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Does Naramata, BC Have The Best Multi-Use Trail?

A landscape view of the Okanagan Lake with Penticton BC in the background getting rained on.

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An image of little tunnel in the distant background with foreground surrounding it with trees.

Why You Should Want to Go?

Because Naramata is the kind of place that makes you want to slow down. You're here for the lake views, wine on a patio at 2:00 p.m., and a trail that reminds you why you started hiking in the first place. Whether you're chasing a memorable bike ride, a quiet paddle, or just a really good glass of rosé with a view, Naramata delivers without trying too hard. Sometimes the best trips aren't about seeing everything—they're about finding the one spot you don't want to leave.

An image of a woman taking a candid portrait overlooking the Okanagan Lake with Penticton BC in the background.
A landscape image of the railtrail in Naramata BC

Getting There

If you are coming from Vancouver, you have a few options for highways—you could take either Hwy 5 or Hwy 3, going through Merritt or Princeton respectively, then drive to Penticton. Once you arrive in Penticton, it's just a short 20-minute drive north along the east side of Okanagan Lake into Naramata. Coming from Kelowna, you're even closer—about an hour south via Hwy 97, with the option to swing through Summerland for a scenic detour. If you're road-tripping in from Calgary, expect a solid 6-hour drive through the Rockies via Hwy 1 and Hwy 97C, which makes for a beautiful, if long, day of driving. American travelers coming from Washington State have it easy, too—it's roughly a 3-hour drive from the border crossing at Osoyoos or Sumas, making Naramata a very doable weekend trip for Pacific Northwest visitors.

Birds eye view of a road cutting through thin forest over with a cliff dropping to the lake behind it.

We opted to see Little Tunnel, and we began our trek at the KVR Smethurst Road Parking Lot. At this location, you have ample parking, and there is even a restroom should you need one!

Kilometer marker 122 on the Okanagan rail trail with a paved path with cascading mountains in the background.

What is the Kettle Valley Rail Trail?

This recreational multi-use path—converted from an old railway corridor in the early 1990s—spans approximately 650 km (or 400 miles) between Midway and Hope. Given its very gentle grade—a maximum of 2% in some sections—it makes for a very comfortable and pleasant biking experience, which is why it is used by many cyclists and hikers year-round!

The Okanagan railtrail enters the little tunnel with a blue bench over looking the lake to the side.
An image from inside little tunnel looking out. The sides are silhouetted with only the exterior of the tunnel visible. At the end of the tunnel a park bench with a paved path with mountains in the background.
A land scape image of the Okanagan Rail Trail entering the Little tunnel on the left with a cliff on the right side overlooking the Okanagan Lake looking towards Pentiction BC

What will you see on the Naramata Segment of the trail?

  • Little Tunnel: Offers spectacular lookouts of Okanagan Lake, the surrounding mountains, and the vineyards in the valley below.
  • Adra Tunnel: The longest tunnel on the KVR features a semicircular design to avoid a direct hillside climb, allowing a gentler 2.2% grade.
  • McCulloch Trestle: Crosses a scenic canyon on the Naramata Bench, offering a great view looking down the canyon toward the lake.
  • Naramata Bench: Flanked by rows of lush vineyards and orchards on one side and sweeping lake views on the other, this path features many fruit stands as well as winery tasting rooms along the way!
  • Accessibility: This section is the most accessible segment of the entire trail, equipped with plenty of outhouses, picnic tables, and benches along the path.
An outhouse on the side of the Okanagan Rail Trail–This section is paved.
A Green Outhouse in the forest.

Best Time to Go

The best time to visit is definitely from mid-summer to mid-autumn.

We visited in October, and the trail was very quiet, the air crisp, the temperature comfortable, and the scenery was absolutely colourful and vivid.

Summer offers longer days so you can travel greater distances, the temperature comfortable, and the scenery absolutely colourful and vivid.

Autumn offers a more intimate experience with fewer trail-goers and richer colours to enjoy.

An image of a dog to the side of the Okanagan Path looking at the camera. All within the forest.
A dog taking a portrait in the middle of the Okanagan Path.

Trail Stats

From the KVR Smethurst Road Parking Lot to Adra Tunnel

Distance: 17.4 km (approx. 34.8 km return)

  • Smethurst Road to Little Tunnel: 4.4 km one-way (8.8 km return)
  • Little Tunnel to Adra Tunnel: 13 km one-way

Grade: 2.2%

Recommended Activity: Cycling (if making the full trip to Adra Tunnel)

From Vancouver Place Trail (Penticton) to Adra Tunnel (Full Experience)

Distance: 31 km (approx. 62 km)

  • To Little Tunnel: 13 km one-way (26 km return)
  • Little Tunnel to Adra Tunnel: 13 km one-way

Grade: 2.2%

Recommended Activity: Cycling (E-Bike, if stops at Wineries/Eateries)

Personal Anecdote

We had a great time walking this trail and will certainly return. Imagining the scenery before the railroad was built gave us a sense of awe. Reminders of that history tend to pop up from time to time—such as a weathered tin can of Black Blasting Powder sitting there since the construction of the railroad (predating the trail, of course!).

An old discarded tin can of Black Blasting Powder from the construction of the railway in the 1800s

Another example is the rock ovens that the workers built to prepare food on-site!

A trail sign with the words "Horseshoe Trail–To Rock Over #7 Restored 2000 "Little Tunnel" Construction Campsite–Allow 45 Minutes Return
An map of trails that go between the main rail trail

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