We have an assortment of camp trips planned for 2014. Some repeats, some new spots.
May - Bear Creek
May - Ashnola
June - Banbury Greens
June - Kettle River
July - Summerland Rodeo Grounds
July - Herald Park - Salmon Arm
August - Stemwinder - Hedley
We have a few other weekends of camping but no concrete spots chosen yet.
Stay tuned for my "live blogs" on these trips.
Saturday, April 19, 2014
Previous years - Camping in the Okanagan - photos
Some of my other favorite campsites in the Okanagan...
SOLCO LAKE - take the OK Falls Forestry Service Road (201) to get to Solco Lake. Approx 4 "actual" sites. Great fishing especially for kids. Lots of mosquitos in July/August. Hard to get in unless you have 4 wheel drive - don't take a car up here.
HEADWATERS LAKE - Peachland
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CHAIN LAKE, Summerland-Princeton Highway
SOLCO LAKE - take the OK Falls Forestry Service Road (201) to get to Solco Lake. Approx 4 "actual" sites. Great fishing especially for kids. Lots of mosquitos in July/August. Hard to get in unless you have 4 wheel drive - don't take a car up here.
OTTER LAKE - In Tulameen
ASHNOLA - Keremeos - one of my ALL TIME favorite places - especially for May Long.
More photos of BANBURY GREENS, KaledenCHAIN LAKE, Summerland-Princeton Highway
Update to camping for the rest of 2013
CAMP TRIP #3
When: May 16-20th
Where: Idleback Lake
Who: my family, friends - 13 people in total over the course of the weekend
Those who camp in the bush from Penticton, all know Idleback Lake. It is the easiest access lake "off the grid" and closest to Penticton. It consists of 2 areas. First and easiest to describe is the area "to the left" when you enter the from the 201 forestry road. There are 4 sites to your left. 2 are smaller and then there are 2 sites in front of the lake that are MASSIVE. You can easily fit 5-10 units in this area as long as you are good with negotiating around the toothpick trees scattered in this area. This spot IS the prime camping location on this lake. It is private, large and on the top of an embankment that takes you to the lake. It has a dock and you can park your fishing boats there. If you want a much more "neighbour friendly" area, keep driving around the corner and you will see approx. 10-15 sites on and lake and across the road. This lake is busy and it is hard to get a spot on the weekends.
Fast forward to May long weekend 2013. This is THE gateway to camping season - May Long weekend! I have missed one May long weekend camping in 20 years and it was for my brother's wedding. Trust me when I say he heard lots from me about missing out on my yearly tradition.
So we took the motorhome up and set up on Thursday night. My other friends had been up very early in the week to set up their units in order to secure our "prime location" that we prefer. When we got up there I noticed quite a few campers. This is nothing new but jamming 10 trailers into 1 tiny space at the entrance was something I hadn't yet seen at Idleback. This should have been a clue as to what we were into for the long weekend....
As beautiful as the location is, I don't fish in Idleback. Mostly because in 20 years I have seen 2 people pull a fish out of that lake. It's a waste of time in my opinion. I do love the view though. So I parked my zero gravity chair right at the top of the bank so I could take in the beauty around me.
Over the course of the remainder of Thursday evening, "May long weekend" set in around me. Either I am getting old and crotchety in my age or May longs have taken a whole new shape in the camping world. I could not possibly have been prepared for what happened next.
First is was fireworks then it was loud music with house speakers and an entire house system set up run off generators. Then the teens rolled in and made their own space next to us in the middle of the trees - not a designated camping spaces whatsoever. They started with a very large fire - no shovel, no water nearby. At this point we have a fire ban on campfires over 1 meter high. The fires around us continue to grow - up to 10 meters high and even higher. Then the drunk teens threw a propane tank in the fire. An EXPLOSION erupted and my kids shook with fright. My dogs hid. I wanted to hide. The blew up their chairs and tents. Lucky nothing else caught fire. This followed by dogs running away into our campsite because they were scared of the fireworks and their drunken owners. Then started the guns... the drunken partiers driving around on uninsured quads and dirt bikes.
One by one, the senior and family campers started leaving the sites on the back side of the lake. We considered it too. My main concern was an exit strategy if the "10 unit party circle" behind us lit a tree on fire. Or if the "propane fire throwers" to the left of us decided to blow something else up causing a forest fire. How would we escape? It would have been complicated. So we held our breath and prayed. I was mostly praying for a CO to show up.
