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Beautiful scenic views can be found from Little White Mountain Trail. Not only do you get to cast your gaze out at crystal-clear ponds and beautiful meadows, but the view of the valley seems endless. Be sure to keep an eye out for Big White Mountain and of course Kelowna in the far distance.
We took Okanagan Highlands Trail up to Little White Mountain and used these easy directions to get there.
Note: This trail is not recommended for vehicles without good ground clearance. The last 7 to 10 km towards the parking lot have some rough spots on the road. We managed with our car; however, 4x4 vehicles are recommended.
1. Leave Kelowna and follow Highway 33 south
2. RESET ODOMETER at the Big White turn-off and keep going straight along Highway 33
3. After 4.5 km, make a sharp right turn onto Okanagan Falls Forest Service Road 201
4. RESET ODOMETER
5. At 1.7 km, continue straight through the stop sign with signs for Idabel Lake
6. At 5.6 km, continue straight with Idabel Lake on your right
7. At 8.8 km, continue straight to cross a cattle guard
8. At 21.7 km, continue straight to cross a small bridge
9. At 23.6 km, turn right onto Greyback Road
10. At 26.3km, turn right onto Canyon Lakes FSR with signs for snowmobile club
11. At 26.8 km, continue straight to cross a small bridge
12. At 29.3 km, the road quality becomes very poor with small dips and large boulders.
13. At 33.3 km, park at the gravel parking lot/clearing on your left where the trail begins at the back of the lot with signage
The trail starts from a gravel parking lot and goes straight into the forest. As you’re hiking, you’ll hear lots of birds and the trickling of water along the path. Once we reached a rock bed along the trail, there were markers guiding you along the path. Once the trail starts to climb up alongside the rock bed, you have incredible views of Big White Mountain and can see small lakes below.
If you go between late June and early July, there are beautiful flowers accenting the trail along the way. Once we reached the summit, we followed rock markers towards the tower at the top of the mountain! We ate lunch and walked around exploring the windy, but beautiful area before heading back down.
We started at 9:00 a.m. and got to the top of Little White Mountain at 10:45 a.m, so it is a medium-length hike. Afterwards, we headed down around 11:45 a.m. and got to car at 1 p.m. In total, the trail took us one hour and 45 minutes to the top, which included stops for water along the way. The hike back down to the parking lot took the same amount of time.
Due to how hot the days are in Kelowna right now, I recommend starting early in the morning. The day really started to heat up, and we were glad to be done in the early afternoon.
Hike difficulty: Moderate/Difficult
Attire needed:
Hiking shoes/runners
Backpack with water/snacks
Whistle/bear spray/bear bell (I always have my bear bell on my pack just as a precaution)
The trail is over an hour and a half driving from downtown Kelowna, but completely worth it! I recommend this trail to everyone, and I hope you enjoy the views over the valley as much as we did.
- Carlee Kish (Nature Jane)
Carlee Kish is a 23-year-old hiking enthusiast who has lived in Kelowna for two years now. Originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, Kish fell in love with the mountains and hiking during a family trip as a youngster. She has a passion for the wilderness and capturing it along the way with beautiful photos. Kish lives for the outdoors and you can follow her adventures as she relishes in moss during her captivating hikes and boundless adventures. Be sure to follow Carlee's adventures on Instagram @CarleeKish.
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