For many years there has been controversy over the development of the Okanagan Mountain Park/Upper Mission area. In recent years, "Kelowna Mountain" has been receiving lots of attention as they have been developing more and more. I remember my mom telling me way back about a private ski hill in the Upper Mission where you could see the lift and lights at night from across the lake where my first house was - many years later, they're hoping to get the approval to open for business. You can read more on their website,
http://kelownamountain.com under "Press."
Anyways, on to the actual attraction! The suspension bridges at Kelowna Moutain look to be a relatively new addition as they still have their guys working away on them. According to their website, they ate the longest network of bridges including the longest pedestrian bridge, spanning at 850 feet of scary fun, in North America. To get to the bridges from highway 97, you need to turn onto Pandosy. Heading north out of westbank, it will be the second right after coming off the bridge. When heading south towards the bridge, it will be a left turn at Pandosy marked by the Chevron. From there, you follow the same road (turns into Lakeshore Rd, then Chute Lake Rd) for about 15 minutes until you reach Upper Mission drive. Follow Upper Mission Drive past the Quarry until you reach this sign:
Park in this area. Keep in mind the road is a bit rough and not paved all the way up, so any asthmatics take heed and close your windows on the way up. This was the way I went, though I believe there is a back way to reach the first bridge via Chute Lake Rd. From here, you hike for approx a km where you see what I believe is a ski hill - it is quite a steep angle and the rocks there are loose, so I recommend taking the path that veers to the right and swirls around the hill, especially if you have a little guy with you like we did.
You will see the bridges from both access points so just aim to get there whichever way you can. Once you get up there, start walking across them all and prepare to see some awesome views of Kelowna.
Recommendations for wee ones: keep them close by especially on the bridges as there will be lots of traffic, even in the early morning. Because the place is a work in progress, there are lots of nails. staples, and sharp bits laying around so again keep an eye on them. There are no bathrooms or water access yet, though looks like they are on their way. There are currently four bridges.
Don't forget to check out the wine cave! Wine bar coming soon.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the place is privately owned and you entering at your own risk.
But be safe, have fun, and know what you're getting yourself into. I promise to have better quality photos next time. Thanks for reading! Tell me in the comments about your experience!
