Black Mountain Regional Park is one of the newest parklands in the Okanagan with new trails being developed all the time. As of 2023 there are 7 main trails. There are great views of Kelowna and Okanagan Lake on this rise east of the city. For entertainment value, the trail network is mediocre. There are not many trees so often it feels like walking through farmers fields. The newer trails up into the hills follow old ATV trails which are decent but far from being equal to other hiking in the Okangan.
Here are some notes about the various trails. There are now three entrances (north at Tower Ranch, main off Swainson Rd, and south in Joe Rich).
Ephemeral Pond Trail
A short loop in bare grasslands. If a pond exists, no one has found it.
sntsk‘il’ntən Trail
A newer trail just opened in 2023. The trail leads higher up the hillside than ever before, offering even better views over the city. The trail itself is built along old ATV trails and it a bit boring. It’s difficult not to break into a jog to get some parts over with. There is one section that climbs up through a gully and continuing off-trail to one of the nearby lookouts or Black Knight summit is greatly encouraged. Whether starting from the main entrance or Joe Rich, the Flume Trail provides a nice loop option.
Coyote Trail
This is the main trail in from Tower Ranch. It follows the north side of a fenced off orchard. Views of new subdivisions outweigh any nature.
Hoodoo Trail
An offshoot of the Coyote Trail. This is one of the best spots in the trail network with some interesting hoodoo formations as the name suggests.
Flume Trail
Another one of the park’s best trails. There is nothing left of any flume if there ever was but the trail loops through gullies and meanders through all sorts of interesting terrain. The only downside is getting to either end of this trail as it is bookended by mediocre access trails.
Grasslands Trail
One of the newer trails stretching higher up the hillside. The route follows mostly old ATV trails.
Ridge Trail
A short loop option off the Grasslands trail with decent views down over the city.
As new trails are developed higher and higher up the hillside, one may inquire about the ‘top’ which is Black Knight Mountain. This is a fair question and it is 100% possible to continue on to the summit – the plan is to eventually have a manicured trail to the summit which would greatly add to the résumé of the trail network.
