Best Places to See Fall Colours in Kelowna

Fall in Kelowna is honestly one of my favourite times of the entire year! I love fall, and while summer in the Okanagan is hard to beat, I’m always excited when that first stretch of cooler weather rolls in. The crowds start to disappear, I can finally hike without melting in the heat and smoke, and seemingly overnight, the trees start changing!

And Kelowna gets sooo colourful! Bright yellow trees line the streets, the parks turn orange and red, and even places I walk all the time suddenly look completely different. I look forward to it every year! (It’s nothing like out east, but it’s still very beautiful).

So if you’re wondering where to see the best fall colours in Kelowna, these are the places I’d start. I go back to many of them every fall, and hopefully you’ll find a few new favourites too!

Myra Canyon Trestles

The Myra Canyon Trestles are hands-down one of my favourite places to see fall colours in Kelowna. If you’ve only ever visited in the summer, you need to come back in the fall!

This section of the old Kettle Valley Railway crosses 18 wooden trestles high above the valley, so you get some incredible views as everything starts changing colour below. And as a bonus, it’s way quieter than it is in the middle of summer. You can bike the trail or just walk across a few trestles and turn around whenever you’ve had enough.

But the real reason I love Myra Canyon in the fall? It’s definitely the larches!

Kelowna might not get quite as wild for larch season as the Rockies, Washington, or even the Kootenays, but we do get a little taste of it here. The larches might be one of the Okanagan’s best-kept secrets, actually.

They turn brilliant gold for just a couple of weeks in October, so you’ve gotta be on it! I think Myra Canyon is one of the easiest places to see them too, especially if you don’t want to commit to a big alpine hike.

Mission Creek Greenway

Mission Creek Greenway is another one of my favourite places to see the fall colours in Kelowna, and it’s so easy to explore. The trail is wide and mostly flat, so it’s perfect for a lil’ fall walk, whether you’re bringing the dog or just feel like getting outside for an hour.

I love walking along the creek once the cottonwoods and maples start changing in October. The trail gets absolutely covered in leaves too, and come on, is there anything better than that crunch under your feet? I think not!

The Greenway stretches for 16 km, so you can hop on in a bunch of different places. I usually head farther from the lake when I’m looking for the best colours, but honestly, you’ll see plenty wherever you start. I especially like the Mission Creek Bike Skills Park area because there are a bunch of cute little bridges along the trail, and it gets really colourful in October.

Mission Creek Kokanee Salmon Run

There’s another really good reason to visit Mission Creek in the fall: the kokanee salmon run!

From around mid-September into early October, thousands of bright red kokanee make their way up Mission Creek to spawn. It’s pretty cool to see, especially when you realize these little fish have turned that red just for spawning season.

Head toward the spawning channel and take a walk along the creek. If you time it right, you’ll get the salmon run just as the first fall colours are starting to show up too. Two fall activities in one, I’ll take it!

Dilworth Mountain Park

Dilworth Mountain Park doesn’t get nearly enough attention in the fall, but I come up here all the time. The nearby Dilworth Water Tower lookout is also worth checking out while you’re up there. It takes a bit more effort to reach, but you’re rewarded with another great view over the city.

The park itself is mostly pine, so I’ll admit, you’re not coming here to walk through tunnels of colourful trees. You’re coming for the views! Once you reach the lookouts, you can see right across Kelowna as the city starts turning gold and orange, with Okanagan Lake behind it.

And don’t judge it by the parking lot! Walk for literally a couple of minutes and suddenly the views open up. I like to walk Dilworth all year round, but I think fall might be my favourite time to come up here. It really shows you just how colourful Kelowna gets.

Kelowna City Park, Waterfront & Bird Sanctuary

If you don’t want to head into the hills, you really don’t have to. Downtown Kelowna gets so colourful in the fall, and the waterfront is probably the easiest place to see it. Plus, it’s a pretty great excuse to grab a coffee and go for a wander.

