New trail, bike track and more parking for Ellison Park

Jul 6, 2023 | 10:46 AM

Improvements have been made to the camping, hiking and other outdoor activity features at Ellison Provincial Park on Okanagan Lake, south of Vernon.

The B.C. government invested $635,000 for the park to expand the parking, add a bike pump track, and build a new trail.

The parking lot has been expanded by 30 spaces, the pump track has been built at the upper parking lot, and the three-kilometre beginners trail, called Loopy Campers Trail, is being built to circle around from the campground to the upper parking lot.

The downhill portion of the Loopy Campers Trail opened July 6, and the uphill section is expected to open mid-July.

“Too often, people miss out on spending time outdoors due to challenges to accessibility and availability,” Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Monashee, said.

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“Ellison Provincial Park is a favourite in Vernon-Monashee for campers, mountain bikers, hikers, beachgoers, and families, including my own. Thanks to funding for Ellison Provincial Park, more people can get out to enjoy what the park has to offer through a new trail, and improvements to the campground and parking that will make this area more welcoming to people.”

The investment for the park is part of a $21.5-million initiative to expand and enhance outdoor recreation throughout B.C. by upgrading existing campsites and trails and building new ones, with many of the improvements aimed at making the sites more accessible to people with mobility challenges.

“Every year, millions of people head to provincial parks to connect with family and friends, and experience the wonders of nature,” George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, said.

“Ellison Provincial Park is one of B.C.’s natural treasures. We know people care deeply about provincial parks and want them stewarded effectively. Investing in our parks makes the BC Parks experience even better.”

Three other parks have received upgrades through this funding stream as well: MacDonald Creek Provincial Park south of Naskup, Mount Robson Provincial Park north of Valemont,and Lakelse Lake Provincial Park south of Terrace. These projects and the Ellison Park upgrades are costing a combined $2.2-million, and the province stated other projects across B.C. are set to be completed in the fall.

by Liam Verster

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