Then, on Sunday morning - it happened. I saw a truck roll in with "CONSERVATION OFFICER" written on the side. Thank GOODNESS. I actually started to shake. I walked straight up and said "Thank Goodness you are here!!" The CO looked at me funny and laughed. I asked if someone called them and he told me he had numerous complaints but couldn't make it up until today. I pointed at the blown propane bottles and told him something had to be done. He was responding to the fires, guns, uninsured ATVs and fireworks. He heard there was an explosion but didn't know what caused it.
Then for the first time all weekend, we cracked a drink, sat back and RELAXED. We lined our chairs up to catch the "legal fireworks" unravel. The CO's took out their ipads, took notes and snapped photos of the evidence. The 10 unit party circle packed up quicker than I have ever seen anyone do. Not everyone escaped though.... fines were handed out by the dozens. The teens would be working at McDonalds to pay these fines for the next 3 years!
Needless to say, we were finally at peace... we could relax and enjoy our last night. As the CO's wrapped up their quota, they approached us to give us a lecture on bringing families and kids to Idleback for May long weekend. SAY WHAT? They told us they would never come up or camp with families at Idleback for May long. I felt like responding with "why aren't you stationed up here then?!" I was angry... but he had a point. I took note and vowed never again.
So looking for somewhere to camp May Long weekend - Grad weekend? Scratch Idleback off your list. From what I understand the CO's would prefer the campsites to get destroyed by teens and rowdy adults then monitor the families enjoying the campsite.
Motorhome accessible. 18 campsites, boat launch, canoeing, and fishing
APROX 30-40 MIN east of Penticton -> take Carmi Road to Okanagan Falls Forest Service Road. Click on link at top of page to access exact location and more information.
3 star for me - close to town, shaded, private and free. Just dangerous - carry a gun....
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CAMP TRIP #4
When: May 30th - June 2
Where: PeachOrchard Campsite, Summerland
Who: My boyfriend, myself and a ball team for Action Fest
This was a new experience for us. I grew up a block away from this campsite and have never camped there. The managers of the campground are very accommodating - especially for drunk ball players during Action Fest weekend.
We pulled in on Saturday morning - dropping our motorhome off so that my boyfriend could play ball Saturday and Sunday in Summerland. It was a quick one night stay but it was long enough to develop an opinion on this campsite. We were assigned #35 and my uncle in #36.
Check in: This was a good check in process. I am also "cautious" of a campsite with too many rules. If you read the website it is full of serious rules with serious consequences. Usually I can't relax in these settings - worried that I will break a rule. The manager let us "reserve a space" without a deposit because it was Action Fest and we didn't know where the rest of our team was staying. So I pulled and she suggested a couple of sites for me. I picked one - it was very uneven. Lots of the sites here are on hills - not 100% flat or groomed. I started to set up and plug in when I realized that I didn't have the proper conversion plug. The manager gave me one to borrow with a $20 deposit. That was very nice of her!
Amenities: Although I didn't use the shower or washrooms, I heard that there were big line ups. Sweaty ball players lined up. Hey! At least there were showers - even if coin operated. There is a small arcade for kids and a variety of "snacks" at the office to purchase with ice too. Plug ins at most sites, water taps and garbage bins for convenience. Firepits are communal. Not my kind of thing. Picnic tables were rickety and sitting on uneven ground but none the less they served the purpose. There was green grass at our site and a playground across the way for kids - sandpit and ladle golf. Nice touch!
There are a few things that set this campsite apart from the rest:
- arcade for the kids - this is nice when they are "bored"
- a creek runs through it - nice grounds and the sound of the creek drowns out the loud neighbours partying into the wee hours of the morning
- location! - close to the beach, dog park and kids water park. A few kms from Summerland too and of course cell service here.
- pet friendly.
Things I am not a fan of:
- coin operated showers
- the uneven sites
- lack of privacy
- closing of the gate at 11pm. I am never a fan of this and so I left my vehicle outside of the gate just incase there was an emergency.
We liked it enough to book 6 days in August. Instead of doing a second review of this I am adding it below with a couple photos. Sorry I don't have many more.
$34 a night with power is pretty steep. Plus I had to pay for each dog per night. Plus showers? Mine as well stay in provincial with free showers and bring a generator.
We were in sites 14,15. I highly recommend these sites as they are THE MOST private spots. Also # 13 and 16 if you can get all 4 for your party.
This is how we made our own fire. We weren't interested in sharing a campfire. So we brought the portable propane fire.
