #38 (July 13, 2020) – Southridge Open Space, Benmore Open Space, Clarance Open Space, Kuiper’s Peak Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #39 (July 19, 2020) – Knox Mountain Park (Paul’s Tomb Trail), Lochview Road Beach Access (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #40 (July 25, 2020) – Johns Family Nature Conservancy Regional Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #41 (August 3 & 5, 2020) – Memorial Park Cemetery, Enterprise Park, Ben Lee Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #42 (July 30 & August 9, 2020) – Quail Place Park, Carney Park, North Glenmore Dog Park, Stephens Coyote Ridge Regional Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #43 (August 15 & 18, 2020) – Dilworth Soccer Park, Cassiar Park, Selkirk Park, Lillooet Park, Summit Park, Dilworth Mountain Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #44 (August 23, 25 & 26, 2020) – Jack Smith Lake, Hill Spring Park, Ponds Community Park, Canyon Falls Park, Woodhaven Nature Conservancy Regional Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #45 (August 29 & 30, 2020) – Loseth Park, Mine Hill Park, Carnoustie Open Space, Birkdale Park, Stockley Open Space, Lund Park (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #46 (September 4 & 10, 2020) – Knox Mountain Park, Avonlea Park, Merlin Court Greenspace (YOUTUBE)
- Trip #47 (September 20 & 21, 2020) – Hollywood Road South and Teasdale Road Property, Mission Creek Bike Skills Park, Scenic Canyon Regional Park (YOUTUBE)
I have also added a map, showing all of the parks in the challenge, colour-coded to show which ones I have completed.
