If you’re an avid biker, or if you just want to go for a walk and enjoy the scenery I encourage YOU to read on. This is the place you should visit if you get a chance to go to British Columbia. I should probably get right into it now!

From Penticton, we drove to Kelowna to go for a walk on the trestle bridges. My dad searched the internet for “things to do it Kelowna,” and the Myra Canyon Trestles came up. My mom typed the address on the GPS, and then we just went! It was a beautiful day, sunny and a little cool so we decided it was a good day to go for a walk. It was only about a thirty minutes drive from Kelowna. To get there we had to drive on a unmaintained forest service road. That means it’s slightly better than a logging road. The road was so bumpy I thought I was on a motion ride at Universal Studios! The road was also very steep. My dad had to turn on the XMode on our Subaru Crosstrek so it was easier for the car to climb. It was SUCH a relief to get to the parking lot of the Ruth Station.

I took a picture of this sign. From where we are Okanagan Valley is 3,000 feet (910 meters) below. Well, that explains the drive up!

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The Myra Canyon Trail was a part of Kettle Valley Rail (KVR). It consists of nineteen trestles (now eighteen) and two tunnels. It was used to transport gold, silver, and other minerals being mined in the southern part of British Columbia. It opened in 1915, and the highest section of KVR has an elevation of 1280 meters. The Kettle Valley Rail (KVR) Trail and the Columbia & Western Rail Trail is the longest rail trail network in British Columbia extending from Hope to Castlegar. The decommissioned tracks are now a recreational trail providing almost 650 km (400 mi) of connected pathways throughout the region. That is VERY long!

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In 1980, the Canadian Pacific Rail (CPR) removed the rails, and the tracks and the trestles started to deteriorate. Then the Myra Canyon Trestle Restoration Society was formed in 1993. They worked for three years to make the trail for public use. For the complete history of Myra Canyon Trestles, you can click here

In 2003, twelve wooden trestles burst into flames! It was due to a lightning strike that happened in the woods, then it spread to the trestles. This of course caused them to rebuild most of the trestles.

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Back from the past and into the present, the view from the trestle was amazing! It was so COOL to see the valley down below! Buuuuuuuuut, we only visited the first trestle. Next time when we go back we will bring my bike so we can go and visit more trestles.

The picture you see below was taken on a different day, and we went for a walk in Okanagan Falls, and it was 81km (59 mi) away from Kelowna. This trail is another portion of KVR Trail.

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Along the KVR, there are some rock ovens. These were for the workers that worked to build the railway. At the peak of building the KVR, the railway employed over 8,000 workmen. And because everyone gets hungry over time, the rock ovens became a thing because then the workers could bake bread right there on site!

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To learn more about KVR Rail Trail, click here. There are lots of guided bike tours and accommodations that are offered on that website. It looks so much fun!

Aaaaaaaand last but not least, don’t forget to make a donation to the Food Bank to help those in need!

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