I rate this campsite a 4 1/2 star out of 6. Great location - although not on a body of water (creek runs through it), pet friendly, friendly people for the most part. Not so private and price is steep however, we do live in the Okanagan!
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CAMP TRIP #5
When: Father's Day weekend - June 2013
Where: Banbury Greens, Kaleden, BC
Who: My family, My dad, My brother and his wife and child. 5 adults and 3 kids.
We always camp on Fathers Day weekend. For some reason, my Dad always "forgets" to book that weekend off work so we have decided that it is easier if we just book somewhere close where he can come and go to work if he chooses. My Dad is a huge fan of this campsite so we booked it for Father's Day weekend! 3 sites all together - North Camp 8,9,10.
We camped 3 nights. On the lake and the weather was beautiful!
Along with beautiful weather and a private campsite, come a lot of campers. It was full by Saturday and because we had 3 sites together, we all joined up in one. We were around the fire with the Sirius satellite radio humming in the background - 90's on 9, having some drinks and fun. Apparently we were "too loud" and someone in a tent close by couldn't sleep. I need to add that the radio was off at 11pm. We received the complaint the next day and I am not going to lye, it put a damper in my weekend!
I typically love Banbury. These 3 sites were perfect for us to all fit and be together. We had a huge area (see pics below) to roam but I guess we should have had the "party" further away from the people in the tent.
What I like about this campground:
- the location - on Skaha Lake - close to Penticton, cell service, easy to come and go and on the very swimmable lake.
- the pet friendly policy
- free showers, washrooms, electrical plugs in (no sewer on the lake sites)
- there is a pie lady that comes around every weekend with homemade treats and pies to sell. SO GOOD
What I don't like about this campground:
- too many yearly rentals - these people think they own the park. Their parties were louder than our music but they don't get warnings.
- not a large park so limited in selection of sites (mostly due to all of the yearly rentals they do)
- the cost - it's high.
Tents:
Low Season: $30.00 per night + Tax
High Season: $45.00 per night + Tax
RVs/Trailers etc:
Low Season: $40.00 per night + Tax
High Season: $55.00 per night + Tax
I rate this campsite a 5 out of 6 (as previously mentioned) but don't go there thinking you can have music on and stay up talking. I just booked for this Father's Day to return and they reminded me that we were warned last year about being loud - Really? COME ON!
Our lake front spots were AMAZING!
CAMP TRIP #6
When: June27th - July 1st 2013
Where: Kettle River, Rock Creek, BC
Who: 13 families - kids, adults, teens. 27 people in total throughout 13 sites.
THIS was our "big trip" of the year. We were so excited!! So much planning and packing for 5 nights. Last day of school at noon we jumped in the motorhome and headed straight out to Rock Creek. I had 3 kids, 3 dogs and myself in our motorhome - packed to the roof. My plan was to head to Osoyoos, stop and have lunch letting the motorhome cool down for a bit before heading up the Anarchist Mountain. We stopped for about 30 minutes and I figured we were cooled enough so I started the big trek up the hill. Not having traveled the Anarchist that many times I had some silly idea in head that if my motorhome started to overheat, that I could pull over on the side of the mountain and let it cool down for a while. Boy was I wrong. Double lane traffic with people on my butt, I started to stress when I saw the temperature gage on the rise. There was nowhere to pull over other than the very narrow view point full of cars. So onwards I continued - hoping it leveled out just "around the corner". Just around the corner turned into a 360 continuous climb up the mountain. By this time I was hot in the red and I could see steam coming out of the engine compartment. That's ok I thought, I am still in cell range if I run into trouble. Wrong #2. As soon as I got "to the top" I found a pull off with washrooms. I pulled off and immediately shut the motorhome off. I got out and opened the hood. Anti-freeze was spewing all over the ground. Uh-oh. So I grabbed my phone - no service. YIKES. Time to sit and wait. I took the dogs for 3 walks. I got drinks out for the kids. We all took bathroom breaks. Once I was "in the orange" I took a huge jug of water from the back and started cooling my engine off - I know, I know this is NOT suggested. But I did it. An hour later I was able to pull the rad cap off and top it up with anti-freeze and water. We were off again.
We pulled into the campsite and the excitement started to grow. Directions: as you are pulling into Rock Creek, you take a left on Hwy 33 and drive up approx. 10 minutes until you see the entrance on the right hand side. We drove the long windy road into the campground. We stopped in to fill our water tank up and proceeded to our sites.
