- Kayaking & Canoeing – Lakes north of Osoyoos such as Vaseux Lake are very popular with paddlers wanting to catch a glimpse of the Bighorn Sheep, Elk, and Deer that frequent the shores. West of Osoyoos, the Similkameen River offers excellent running conditions for beginners and advanced kayakers from the put in point off Highway 3 at the Copper Creek Recreation Site, just east of Manning Park, past Princeton on to Hedly and all the way past Keremeos to the take-out at Chopaka FSR bridge crossing alongside Crowsnest Highway 3 near the Richter Pass. Watch for ancient Canadian Native pictographs along your journey. East of Osoyoos, the Kettle River carries many tubes, river rafts, canoes, and kayaks down the 59 km (36 mile) Kettle River Route from the Canyon Flats Recreation Site area along the Christian Valley Rd. to Midway, BC. Many day trippers find that the river highway crossing in the town of Westbridge to be the best place to put in for their watery ride along the riverside Trans Canada Trail – Kettle Valley Railway Trail hike and bike stretch that heads from Westbridge south into the historic towns of Rock Creek and Midway BC.
- Forest Road 4 X 4 Touring - Hundreds of kilometres of both well maintained and deactivated FSR (forestry service) roads exploring the Okanagan Highlands from the Osoyoos area of the Okanagan Valley east into the historic Kettle River Valley and Boundary Country areas and into the fruitful Similkameen Valley. Guided eco-tours are available visiting spectacular vistas, waterfalls, ancient pictographs, geological formations, hidden valleys, wildlife, and historic corridors.
- Skiing, Downhill & Cross Country - Mt. Baldy Alpine Ski Resort Village here in British Columbia is only 46km (29 miles) east of Osoyoos via the Crowsnest Highway 3 (just east of Bridesville, BC for the turn off sign at the Rock Creek Canyon Bridge). 17 downhill runs ranging from beginner to expert, toboggan area, plus 3 cross country McKinney X-C Trail circuits await your arrival. (read more)
 Snowmobile – The snow collects in the valleys and mountains in the fall transforming hundreds of kilometres of forestry service roads , trails and abandoned railway sections into awesome snow routes for wintertime outdoor snowmobiling excursions. Snowmobiles and ATV companies rentals are available.
- Horseback Riding - Many trails and back road stretches, great for horseback riding. Guest Ranches and Bed&Bale accommodations around the Bridesville, Camp McKinney, Mt. Baldy areas, just east of Osoyoos, will provide for both you and your horse. In the nearby Kettle River Valley, horseback riding along the Trans Canada Trail / Kettle Valley Rail Trail is both relaxing and fun.
- Camping – Osoyoos has both private and provincial sites with healthy forests, pristine mountain lakes, water falls, quiet fishing, historic gold trails and abandoned railway corridors. Fantastic woodland campsites such as Conkle Lake Provincial Park, Johnstone Creek P.P., and the ever popular Kettle River Provincial Park are just an hour away. (more info)
 Mountain Biking - If you enjoy an easy pace, relatively flat and relaxing then you’ll want to check out the 2.5 km (1.5 mile) historic Osoyoos Canal Walkway Interpretive Trail or the much longer 18.5 (11.5 mile) International Bicycling and Hiking Trail which runs along the Okanagan River between Osoyoos and Oliver, BC. The 5 km Testlinder Trail loop near the 1870m (6135 ft) summit of Mt. Kobau above the Richter Pass, with awesome views down into both the Similkameen and Okanagan Valleys, plus the ride back down the steep 17 km (10.6) gravel road to Highway 3 will very much smack a smile upon your face.
- Astronomy Eco-touring – Stellar observations. Some of the local bed & breakfast businesses have built personal observatories or offer simple telescopes to look through as part of their stay-over package. Nearby the community of Okanagan Falls you can visit the big Dominion Astrophysical Observatory. Special gathering of dedicated star observers that takes place atop Mt. Kobau every year for a full week in August. This eco-awareness event has been taking place since the early 1980s and has come to be known as the Mt. Kobau Star Party.
- Desert Tours - Eco-tours at the local Desert Centre take place in the daytime and at night during the summer with special lectures held in the winter. Since you are staying in Canada’s only pocket desert then a visit to the centre is a must. Walk through the open desert along the raised boardwalk and learn about the many rare and endangered species on a self-guided or staff guided experience.