The huge trees around City Park turn golden yellow in October, and I love walking here once the summer crowds have disappeared. It’s still warm enough to hang out by the lake most days, but everything feels noticeably quieter.

From City Park, I’d wander toward Abbott Street for a bit. The old heritage homes look especially lovely when all those big trees start changing colour. Or head the opposite direction along the waterfront and you can walk all the way to Rotary Marsh Bird Sanctuary. The boardwalk takes you right through the wetlands, and keep an eye out because you might spot a beaver!

Honestly, you don’t need much of a plan for this. Grab a coffee, start walking, and see where you end up. That’s pretty much my ideal fall afternoon in Kelowna anyway.

Abbott Street & Maple Street

If you’re already wandering the waterfront, definitely take a detour through the neighbourhood around Abbott Street. It’s so lovely in the fall. The huge old trees arch right over the streets, and once they start changing, entire blocks turn yellow and gold.

Maple Street is especially good, which feels appropriate given the name! If you catch it at peak colour, the trees basically create a canopy over the road and there are leaves everywhere.

You do have to time this right, though. A couple of windy fall days can take it from peak colour to mostly bare trees surprisingly fast, so when it looks good, GO!

Angel Springs

If you want a longer fall hike, Angel Springs is such a good one. The trail takes you deep into the forest in KLO Creek Regional Park, and honestly, it doesn’t feel like you’re still in Kelowna once you get back there. You’ll follow the creek for parts of the hike and pass some really cool tufa formations along the way.

The main Angel Springs route is about 10.5 km, but there are trails going everywhere throughout KLO Creek Park. You can easily connect into another route if 10 km isn’t enough for you!

I really love hiking here in the fall. The forest gets incredibly golden once the leaves start changing, and there’s usually a nice layer of crunchy leaves covering the trail. It’s also noticeably quieter than some of Kelowna’s more popular hikes, which is a big part of why I like it.

Kasugai Gardens

I honestly forget about Kasugai Gardens sometimes, and then every time I go back I wonder why I don’t visit more often. It’s tucked right behind City Hall in downtown Kelowna, but once you step inside, it feels surprisingly removed from everything happening a block away.

Fall is probably my favourite time to visit. The Japanese maples turn bright red and orange, and I love seeing all that colour around the pond and little bridges. It’s not very big, so you really only need 20 or 30 minutes here, which makes it an easy detour if you’re already wandering around downtown.

Just don’t wait too long! Kasugai Gardens closes for the winter later in October, so check the closing date before you go

Mill Creek Regional Park

I feel like Mill Creek Regional Park gets overlooked a lot, which is kind of surprising because it’s such an easy escape into the forest. It’s tucked away near the airport, and the main trail follows Mill Creek through the trees before eventually reaching a small waterfall.

I love this trail in the fall. There’s a ton of colour along the creek, the leaves cover the trail, and once the weather cools down, it’s just so nice to be out here. I’ll take a crisp October hike over sweating my way through one in July any day.

The main waterfall is easy enough to reach, but there are actually some much bigger waterfalls farther into the park. They’re harder to get to and require a bit more effort, so if you’re just here for an easy fall walk, there’s absolutely no need to venture that far. But if you feel like exploring, there’s more back here than you might expect!

Lebanon Creek Greenway

Lebanon Creek is for the days when you want your fall walk to feel a little more like a workout. And by a little, I actually mean a lot, because this trail is steep. You start down near Okanagan Lake and climb pretty much immediately, but at least the views give you a good excuse to stop and catch your breath!

There’s lots of fall colour around the creek and lower sections of the trail, but I actually think it gets better as you climb. You start getting these huge views over Okanagan Lake with the colourful hillsides below, which makes all that uphill effort feel more worth it.

And if you get to the top and somehow still want more, you can connect to the trails around Johns Family Nature Conservancy and make it a much longer hike.