Rewind 4 months prior. My boyfriend and I took a drive to this campsite in March to scope it out. The gate was closed so we hiked in 3 kms in the snow to scope out exactly which sites would be the best :) I videotaped and photographed all of the "prime spots" and our group of families picked them off one by one on the reservation lines to ensure they had their sites booked on March 30th. This is what you call "die hard camping"
I knew exactly where I was going having hiked in a few months prior. We picked a spot that had tons of fauna on the first lower loop. Site # 32. It didn't have an immediate neighbour to the left. Just a walking path, washrooms and a water tap. My friends were staying in the double to the right, my friends across the way and my brother and his wife directly behind us - we walked the path to get there.
We set up our site. I poured a pre-made glass of sangria and took off to walk the loop with the kids. If anyone is looking for a campground that works well for groups and families, look no further. We had a blast. We went from campsite to campsite visiting and then had group dinners. Everyone took a turn having drinks hosted at their sites. When we wanted to just chill out for a bit we returned to our own spot.
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There was some rain while we were there but it was good for napping and down time. Most of us had tarps or gazebos so it didn't effect us that much.
Some more on Kettle River: sani-dump, water station, hot free showers, flush and pit toilets, large private sites, playground, access to river. We didn't actually get to enjoy the river until the last 2 days of our trip (the river was really high due to rain when we first got there) but by the last 2 days, the river started to recede and we were able to enjoy it - adults, kids and teens!
A few things to note:
This park was $21 a night in 2013. It has now increased to $28 a night. We have booked the same 5 days again this year. The only downfall about this park (in my opinion) is the location. Driving up the Anarchist is hard on the old engine. It is a little less than a 2 hour drive from Penticton. The price increase was a double thumbs down but I still see way more value is this park at $28 with showers than Haynes Point in Osoyoos at $30 a night with no showers.
I rate this campground 5 stars out of 6 stars. Pet friendly, spacious sites, price is still reasonable, shady sites on a body of water, VERY nice camp facilitators - always coming by with firewood, sewer, water (no power is the only downfall), well kept and manicured and pretty easy to book. Just wish I didn't have to climb the Anarchist.
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we did a Saskatewan trip in July and to Peach Orchard in Summerland for a week in August
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CAMP TRIP #7
When: September 20th-22nd 2013
Where: Okanagan Park North - Summerland, BC
Who: my family. My boyfriend, myself, 1 child and 2 teens.
During our August trip to Peach Orchard with my sister in law and brother in law, we "somehow" convinced them to buy a new travel trailer so that we could buy there's. We were kidding - well sort of. But they decided it was a good idea and bought a BEAUTIFUL new travel travel. Then started the fun... we purchased theirs.
We hung our keys up for the last time on the old 79 Ford Frontier. It had done it's duties over the last 6 years. It had taken us on over 50 camping trips. It was relentless but very tired.
It was like having wrapped presents under the tree waiting until Christmas to open them. We couldn't wait. We did a quick trip to Okanagan Park North in Summerland for a 2 night stay. Since it was September I would say it was at about 1/4 capacity. Perfect!
So we loaded up the brand new "to us" trailer, 3 dogs and 3 kids and headed out.
Ok Park North is not a very good site for young kids. There are lots of hills. It is levels all the way down to the water with no sites "actually" on the water. There is no playground. There are showers at the bottom of the hill (long walk if you are staying near the top and a long hike back up for those with mobility issues). We drove... haha. There are washrooms and taps on every level. The sites are HUGE and beautiful. Lots of green grass and the sites are all well manicured and level. we stayed at site # 39. It worked good for us!
It was quiet, a bit cool at night but a perfect "start" with our new to us trailer.
I rate this campsite a 3 1/2 stars out of 6. It is $30 a night - steep. There is nothing for amenities (playground, beach etc) It is perfect for retired people looking for a view only and quiet site. It is off the highway so the higher sites close to the highway would be noisy. It has free showers, flush toilets, taps and nice leveled sites with well cared for picnic tables and garbage cans. Other than that it isn't much to look at. The steep terrain doesn't even make for nice biking or walking.
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CAMP TRIP #8
When: October 3-5th 2013
Where: Haynes Point, Osoyoos, BC
Who: My boyfriend, myself and one yellow lab :) Finally... alone time
In all of my years of camping, I have never been to Haynes Point. I have heard it is the place of all places to camp so my expectations were high. We weren't even sure if it would be open in October. Pretty sure weather dependent, they usually are closed in October. So off we headed out to enjoy our new trailer by ourselves.
