Sovereign Lake

Sovereign Lake is a cross country ski area that is located in Silver Star Provincial Park and is just 22 km (14 mi) from Vernon Bc.

It has more than 50 km (31 mi) of manicured trails and 14 km (9 mi) of snowshoe trails.

Combined with the neighbouring Silver Star Resort trail system there is more than 100 km (62 mi) of interconnected trails to explore!

A day spent here is so peaceful as you ski along the trails and enjoy the great scenery and the fresh air.

There are trails for every skill level. From the novice "first timer" to the advanced "big timer" there are plenty of trails to choose from.

And there is even a dog trail for man's best friend to enjoy a day full of exercise and fun!

The back country trails cover over 14 km (9 mi) of the oldest trails at Sovereign Lake.

One word of warning.

The back country trails are ungroomed and snowshoeing is not allowed here.

So enter at your own risk!

This area is so well known that many International teams choose to train here in their early season or major international events.

Ten teams trained here for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, BC Canada.

Some History

Sovereign Lake has a long history of entertaining outdoor enthusiasts looking for some prime cross country and snowshoe terrain.

Here are some important dates that have put this area on the map.

1938 The Silver Star Ski Club is started by Carl Wylie.
1940 Silver Star Provincial Park is established.
1958 During the winter of this year the Department of Highways agree to plough the roads leading to Sovereign Lake.
1974 The North Okanagan Cross Country Ski Club is formed.
1983 The first warming hut is built.
1988 A log cabin warming hut is constructed.
1990 The summer months sees a new administration office and ticket office being built by volunteers. The club begins grooming the Nordic area with snowmobiles.
1991 In partnership with Silver Star Resort the club sponsors a World Cup that is held at Silver Star. The International Ski Federation acclaims this event to be be one of the "best ever".
1993 In cooperation with BC Parks the current Sovereign Lake Day Lodge is constucted. Grooming with large equipment begins with the purchase of a BR400 groomer.
1994 Cross country ski trails are connected to the trails at Silver Star Resort.
2000 Snowshoe trails are developed on the first trails that were formed in 1938.
2005 The club hosts a FIS World Cup race. Early season trails are built. Also World Cup trails, biathlon ranges and night skiing trails begin development.
2010 International Olympic teams for cross country and biathlon train at Sovereign Lake and Silver Star Resort for the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC.
2011 The club hosts the Sparkling Hill Masters World Cup. There are a total of 23 nations and 1134 participants who compete at this World Cup event.
2012 The BC Winter Games comes to Vernon BC with many of the events, including cross country and biathlon, being held here and at Silver Star Resort.

Things To Do Here

The Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre has so much to offer a visitor to this winter wonderland. Let's start with the full service Day Lodge.

After a day on the trails you can come into the lodge and grab a bite to eat and warm up with a hot drink.

The lodge provides burritos and soup that can be heated up in its kitchen area. And there are a variety of drinks to choose from.

They also offer a ski waxing service. You can leave your skis with them and they will be primed for the next time you head out onto the trails.

The Nordic Centre has a great selection of high quality rentals for all ages.

These include skis with poles and boots, snowshoe equipment and even baby carrier sleds.

Yes, you can bring your little one along to enjoy the fresh outdoors with you and they will love it!

There is a Ski School here that offers something for everyone and includes:

Ski lessons
A Womens Day
A Kids camp
Sunday skate clinics
Thursday evening lessons

The Nordic Centre has a variety of programs for anyones skill level. These include:

Kids and Youth programs (Ages 3-19)
Biathlon (Ages 9-adult)
School ski program

There is also a Ski Patrol available on weekends and at competetive events.

They are all volunteers and they are always looking for recruits that would like to be trained for the job.

As you can see there is lots to do here to make your day up on the hill a memorable one.

Sovereign Lake has received many accolades over the years and is a favourite destination for skiers from around the world.

Western Snow Sports Magazine has named it as one of the top 5 Nordic ski areas in North America! The magazine also states that it has the longest ski season in North America.

The area usually enjoys snowfall early and often during the year. It actually has a 7 month season that runs from late October into June.

Some International nordic skiers have even gone so far as to call the ski facility the best ski area on the planet.

Now this is high praise indeed!

Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre is open 7 days a week.

The hours open during the day are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

There is night skiing available after 4:00 p.m. on some evenings.

Check with the Nordic Centre for the evenings they are open.

To contact Sovereign Lake:

Office: (250) 558-3036 Press '203' for general enquiries
Toll Free: 1-877-768-5253
Fax: (250) 558-3076
Snow Phone: (250) 260-5335
Email: info@sovereignlake.com

The address at the Nordic Centre:

Box 1231
Vernon, BC
V1T 6N6

To get to the Nordic Centre take Hwy 97 through Vernon and turn onto 48 Ave which then becomes Silver Star Road as you start climbing the mountain.

Just 2.5 km (1.5mi) from Silver Star Resort you will turn left on Sovereign Lake Road (look for the big sign) and in a couple of minutes you will arrive here.

The Nordic centre is 22 km (14 mi) from Vernon and 65 km (40 mi) from the Kelowna Airport (about a 45 minute drive).

Westjet and Air Canada have daily flights into Kelowna Airport.

It is also only a 5 hour drive from Vancouver, BC and a 6 hour drive from Calgary, Alberta.

With its early season skiing, loads of snowfall and hosting of world class events Sovereign Lake is a great place to bring the whole family to enjoy everything it has to offer.

Okanagan Valley Guide will be updated regularly. Please return often or bookmark this site. I will be adding more pages of exciting information for you.

Thanks for visiting.

See you soon!