New trails in Kelowna’s Mission Creek Greenway were officially opened this week.
On Friday, the Regional District of the Central Okanagan (RDCO) said the new trails include a 2.3-kilometre addition to the recreational corridor that runs from the KLO Creek Bridge to the Scenic Canyon Regional Park.
The RDCO says that the trail offers outstanding views of Pinnacle Rock and Layercake Mountain.
“These trails provide opportunities for people to connect with nature and enjoy the benefits of new way-finding signage, trail maps and interpretative information,” says RDCO chairperson Loyal Wooldridge.
“They will also help address water management and slope stabilities issues and prevent erosion which contributes to improved climate resiliency.”
The regional district says trail users will be treated to largely untouched areas of forest.
In addition to that 2.3-km addition, the new 240-metre Pinnacle trail is also now open. However, the RDCO said the former Black Bear trail remains closed due to ongoing concerns with slope instability.
The regional district said spring rain landslides in 2017 and 2018, followed by COVID-19 protocols prevented previous plans to celebrate trail completion.
Wooldridge said the RDCO is also celebrating 25 years of fundraising work by the Friends of Mission Creek Society.
The society’s goal is to preserve and rehabilitate Mission Creek and its environment, along with assisting in the acquisition of lands for the park system.
The trail system now stretches more than 20 km, says Wooldridge.
“We greatly value the partnership that we have had with the RDCO over the years and we are excited to see these new trails celebrated at long last,” said Friends spokesperson Don Knox.
“We would like to thank our many volunteers and donors and encourage the community to see our beautiful latest expansion.”
The regional district offers more than 2,100 hectares of parkland, including 74 km of designated trails in 30 regional parks.