We left the small dogs at home with a dog-sitter and took the well behaved dog on a weekend trip. I know.. I lie. She is a brat too but she has good recall.
We pulled into the campground - which is on a long peninsula. It feels like you are driving out on the lake forever before you get to the campsites. You pass a beach, dog park, walking paths, day use and finally - to the campsites. What a tight area! There is only one way in/out of the loop. If you miss your spot you are doing the loop again to get into your spot.
We found a perfect spot on the lake - that we would fit in but oddly enough there was a plastic dollar store tablecloth on the picnic table with a rock holding it down. We looked at the site sign and saw no ticket showing it was paid for. So we decided to just unhook. 20 minutes after settling in the park ranger rolled up asking if we had seen a tablecloth. I went and retrieved it from the garbage. It was an awkward conversation as the ranger knew he didn't have a leg to stand on. If nobody paid for the spot and there was no receipt ticket issued and clipped to the site # then it was fair game no matter what was in the spot. So he took the piece plastic, our payment and wished us a good weekend. The people who had "asked him" to save the space never did come by and try to claim it. So this was our site for the weekend. Site # 25
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I would rate this campground a 3 out of 5.
Location is good - especially if you get a space on the lake, pet friendly, fairly easy going facilitators, some sites are private, some have shade.
Price is way too high IMO - $30 a night without showers? There are no amenities other than pit toilets and water taps. Summer would be ridiculously busy with high traffic circulating through this park.
I would only camp here during off season and only a 2 night max.
When: May 16-20th
Where: Idleback Lake
Who: my family, friends - 13 people in total over the course of the weekend
Those who camp in the bush from Penticton, all know Idleback Lake. It is the easiest access lake "off the grid" and closest to Penticton. It consists of 2 areas. First and easiest to describe is the area "to the left" when you enter the from the 201 forestry road. There are 4 sites to your left. 2 are smaller and then there are 2 sites in front of the lake that are MASSIVE. You can easily fit 5-10 units in this area as long as you are good with negotiating around the toothpick trees scattered in this area. This spot IS the prime camping location on this lake. It is private, large and on the top of an embankment that takes you to the lake. It has a dock and you can park your fishing boats there. If you want a much more "neighbour friendly" area, keep driving around the corner and you will see approx. 10-15 sites on and lake and across the road. This lake is busy and it is hard to get a spot on the weekends.
Fast forward to May long weekend 2013. This is THE gateway to camping season - May Long weekend! I have missed one May long weekend camping in 20 years and it was for my brother's wedding. Trust me when I say he heard lots from me about missing out on my yearly tradition.
So we took the motorhome up and set up on Thursday night. My other friends had been up very early in the week to set up their units in order to secure our "prime location" that we prefer. When we got up there I noticed quite a few campers. This is nothing new but jamming 10 trailers into 1 tiny space at the entrance was something I hadn't yet seen at Idleback. This should have been a clue as to what we were into for the long weekend....
As beautiful as the location is, I don't fish in Idleback. Mostly because in 20 years I have seen 2 people pull a fish out of that lake. It's a waste of time in my opinion. I do love the view though. So I parked my zero gravity chair right at the top of the bank so I could take in the beauty around me.
Over the course of the remainder of Thursday evening, "May long weekend" set in around me. Either I am getting old and crotchety in my age or May longs have taken a whole new shape in the camping world. I could not possibly have been prepared for what happened next.
First is was fireworks then it was loud music with house speakers and an entire house system set up run off generators. Then the teens rolled in and made their own space next to us in the middle of the trees - not a designated camping spaces whatsoever. They started with a very large fire - no shovel, no water nearby. At this point we have a fire ban on campfires over 1 meter high. The fires around us continue to grow - up to 10 meters high and even higher. Then the drunk teens threw a propane tank in the fire. An EXPLOSION erupted and my kids shook with fright. My dogs hid. I wanted to hide. The blew up their chairs and tents. Lucky nothing else caught fire. This followed by dogs running away into our campsite because they were scared of the fireworks and their drunken owners. Then started the guns... the drunken partiers driving around on uninsured quads and dirt bikes.
One by one, the senior and family campers started leaving the sites on the back side of the lake. We considered it too. My main concern was an exit strategy if the "10 unit party circle" behind us lit a tree on fire. Or if the "propane fire throwers" to the left of us decided to blow something else up causing a forest fire. How would we escape? It would have been complicated. So we held our breath and prayed. I was mostly praying for a CO to show up.
