The Walk Around Lake Country group (WALC) put the finishing touches last weekend to the trails its members have been locating on Spion Kop, completing a cairn marker at “The Grand Overlook.”
From that point, hikers can view the Okanagan Valley stretching south beyond Kelowna, Okanagan Lake, Wood Lake and Duck Lake, the orchards and vineyards of Lake Country and the surrounding mountains complete a spectacular vista.
The trails, all on Crown land, mean that you can now walk from a trail head at the Raven Ridge subdivision at Carr’s Landing, along trails identified with coloured diamond markers, through to the other trail head at The Lakes subdivision in Winfield.
Along the way there are connecting trails to the Spion Kop summit and to another stunning view to the north, along Wood Lake and Lake Kalamalka, overlooking the Oyama isthmus.
WALC has also published a map of the trails and this will be available at the Lake Country Visitor Centre, the information counter at District of Lake Country City Hall, and at the two trail heads. It will also be included in the DLC Parks and Trails Guide available from the DLC.
WALC members and other community volunteers have been busy over the past three years identifying and marking existing animal and other trails to bring hiking access to the Spion Kop views.
Wherever possible, trails were chosen to avoid roadways and other paths obviously used by motorized vehicles.
Some of the trails have recently been damaged by “off roaders” and WALC is requesting that motorised vehicles stay off the marked hiking trails and be respectful of hikers.
WALC is a group of volunteers dedicated to enabling walking conditions throughout Lake Country, hoping eventually for a truly circular route connecting all our local gathering points.
