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From Manning Provincial Park to Okanagan Lake

Coquihalla Campground
3.5/5

The third day we drove from Coquihalla Campground near Hope via Manning Provincial Park Okanagan Lake North Provincial Park (240km / 150mi). Cleaning up and closing all connections and drainage hoses was much easier than connecting them. That evening it would go a lot faster, because you simply couldn't connect anything. The next campsite was in the Okanagan Lake North Provincial Park and did not even have an electricity connection. That morning we were able to leave quickly for Kelowna. We drove through Highway 3 and 3A and stopped for a walk and lunch at Manning Park.

Manning Park B
Manning Provincial Park
Manning Provincial Park

Manning Provincial Park Hike

After lunch we took the shortened walk around Lightning Lake in Manning Provincial Park. We left clockwise from the day-use area (parking) and cut off part of the walk by turning right at the first bridge, halfway along the lake. I estimate that the shortened version was about 4,5 km long. The full distance of the Lightning Loop walk is 8.5 km. Once back to the camper we ate lunch and Eli swam in the lake. I thought it was quite chilly and only got into the water up to my waist. When we were drying ourselves 2 men passed who had caught a trout. Eli wanted to fish from that day on. We caught most of the fish (trout) when we got the beautiful waterfalls in Wells Gray Provincial Park visited.

Manning Park - Lightning Lake
Manning Park BC
Manning Park - Lightning Lake

Refuel

After we had driven for a while we refueled for 107 $ CAD. The payment when refueling was slightly different than with us. Before you fill up you have to pay an estimated amount at the gas station, in this case it was 120 $ CAD. Then you can refuel. If you refuel for less than the 120 $, the remaining amount will be automatically refunded to your account. In the beginning it felt a bit awkward, but I have never received a refund of the remaining amount. Sometimes you have to refill the propane tank, but that was only necessary on day 9 when we Visited Athabasca Glacier.

Fruit stalls along the way

After an 2 drive for about an hour we stopped in Keremeos to buy fruit. Due to the dry, warm climate, that village is almost the capital of fruit shops and stalls. A lot of wine is also made. After we put 2 bags of fresh fruit in the camper, we went to eat an ice cream at the stall. It was fortunately not far to the campsite. Pay attention with the GPS setting, you have Okanagan Lake Provincial Park and Okanagan Falls Provincial Park! We had taken a wrong turn towards Okanagan Falls Provincial Park. Even if it was only an extra half hour, you can miss the extra driving time after a day like a toothache.

Okanagan Lake Provincial Park
Okanagan Lake
Okanagan Lake

Okanagan Lake North Provincial Park

I booked our reserved camping spot at Okanagan Lake a little too late. In my opinion, the campsite was a bit too close to the road. There are better places to stand. We had seat N33. You could still hear the cars on the road light and the distance to the lake to go swimming was a bit too far. Well, we only stayed one night. Okanagan Lake Provincial Park was founded in 1955 and offers a nice view of the lake. The responsible of the campsite comes by in the evening to check whether you have paid and whether you are in the right place.

Okanagan Lake
Okanagan Lake

It is useful to have the document of the internet reservation at hand. The price was 41,30 $ CAD booking fee and tax included.

Hoses in the area 🐍

It is possible that you will encounter snakes on the walk. Harmless bull snakes live in the area in the dry grass, but also poisonous rattlesnakes. It is recommended to wear long thick pants and good shoes in the area. If you encounter a rattlesnake at the campsite or during a walk, the advice is to go around the snake. We have not seen a single snake on the campsite. You can also spot a variety of birds, such as hummingbirds and woodpeckers. The park mainly consists of Ponderosa pines and Douglas firs. Several varieties of lilies also grow, including the Chocolate Lily and the Colombian Lily.

Print your Okanagan Lake reservation ticket...

In both the provincial parks and the national parks, the reserved places corresponded to the documents I printed out with my online reservation. Through this link you can reserve a camping spot in Okanagan Lake North Provincial Park. Before dinner we went for a swim in the lake and played with the Frisbee. At night you could hear the crickets chirping loudly.

We went to bed early because the next day there was a fun activity on the program, cycling through Myra Canyon ????

Bicycle tour through Myra Canyon 🚴‍♀️

Day 4: Cycling through one of the most beautiful parts of the historic 600 km long Valley Kettle Railway route.

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Map: Drive to Okanagan Lake North Provincial Park

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Wim & Jessica

We created the travel blog "Globetrotter Avenue" as a hobby, but also to share travel experiences with others. In the meantime we have visited more than 40 countries. We love nature, forests and mountains, but also sun, sea and beach. When we are not traveling, you will find us in the garden. Enjoy reading!

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