Difficulty: Medium

Rating: 3.5/5

Duration: 3hr / 3km

Accessibility: Car

cougar canyon (viewpoint)

Description:

Cougar Canyon (Viewpoint) is a trail to the ridge above the canyon. We snowshoed this trail in early February, your experience will differ based on the season. The road we drove was pure ice if you plan on a winter hike, be ready to slide and bring a 4x4 vehicle. For the rest of the sane population of Kelowna, a car will do just fine in Spring/Summer/Fall.  

The trail starts with a steep incline. There are several paths off the road shown in the Google Maps link. Any of them will do, the one we took had "KEEP OUT" written on the gate. That path may be the least legal path, so use it at your own discretion. Once you find a path up, follow the powerlines; the path should be clear. The climax of this hike is on the cliff's edge of Cougar Canyon. There are beautiful views and great photo taking opportunities. 

The entire hike has a breathtaking view of Kalamalka Lake. It's a short hike with a good payoff the whole way through. For those of you looking to try something out of our easy category and dip your toes in something more difficult, this is a great first step.

Directions:

This hike is approximately an hour drive from downtown Kelowna or 25 minutes from downtown Vernon.

  1. Coming from Kelowna, head towards Vernon on Highway 97 north.
  2. Before entering Vernon, turn right onto College Way and drive down the hill.
  3. Turn right onto Kalamalka rd, follow this road for 1.9km.
  4. Turn right onto Mcclounie rd.
  5. Turn left onto Coldstream Creek rd and follow it for 1.7km.
  6. Turn right onto Cosens Bay rd. 
  7. You will be staying on Cosens Bay rd for 7.2km driving past the Cosens Bay parking area.
  8. You will arrive at at sign for the "Cosens Bay Community", park your vehicle here.
  9. The trail begins around 200m back along the road following the power lines along the ridge.

This route is now available on GoogleMaps!

Gps Coordinates:

  • Parking area: 50.185428, -119.287120
  • Trailhead: 50.186113, -119.282161

Features:

  • Views of Kalamalka Lake
  • Cliffs
  • Cougar Canyon views
  • Climbing areas.
  • Dog friendly