Camping near Vernon

At the north end of the wine-producing Okanagan, Vernon is close to the region's lakes, biking and hiking trails, and provincial parks. Kalamalka Lake and Okanagan Lake both have sandy beaches and spots for boating and canoeing. Several provincial parks, including Kekuli Bay, Ellison, and Fintry, have trails, boat launches, and campgrounds with both RV sites and tenting facilities, while private, full-service RV parks and camping areas with washrooms, hookups, and laundromats give campers other options close to town.

The hot, sunny days of summer are the busiest times to travel to Vernon and across the Okanagan Valley. With a much drier climate than the British Columbia coast, the Okanagan sees more sunshine from spring through fall, making April/May and September/October good alternatives to the summer heat. From mid-November into March, temperatures can dip below freezing, and snow is possible, although the winters are milder than in many other Canadian locations.

• The largest provincial park near Vernon is Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park, which is open only for day use. Campers can consider Kekuli Bay Provincial Park on Kalamalka Lake, Ellison Provincial Park on Okanagan Lake’s east shore, or Fintry Provincial Park on the west shore of Okanagan Lake.
• Several Vernon outfitters rent camping gear, as do companies based in Kelowna.
• If road-tripping between the Pacific Coast and the Canadian Rockies, stop in Vernon or elsewhere in the valley. Vernon is roughly equidistant from both Vancouver and Banff.