Westbank BC
Spectacular Mountain
and Lake Views

Westbank BC lies in the Okanagan Valley, 16 km(10 mi) northeast of Peachland and 14 km(9 mi) south of Kelowna BC, on its west side.

The newly built William R Bennett Bridge joins the two communities separated by beautiful Okanagan Lake.

The area is smaller and is less populated than that of Kelowna. The scenery is out of this world as the community is surrounded by mountains to the west and the lake to the east.

The activities are endless to any visitor to this region.

With all the parks, trails and lakes in the area this a major hot spot for family fun.

One of my first vacations to the Okanagan was Westbank BC.

I spent several years coming back every summer as I found it a really wonderful spot to enjoy the outdoors and have a good time.

One place I really miss is the water park that I spent almost every day at on my vacations. I thought it had the best waterslides I have ever been to.

Great memories still last even when something is gone, though.

Best Things To Do

There are a variety of places to visit and activities to participate in this outdoor paradise. Check out these excellent parks.

Bear Creek Provincial Park is only a 5 minute drive from Westbank BC. It boasts sandy beaches and a campground.

There is 23 km of nature trails behind the campsites.

There is plenty of wildlife throughout the park. Located 8 km north of Westbank BC on the west side of Okanagan Lake.

Fintry Provincial Park This park has campsites, 2 km of waterfront and a big picnic and day-use area.

Walking through the park will lead you to the waterfalls and Shorts Creek.

There is also a cool suspension bridge to cross, too.

Look out for the abundance of wildlife like bighorn sheep, black bears, deer and bald eagles.

Take Westside road off of Hwy 97 and head north for 34 km. Located on the western shores of Okanagan Lake.

Mount Boucherie Park This park is excellent for mountain climbing and the summit trails lead to magnificent viewpoints of the Okanagan Valley below.

Mt. Boucherie, a 60 million year old extinct volcano, is at the centrepoint of this park. This mountain can be seen anywhere in Westbank BC and pretty well from any area in Kelowna.

Gellatly Nut Farm This is one park you will want to visit! It is actually has two sections; one is a heritage park with buildings and items from the pioneer days.

The other part of the park belongs to BC's oldest nut farm and an information center. Make a visit here between late September and early November and you can enjoy some fresh nuts from the nut harvest.

Take Hwy 97 in Westbank BC and turn left onto Gellatly Road. Follow this road to Whitworth Road.

There are a couple of golf courses for those who enjoy the game.

Shannon Lake Golf Course An 18-hole golf course for golfers of all abilities and ages. Gorgeous views here alongside Shannon Lake. After a round enjoy some great food at Agostinos restaurant in the clubhouse.

Two Eagles Golf Course & Academy A masters length 18-hole course with rolling hills and Okanagan Lake in the background.

Westbank BC is home to some of the best wineries in the Okanagan.

Quails' Gate Estate Winery Take a guided tour of the estate, taste their award winning wines, visit the wine shop or enjoy a meal at its Old Vine Restaurant. It is your choice at this popular winery.

Great views from the patio of the restaurant that looks down onto the vineyards and Okanagan Lake below. It was voted as best Wine Tour in the Okanagan and was well deserving of this honour.

Mission Hill Estate Winery The wines made here are the most awarded in all of British Columbia.

Visit here, bring a picnic lunch and savour some of the finest wines in the world.

It is an experience you will not want to miss on your wine tour through the Okanagan Valley.

Crystal Mountain Ski Resort is the place to go for your winter fun. There is some awesome terrain offered here for both the skiers and the snowboarders.

The prices are right for an affordable family vacation that everyone will enjoy. Located just 15 km (9.5 mi) from Westbank BC.

Take Hwy 97 to the Glenrosa exit and follow Glenrosa Road and in no time you will be at this popular resort.

These are some of the best things you can enjoy in this town. There are still many more activities that you can do.

Horseback riding, paintball, laser tag and go-carting. The list could go on and on.

A Little Westbank History

Before the white people arrived here the area belonged to the First Nations people. They lived in a village called Stekatkolxne'ut which sat above Okanagan Lake.

In the early 1800s fur traders stopped here and called the area 'MacDonald's Plain'.

In 1908 the settlement was renamed Westbank because of its location on the west bank of Okanagan Lake.

In the area around Fintry Provincial Park the Hudson's Bay Company fur brigade traders passed through and the site was a transportation hub of the Okanagan Valley.

For more on the history of this area visit the Westbank Museum
where you will find artifacts and information on the pioneer families that lived here.

View of Okanagan Lake from Westbank BC

There are many accommodation options available in the Westbank area.

Hotels, motels, resorts, b&b's and campsites are just some of the places you can stay at while visiting here.

There is no shortage of any of these as you decide which would be the best for you and your family.

I hope you have enjoyed the information on this great community of Westbank BC.

I love this place and I know you will have a blast here too!

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!