New trail with stunning viewpoints now complete

Sep 16, 2020 | 12:20 PM

Construction has been completed on an extension of the Kal Crystal Waters Trail south of Vernon.

The 1.8 kilometre trail runs adjacent to the Okanagan Rail Trail.

The Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) said the new section features stunning viewpoints of Kalamalka Lake, birdwatching opportunities and a shady path through forested sections.

RDNO did not have to purchase land for the trail’s development.

“Parts of the trail are on an old early 1900s highway. Other sections were granted as easements or right of ways by property owners and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure,” an RDNO news release said.

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“The discussions for the Kal Crystal Waters trail began in 2013. When the Okanagan Rail Trail project began taking off in 2015, the enthusiasm and energy were understandably shifted to creating that trail,” Bob Fleming, Director for Electoral Area B, said.

An old car parked on Kalamalka Lake Drive (the precurser to Highway 97) overlooking Kalamalka Lake in 1915. The new Kal Crystal Waters trail is partially comprised of this old highway. (Image Courtesy: Vernon Museum and Archives – Photo No. 1349.)

Once the Okanagan Rail Trail was complete, RDNO was able to complete the Kal Crystal Waters trail, which offers a more challenging incline than the Rail Trail, with options for trail looping to provide a different perspective of Kalamalka Lake and the landscape.

The newly completed trail’s southern access is from Crystal Waters Road, and the northern access is at Okanagan College. Trail users can travel from the college to Lake Country off of the highway.

RDNO’s Electoral Area “B” funded the project through the Community Works Fund, money from federal gas tax revenues that is distributed to local governments in British Columbia, including electoral areas, to support local infrastructure priorities.

by Pete McIntyre

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