Then, on Sunday morning - it happened. I saw a truck roll in with "CONSERVATION OFFICER" written on the side. Thank GOODNESS. I actually started to shake. I walked straight up and said "Thank Goodness you are here!!" The CO looked at me funny and laughed. I asked if someone called them and he told me he had numerous complaints but couldn't make it up until today. I pointed at the blown propane bottles and told him something had to be done. He was responding to the fires, guns, uninsured ATVs and fireworks. He heard there was an explosion but didn't know what caused it.
Then for the first time all weekend, we cracked a drink, sat back and RELAXED. We lined our chairs up to catch the "legal fireworks" unravel. The CO's took out their ipads, took notes and snapped photos of the evidence. The 10 unit party circle packed up quicker than I have ever seen anyone do. Not everyone escaped though.... fines were handed out by the dozens. The teens would be working at McDonalds to pay these fines for the next 3 years!
Needless to say, we were finally at peace... we could relax and enjoy our last night. As the CO's wrapped up their quota, they approached us to give us a lecture on bringing families and kids to Idleback for May long weekend. SAY WHAT? They told us they would never come up or camp with families at Idleback for May long. I felt like responding with "why aren't you stationed up here then?!" I was angry... but he had a point. I took note and vowed never again.
The view from the "good spot"
the dock
our set up - for all weather types!
view of the lake
sitting around the firepit enjoying the view of the lake
most sites have firepits but not all have picnic tables at this rec site
The big tree and soft sand make for fun "digging" and playing for kids
Motorhome accessible. 18 campsites, boat launch, canoeing, and fishing
APROX 30-40 MIN east of Penticton -> take Carmi Road to Okanagan Falls Forest Service Road. Click on link at top of page to access exact location and more information.
3 star for me - close to town, shaded, private and free. Just dangerous - carry a gun....
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CAMP TRIP #4
When: May 30th - June 2
Where: PeachOrchard Campsite, Summerland
Who: My boyfriend, myself and a ball team for Action Fest
This was a new experience for us. I grew up a block away from this campsite and have never camped there. The managers of the campground are very accommodating - especially for drunk ball players during Action Fest weekend.
We pulled in on Saturday morning - dropping our motorhome off so that my boyfriend could play ball Saturday and Sunday in Summerland. It was a quick one night stay but it was long enough to develop an opinion on this campsite. We were assigned #35 and my uncle in #36.
Check in: This was a good check in process. I am also "cautious" of a campsite with too many rules. If you read the website it is full of serious rules with serious consequences. Usually I can't relax in these settings - worried that I will break a rule. The manager let us "reserve a space" without a deposit because it was Action Fest and we didn't know where the rest of our team was staying. So I pulled and she suggested a couple of sites for me. I picked one - it was very uneven. Lots of the sites here are on hills - not 100% flat or groomed. I started to set up and plug in when I realized that I didn't have the proper conversion plug. The manager gave me one to borrow with a $20 deposit. That was very nice of her!
Amenities: Although I didn't use the shower or washrooms, I heard that there were big line ups. Sweaty ball players lined up. Hey! At least there were showers - even if coin operated. There is a small arcade for kids and a variety of "snacks" at the office to purchase with ice too. Plug ins at most sites, water taps and garbage bins for convenience. Firepits are communal. Not my kind of thing. Picnic tables were rickety and sitting on uneven ground but none the less they served the purpose. There was green grass at our site and a playground across the way for kids - sandpit and ladle golf. Nice touch!
There are a few things that set this campsite apart from the rest:
- arcade for the kids - this is nice when they are "bored"
- a creek runs through it - nice grounds and the sound of the creek drowns out the loud neighbours partying into the wee hours of the morning
- location! - close to the beach, dog park and kids water park. A few kms from Summerland too and of course cell service here.
- pet friendly.
Things I am not a fan of:
- coin operated showers
- the uneven sites
- lack of privacy
- closing of the gate at 11pm. I am never a fan of this and so I left my vehicle outside of the gate just incase there was an emergency.
We liked it enough to book 6 days in August. Instead of doing a second review of this I am adding it below with a couple photos. Sorry I don't have many more.
$34 a night with power is pretty steep. Plus I had to pay for each dog per night. Plus showers? Mine as well stay in provincial with free showers and bring a generator.
We were in sites 14,15. I highly recommend these sites as they are THE MOST private spots. Also # 13 and 16 if you can get all 4 for your party.
