There is so much to see and do in Penticton, BC. If you can’t decide which Penticton attraction to experience first, here is a little help. Below is a list of fun, interesting and exhilarating attractions that you can find only in Penticton!
Okanagan Lake Attractions
With slides, rafts, concession stands, and even a place to bring your four-legged friend, there is an endless supply of things in and around
Okanagan Lake in Penticton. Visit
Riverside Park in Penticton for a day of play with bumper boats, go-carts, mini-golf, aero ball and a climbing wall. Or get your heart pounding with a few rail slides and 360s at the Penticton Youth Park, the second largest skate park in the province of BC. The professionally designed park can accommodate roller bladers, BMX bike riders and skaters of all ages. But don’t forget to stop and smell the roses at the Penticton Rose Garden.
Art & Artisans
Penticton, BC is home to many successful artists including (but certainly not limited to) John Salsnek, Terry Isaac, Robyn Lake, and Michael Hermesh. In fact, Michael Hermesh became somewhat infamous in 2005 when his sculpture titled "Frank the Baggage Handler" was installed at the round-about in front of the Penticton Art Gallery. Controversy and vandalism forced the removal of the piece which now resides at Lloyd Art Gallery on 18 Front St.
S.S. Sicamous
Be whisked back to Penticton’s glory days aboard the fully restored
S.S. Sicamous sternwheeler at the
Okanagan Inland Marine Heritage Park. Explore the ship on your own, join a guided tour or take in a musical revue.
Casabella Princess
Experience life on a paddle wheeler first hand. with a scenic cruise aboard the 48-passenger
Casabella Princess. Departing from
Okanagan Lake Marina, you and your family can enjoy a one-hour narrated cruise aboard the paddle wheeler. The Casabella Princess offers special dinner and barbeque cruises throughout the summer, as well as daily scenic cruises. Family packages for the scenic cruises are just $45.00.
Okanagan River Channel
No summer is complete without a float down the
Okanagan River Channel in Penticton. A defining Penticton summer activity, the waterway attracts droves of inner tube equipped channel surfers.
Coyote Cruises, located at Riverside Park, is the only operator that provides both an inner tube rental and shuttle service for channel floaters in
Penticton, BC.
Okanagan Racing Experience
Have a need for speed? Imagine seeing the breathtaking Penticton scenery scream by you at over 100mph, while you drive a NASCAR-style stock car. This is one heart pumping adrenaline rush that you don’t want to miss while in Penticton. The
Okanagan Racing Experience is designed to give you an experience of a lifetime. Driving a racecar is second only to a ride in a fighter jet, as the world’s most extreme thrill ride. The Okanagan Racing Experience takes place at the Penticton Speedway.
Skaha Lake Attractions
What it lacks in size (it is the smaller of the two lakes), Skaha makes up for in beauty and character. Children’s laughter is infectious at the popular holiday beach spot in
Penticton BC, where youth enjoy jumping from the rafts, careening down the slides and splashing around in the water park.
Skaha Bluffs
Climbers from around the world flock to this bodacious range of north-south canyons around Penticton that are heralded as offering some of the best rock climbing experiences anywhere. Along with amazing Okanagan views, these gneissic cliffs that loom large over Skaha Lake offer more than 500 bolted rock climbing routes (rated 5.6 to 5.13) to keep you climbing for hours. The
Skaha Bluffs area of Penticton is most widely known as a rock climbing area, but
Shaha Bluffs also provide plenty of opportunities for hiking.
Penticton area guiding companies offer lessons and instruction for beginner rock climbers, as well as for experienced climbers looking to take the sport to new heights. Equipment is also available for hire. There is ample parking at the access trail to the
Skaha Bluffs.
Kettle Valley Railway Trail
The
Kettle Valley Railway Trail is a popular spot for
hikers, bikers and walkers. You can literally spend days exploring the KVR Trail. Gravel and dirt trails delineate the lakes, mountainsides and bench lands providing breathtaking views of local waterways, orchards and vineyards around Penticton, BC.
The gently sloping pathways of the
Kettle Valley Railway Trail make the trail accessible for people of all ages and fitness levels. To get to the
Kettle Valley Railway Trail, choose from one of several access points in and around the city for a one-day or multi-day hike or bike, or even a horseback ride along this 455 km long trail that is also part of the Trans Canada Trail network, spanning the continent.