 Bird Watching - Nature loving ornithologists, both amateur and professional, visit the South Okanagan all year round to view some of the rarer bird species like the Burrowing Owl and the Chukar Partridge. Birds of interest to be found here include the Calliope Hummingbird, Canyon Wren, Sage Thrasher, Rock Wren, Dusky Flycatcher, Blue-Winged Teal, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Trumpeter Swan, Golden Eagle, Canada Goose, Heron, and many more mammals of flight including rare bats. Popular bird viewing sites include the Osoyoos Oxbows Ecological Reserve located at the north end of Osoyoos Lake, Haynes Point Wetland Project located at the entry to Haynes Point Provincial Park on the south part of Osoyoos Lake, and the Vaseux Wildlife Centre at the north end of Vaseux Lake.
- Boating – Osoyoos Lake offers three marinas plus a handful of easy access boat launches at various points along the shoreline. Osoyoos Lake is Canada’s warmest lake. With an average summertime lake temperature of 24 degrees Celsius (70 F) waterskiing, tubing, jet-skiing, windsurfing, parasailing, and paddling are very popular activities here. For those looking for quieter fishing and boating moments there are a number of smaller lakes such as Conkle Lake, Vaseux Lake and Burnell Lake in the surrounding local area.
- Fishing – Rainbow Trout are regularly stocked in the surrounding lakes. Osoyoos Lake is a host to about 30 different species including Black Crappie, Kokanee, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, and Perch. Early springtime trolling in Lake Osoyoos will yield the best results for catching a good sized Rainbow. Other local lakes we recommend are Kilpoola Lake, Conkle Lake, Vaseux Lake, Ripley Lake, and Skaha Lake.
- Hiking – Osoyoos and its local surrounding area is well stocked with great trails and hiking routes for both day trekking and over-night experiences. Pristine mountain lakes, expansive views, native pictographs, and loads of wildlife are easy to find without having to drive far away. Many of the current eco-paths are actually the remnants of old mining, logging, rail bed, and fur brigade trails developed over 100 years ago. Some were established way back in ancient times as early first nation hunting and foot travel highways…bring your camera!
- Wine Tours – Osoyoos is also referred to as the Okanagan’s Desert Wine Country. The nearby community of Oliver is called The Wine Capitol of Canada. Over 60 wineries can be visited throughout British Columbia’s Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys. Major wine festival and independent winery festivities run at regular intervals throughout the entire year…and yes that totally includes the so-called off season. Wine Festival months are May, August, October, and January.
- Golf – Expansive 18 and 27 hole, rolling hillside golf courses are located right in and around Osoyoos just minutes from the town core for that next to nature but not too far away golf experience. The warm dry climate brings in a plethora of refreshing blue sky golf mornings and sunny afternoons followed by glowing desert sunsets which beckon ….. just one more round!
- Theme Park – Amusement Park is located right in the heart of Osoyoos. For fun on the bumper boats, go-kart track, climbing wall, mini-golf, and other rides, this is the spot that will keep the kids smiling and laughing all day.
- Desert Model Railroad – Open all year round. Computer controlled scale European Marklin model railways operate throughout an air-conditioned 2000 square ft. building. Detailed miniature scenes with European style villages and little trains that go everywhere across these fantastic landscapes.
- Osoyoos Museum – Open from May to September with phone bookings in wintertime, the museum features the history of local mining operations, native artifacts, pioneer log home, geological and anthropological displays, and an old liquor distilling apparatus that is apparently the only one on display in BC.
- Bowling – Funky disco bowling with laser lights and great tunes plus regular 5-pin family and ongoing league bowling.
- Curling – The Osoyoos International Curling Club has open ice instruction sessions along with fun leagues.
|
Motorcycle Touring – Osoyoos, BC is a popular motorcycle destination community. The USA Canadian border community is an ideal Okanagan stopping point on any cycle tour acting as a base camp before exploring any of the half day to full day touring circle routes exploring the rest of the Okanagan Valley, BC by road. The Community of Osoyoos, BC is located in the extreme southern portion of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley (referred to as the "Okanogan" by our American neighbours). Highway 97 runs through here from the Canada – U.S. boarder and up through the Okanagan Valley. (