I rate this campsite a 4 1/2 star out of 6. Great location - although not on a body of water (creek runs through it), pet friendly, friendly people for the most part. Not so private and price is steep however, we do live in the Okanagan!
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CAMP TRIP #5
When: Father's Day weekend - June 2013
Where: Banbury Greens, Kaleden, BC
Who: My family, My dad, My brother and his wife and child. 5 adults and 3 kids.
We always camp on Fathers Day weekend. For some reason, my Dad always "forgets" to book that weekend off work so we have decided that it is easier if we just book somewhere close where he can come and go to work if he chooses. My Dad is a huge fan of this campsite so we booked it for Father's Day weekend! 3 sites all together - North Camp 8,9,10.
We camped 3 nights. On the lake and the weather was beautiful!
Along with beautiful weather and a private campsite, come a lot of campers. It was full by Saturday and because we had 3 sites together, we all joined up in one. We were around the fire with the Sirius satellite radio humming in the background - 90's on 9, having some drinks and fun. Apparently we were "too loud" and someone in a tent close by couldn't sleep. I need to add that the radio was off at 11pm. We received the complaint the next day and I am not going to lye, it put a damper in my weekend!
I typically love Banbury. These 3 sites were perfect for us to all fit and be together. We had a huge area (see pics below) to roam but I guess we should have had the "party" further away from the people in the tent.
What I like about this campground:
- the location - on Skaha Lake - close to Penticton, cell service, easy to come and go and on the very swimmable lake.
- the pet friendly policy
- free showers, washrooms, electrical plugs in (no sewer on the lake sites)
- there is a pie lady that comes around every weekend with homemade treats and pies to sell. SO GOOD
What I don't like about this campground:
- too many yearly rentals - these people think they own the park. Their parties were louder than our music but they don't get warnings.
- not a large park so limited in selection of sites (mostly due to all of the yearly rentals they do)
- the cost - it's high.
Tents:
Low Season: $30.00 per night + Tax
High Season: $45.00 per night + Tax
RVs/Trailers etc:
Low Season: $40.00 per night + Tax
High Season: $55.00 per night + Tax
I rate this campsite a 5 out of 6 (as previously mentioned) but don't go there thinking you can have music on and stay up talking. I just booked for this Father's Day to return and they reminded me that we were warned last year about being loud - Really? COME ON!
Our lake front spots were AMAZING!
Perfect for the boat and fishing!!
What a location and view to eat lunch :)
Fishing all day!
__________________________________________________________________________________CAMP TRIP #6
When: June27th - July 1st 2013
Where: Kettle River, Rock Creek, BC
Who: 13 families - kids, adults, teens. 27 people in total throughout 13 sites.
THIS was our "big trip" of the year. We were so excited!! So much planning and packing for 5 nights. Last day of school at noon we jumped in the motorhome and headed straight out to Rock Creek. I had 3 kids, 3 dogs and myself in our motorhome - packed to the roof. My plan was to head to Osoyoos, stop and have lunch letting the motorhome cool down for a bit before heading up the Anarchist Mountain. We stopped for about 30 minutes and I figured we were cooled enough so I started the big trek up the hill. Not having traveled the Anarchist that many times I had some silly idea in head that if my motorhome started to overheat, that I could pull over on the side of the mountain and let it cool down for a while. Boy was I wrong. Double lane traffic with people on my butt, I started to stress when I saw the temperature gage on the rise. There was nowhere to pull over other than the very narrow view point full of cars. So onwards I continued - hoping it leveled out just "around the corner". Just around the corner turned into a 360 continuous climb up the mountain. By this time I was hot in the red and I could see steam coming out of the engine compartment. That's ok I thought, I am still in cell range if I run into trouble. Wrong #2. As soon as I got "to the top" I found a pull off with washrooms. I pulled off and immediately shut the motorhome off. I got out and opened the hood. Anti-freeze was spewing all over the ground. Uh-oh. So I grabbed my phone - no service. YIKES. Time to sit and wait. I took the dogs for 3 walks. I got drinks out for the kids. We all took bathroom breaks. Once I was "in the orange" I took a huge jug of water from the back and started cooling my engine off - I know, I know this is NOT suggested. But I did it. An hour later I was able to pull the rad cap off and top it up with anti-freeze and water. We were off again.
