Beyond the Borders of Switzerland: Hike around Knox Mountain Park in Kelowna, British Columbia

Monday March 18, 2024 -- Taking advantage of the exceptional warm weather in Kelowna BC right now, I really wanted to do one of my major hikes here, although it's not quite the same as my beloved hikes in Switzerland!

At 385 hectares, Knox Mountain Park is the largest natural park area in the city of Kelowna, and the many trails there boast views up and down the beautiful Okanagan Lake. This is not the first time I have been on this mountain, but the first time I have walked up to the summit (270 meters above the lake level) and done an 8.5-km round tour over a variety of the official trails.

The first and main trail up the mountain from the parking area is called the "Apex Trail", and at 10:30 in the morning on a beautiful day there were already dozens of people walking or running up and down this trail. But after I reached the upper look-out pavilion and headed on other lesser-used trails, I was mostly alone. I took a detour to a wetland marsh and saw a local bird called the red-wing blackbird (with a beautiful song) and five grazing mule deer, who were not at all afraid of me.

The sign informs of a unique dry-grass ecosytem here.... Also, of the 58km of trails on Knox Mountain, 73% of them are unsanctioned.

The Apex Trail zigzags up the mountain with a view over downtown Kelowna. There were dozens of people on the trail. I started on my hike at 10:30 a.m.

A closer look at the highrises in downtown Kelowna and the bridge.

A close-up look at the only bridge which crosses the 100-km long Lake Okanagan.

This view down the lake is to the south, and to Mount Boucherie on the west side of the lake.

Interesting...There seem to be bears on this mountain. I saw a lady hiking here with bells attached to her backpack, but I could not do this. I want peace and quiet for my hikes. I didn't run into any bears.

At the lower look-out pavilion, the trail splits: The lower trail to Paul's Tomb is a fairly level trail, about 45 minutes each way. I headed uphill to the right. Note the "Non-Smoking" sign. It is illegal to smoke in any of the parks here, due to risk of forest fires, which is already very high even at this time of year.

Now I get the first view of the lake in the northern direction.

The Apex Trail continues to zigzag uphill. It seems that many people climb up and down for morning exercise, with jogging shoes and water bottles.

I did go off-trail a little bit here. This was from another trail called the Boyce Trail.

I reached the Upper Apex look-out point at 11:30. From here I continued north on what is called the "Pavilion Trail". Most people seemed to stop here, as I then encountered only a very few people on the rest of the loop.

All signs and brochures and Internet sites clearly state that dogs are only allowed in the park if they are on-leash. And yet I spoke to four dog owners (with six dogs) about their off-leash dogs. They simply wished me a good day (Canadians are polite) and continued their walks with their dogs off-leash.

Across the lake on the west side you can see all the blackened trees which were burned during the massive forest fires that raged here in August of 2023.

Enjoying the view to the North across the very long Okanagan Lake.

Enjoying my hike on Knox Mountain

I was appalled that even with the ban on smoking in this park, and the experience of the large destruction due to forest fires the year before, that people addicted to cigarettes will disregard any rules or risks and sit up here smoking their cigarettes.

Passing the main pavilion in the center of the park at noon. There are information boards here with some historical facts about the region.

As I headed north from the main pavilion along the Pavilion Trail (no.3), I walked mostly alone, meeting only a handful of other people. From this trail I could have walked downhill on the lake side to join the "Paul's Tomb Trail" for my way back to the car, but I preferred to walk around the park on the east side.

At the very east side of the park, the trail emerges into a residential area called Magic Estates. These houses are in an even newer development higher up on a summit further east.

After following the "Magic Estates Trail" through the forest along the residential area, I took a detour to a small marsh area in the center of the park. All along we are reminded that Kelowna's Official flower is the "Arrow Leaf Balsam Root", a hardy, drought-tolerant plant.

Even though this area had several mountain bike trails, there were five mule deer grazing here, and they were not shy to see me photographing them.

Mule deer emerging for their spring foraging. This is why they don't want dogs off-leash in the park.

VIDEO:

Watching the Mule Deer in the forest

The information panel tells that the marsh here used to be a pond with permanent standing water, and that 85% of bottom marsh lands in the Okanagan Valley have been lost.

Walking through the bulrushes, I surprised this lovely red-winged blackbird who flew off to the center of the marsh and started singing! This is one of the most abundant birds in North America. Continuing here, I followed the Boyce Trail back to the Apex Trail where I had started my climb.

Back on the Apex Trail and heading back downhill again.

From here I get good views again of the south side of the lake and downtown Kelowna.

The first robins of the season! This is a very common bird in the area, but they don't spend winter here, because their favourite food is earthworms, which they cannot find when the ground is frozen!.

Back at the junction of the two trails, I decide to do another loop called the "Lower Apex Trail" which shares the same section as the Paul's Tomb Trail

First pretty little yellow flowers!

This is the popular lower trail called "Paul's Tomb Trail" which you can follow for 45 minutes to the north, parallel to the lake.

Another look northward along Okanagan Lake. I doubled back along the lower trail here, where that woman is walking her two dogs off leash.

Heading back now to where I parked my car.

The small narrow trails are still the best kind to walk on.

The north end of the city of Kelowna at the foot of Knox Mountain was once a residential area with small single-family homes like the ones directly below, but large apartment complexes are also being built here.

Back on the Apex trail, this is the last stretch before getting down to the parked car. It's now 2:15 p.m., so I have been up on the mountain for about four hours.

From the valley bottom now you can see the first Apex look-out (Lower Crown Look-out) where most people walk to, andd the barren mountainside where I walked on the final section of my hike.

After tracing the route I walked, it looks like I did almost 400 meters of ascent altogether, although the main ascent to the summit was just under 300 meters.