If you’re a rider, you understand the freedom of the open road. The Okanagan Valley is a mecca for motorcycles, with plenty of interesting highways—complete with challenging curves and scenic vistas—to make the most of a half-day or full-day ride.
Don’t currently own any kind of hog of your own? That’s okay too, motorcycles are easy to rent once you arrive in Kelowna. Check out McScoots for more information.
Here are four motorcycle rides we think you’ll really enjoy.
Kelowna–Vernon Westside Road & Circle Route
Westside Road certainly provides its share of adventure, which is a nice way of saying “be careful”. This scenic road has no shortage of lake views and is famous for its tight, snake-like curves and steep drops. Although it is lightly travelled, it contains numerous blind accesses to wooded properties, cottages, parks and beaches.
Northwest of Vernon, about 80 km into the ride, Westside Road meets Hwy. 97. Turn west and cruise into Vernon. From there, it’s another 45-minute scenic highway ride —through the Okanagan’s Lake Country—full circle back to Kelowna
Total mileage: 133 kms
Total Travel Time (without stops): about 2.5 hours
Kelowna–Osoyoos Return
Depart Kelowna on Hwy. 97, travelling west through West Kelowna, then south through Peachland, Summerland, Penticton and Oliver. For the first 70 km, you’ll enjoy the beautiful Okanagan Lake to your left. After Penticton, settle in for a leisurely ride through orchards, farmland, and past smaller lakes such as Skaha and Vaseux. Osoyoos features Canada’s only pocket desert, so set aside some time to explore. Return the way you came or consider travelling the Kelowna-Rock Creek circle route.
Total mileage: 246 kms
Total Travel Time (without stops): about 4 hours
Kelowna–Rock Creek Circle Route
Depart Kelowna, heading east on Hwy. 33. You’ll travel 135 km to Rock Creek—about two hours—before turning west on Hwy. 3. Then hit your stride on the road as you travel 51 km to Osoyoos. Just east of Osoyoos, riding down Anarchist Mountain, you’ll encounter an amazing series of switchbacks and hairpin turns as you descend into the Okanagan Valley.
From Osoyoos, turn north on Hwy. 97 for a 123-km ride through Penticton back to Kelowna. The ride from Osoyoos to Penticton is a tour through vineyards and orchards and the final stretch from Penticton to Kelowna, treats you to a lake view.
Total mileage: 309 kms
Total Travel time (without stops): about 4.5 hours
Kelowna–Princeton–Penticton Circle Route
From valley floor to mountain top, through forest and rangeland, this five-hour ride will give you a glimpse of pretty much everything the BC Interior has to offer. Begin by heading west on Hwy 97 from Kelowna and picking up Hwy. 97C just north of Peachland. The “Connector” will take you 81 km to Hwy. 5A. Then turn south and travel 90 km to Princeton. From there, turn east on Hwy 3 and tour through Hedley and Keremeos, where you’ll veer left onto Hwy 3A for Penticton. In Penticton, turn north on Hwy. 97 for the final leg home.
Total mileage: 339 kms
Total Travel Time (without stops): about 5 hours
