Kuiper's Peak Mountain Park is a rocky area just south of Kelowna with great views of the valley and Okanagan lake. The area is virtually treeless thanks to the 2003 fire but this makes for great scrambling up the many jagged hills. The main trail is quite short so it is a great one to bring the kids along. Think of it as a natural play park for some great adventures in the varied terrain.
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Climbing one of the bluffs[/caption]
Sadly the neighbourhoods of south-east Mission are slowly encroaching on this lovely spot. For similar terrain with a bunch more wilderness try Cedar Mountain which isn't far away. Also, Canyon (Crawford) Falls is just a stone's throw away.
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Click on map for a high-resolution version[/caption]
Directions To Trailhead:
Head south on Lakeshore Rd all the way into southern Kelowna. Turn left on Barnaby Rd (intersection just before Summerhill Winery) and then right on South Ridge Dr. From here there are signs for the park directing to turn on Dougherty Ave then Kuiper's Cr. then finally Hewetson Ave.
Distance from downtown Kelowna to Trailhead: 15km
Walking time: 1 hour
Trail Length: 1km round trip
GPS: Not necessary
Easy to Keep on Trail: yes
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Near the beginning of the trail to Kuiper's Peak[/caption]
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Towards Kuiper's Peak from Crawford Falls[/caption]