Gellatly Nut Farm

Okay, technically we’re crossing the bridge into West Kelowna for this, but Gellatly Nut Farm just feels like fall. It’s an old nut orchard right on Okanagan Lake, with huge mature trees that start changing colour just as harvest season rolls around.

And yes, you can actually collect the nuts! Depending on when you visit, you’ll find walnuts, hazelnuts, and other varieties that have fallen from the trees and are ready to gather. I don’t know why, but wandering around an orchard collecting nuts on a crisp October day feels about as fall as it gets.

It’s also a nice break from all the hiking on this list. You can just wander around the orchard, walk along the lake, and see what you can find. Bring a bag though, because you might end up going home with more than just fall photos!

Take a Fall Drive Up Highway 33

If you’re not up for hiking, no problem. Highway 33 is such a nice drive in the fall, especially once you get out of Kelowna and start climbing toward the mountains.

The farther you go, the more the city disappears behind you and the landscape starts to change. You’ll pass plenty of pockets of yellow and gold along the highway, and I love how quickly it starts to feel like you’ve left Kelowna waaaay behind.

If I were heading out purely to look at the colours, though, I’d probably take McCulloch Road instead. It’s a slower, more scenic way to head out toward the same area, and personally, that’s probably the route I’d choose if the whole point is just to go for a fall drive.

There’s no real destination you need to reach either. Just drive, enjoy the colours, and turn around whenever you’ve had enough.

Where to Find Larches Near Kelowna

Okay, if you’ve never seen larches in the fall, you’re in for a treat! They look like evergreens most of the year, but every fall their needles turn this incredible golden yellow before dropping for winter.

We definitely don’t get the full-on “larch madness” you’ll find in the Rockies or Washington, but there are actually quite a few around Kelowna. And you can actually watch them changing from pretty much anywhere in the city! Look toward Okanagan Mountain in October and you’ll start to see little patches of bright gold popping up among all the green trees. That’s usually my sign that it’s time to go find them up close.

The season is ridiculously short, usually only a couple of weeks in mid-to-late October, so once you see those golden patches starting to appear, GO!

A few places to look:

• Myra Canyon Trestles: Probably the easiest option and where I’d send most people. There are larches scattered along the KVR, with particularly good patches around the trestles.
• Myra-Bellevue Larch Forest Loop: There are larches throughout the higher elevations around Myra-Bellevue and this trail is about 13 km and takes you through much denser pockets of larches and aspens.
• Oyama Lake & High Rim Trail: Head up toward Oyama Lake and hike a section of the High Rim Trail. You can go toward Chatterton Lake or Damer Lake and find plenty of larches along the way.
• The Boulderfields: Head up Gillard FSR toward the Boulderfields and you can find some really good pockets of larches. You don’t necessarily have to scramble down into the actual boulderfields either; there are views of them from the upper trails.
• On the way to Big White: Keep an eye out as you climb Highway 33 toward Big White. There are larches scattered through the higher elevations along the way.
• Brandt’s Creek Linear Park: And for the extremely low-effort option, there are a handful of larches along Brandt’s Creek near the IGA in Glenmore. Not enough that I’d tell you to make a special trip, but I walk here regularly and always notice them when they turn!

FAQ: Kelowna Fall Colours

Final Thoughts on Fall Colours in Kelowna

I might be a little biased, but I really think fall is one of the best times to be in Kelowna. Summer gets most of the attention, but give me cooler hiking weather, golden trees and way fewer crowds, and I’m veeery happy.

The only downside is that it never seems to last long enough! Some years the colours hang around for weeks, and other years one good windstorm comes through and suddenly half the trees are bare. So if everything is looking good outside, take that as your sign to get out there.

Hopefully this gives you a few new places to explore this fall. And if you find an especially good pocket of colour somewhere around Kelowna, tell me about it! I’m always looking for another excuse to go leaf peeping.