Rewind 4 months prior. My boyfriend and I took a drive to this campsite in March to scope it out. The gate was closed so we hiked in 3 kms in the snow to scope out exactly which sites would be the best :) I videotaped and photographed all of the "prime spots" and our group of families picked them off one by one on the reservation lines to ensure they had their sites booked on March 30th. This is what you call "die hard camping"
I knew exactly where I was going having hiked in a few months prior. We picked a spot that had tons of fauna on the first lower loop. Site # 32. It didn't have an immediate neighbour to the left. Just a walking path, washrooms and a water tap. My friends were staying in the double to the right, my friends across the way and my brother and his wife directly behind us - we walked the path to get there.
Settled into Site 32. As you can see it is very private!
Lots of space for our gazebo and the dog kennel
Looking towards the road - you can see my Dad's camper across the road
Perfection!
Even room for my daughter and her friends to have their tent set up
We set up our site. I poured a pre-made glass of sangria and took off to walk the loop with the kids. If anyone is looking for a campground that works well for groups and families, look no further. We had a blast. We went from campsite to campsite visiting and then had group dinners. Everyone took a turn having drinks hosted at their sites. When we wanted to just chill out for a bit we returned to our own spot.
fun had by all!
group gatherings
catch-up with family
fun and games
camping feasts!
There was some rain while we were there but it was good for napping and down time. Most of us had tarps or gazebos so it didn't effect us that much.
Some more on Kettle River: sani-dump, water station, hot free showers, flush and pit toilets, large private sites, playground, access to river. We didn't actually get to enjoy the river until the last 2 days of our trip (the river was really high due to rain when we first got there) but by the last 2 days, the river started to recede and we were able to enjoy it - adults, kids and teens!
A few things to note:
This park was $21 a night in 2013. It has now increased to $28 a night. We have booked the same 5 days again this year. The only downfall about this park (in my opinion) is the location. Driving up the Anarchist is hard on the old engine. It is a little less than a 2 hour drive from Penticton. The price increase was a double thumbs down but I still see way more value is this park at $28 with showers than Haynes Point in Osoyoos at $30 a night with no showers.
I rate this campground 5 stars out of 6 stars. Pet friendly, spacious sites, price is still reasonable, shady sites on a body of water, VERY nice camp facilitators - always coming by with firewood, sewer, water (no power is the only downfall), well kept and manicured and pretty easy to book. Just wish I didn't have to climb the Anarchist.
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we did a Saskatewan trip in July and to Peach Orchard in Summerland for a week in August
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CAMP TRIP #7
When: September 20th-22nd 2013
Where: Okanagan Park North - Summerland, BC
Who: my family. My boyfriend, myself, 1 child and 2 teens.
During our August trip to Peach Orchard with my sister in law and brother in law, we "somehow" convinced them to buy a new travel trailer so that we could buy there's. We were kidding - well sort of. But they decided it was a good idea and bought a BEAUTIFUL new travel travel. Then started the fun... we purchased theirs.
We hung our keys up for the last time on the old 79 Ford Frontier. It had done it's duties over the last 6 years. It had taken us on over 50 camping trips. It was relentless but very tired.
It was like having wrapped presents under the tree waiting until Christmas to open them. We couldn't wait. We did a quick trip to Okanagan Park North in Summerland for a 2 night stay. Since it was September I would say it was at about 1/4 capacity. Perfect!
So we loaded up the brand new "to us" trailer, 3 dogs and 3 kids and headed out.
Ok Park North is not a very good site for young kids. There are lots of hills. It is levels all the way down to the water with no sites "actually" on the water. There is no playground. There are showers at the bottom of the hill (long walk if you are staying near the top and a long hike back up for those with mobility issues). We drove... haha. There are washrooms and taps on every level. The sites are HUGE and beautiful. Lots of green grass and the sites are all well manicured and level. we stayed at site # 39. It worked good for us!
It was quiet, a bit cool at night but a perfect "start" with our new to us trailer.
I rate this campsite a 3 1/2 stars out of 6. It is $30 a night - steep. There is nothing for amenities (playground, beach etc) It is perfect for retired people looking for a view only and quiet site. It is off the highway so the higher sites close to the highway would be noisy. It has free showers, flush toilets, taps and nice leveled sites with well cared for picnic tables and garbage cans. Other than that it isn't much to look at. The steep terrain doesn't even make for nice biking or walking.
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CAMP TRIP #8
When: October 3-5th 2013
Where: Haynes Point, Osoyoos, BC
Who: My boyfriend, myself and one yellow lab :) Finally... alone time
In all of my years of camping, I have never been to Haynes Point. I have heard it is the place of all places to camp so my expectations were high. We weren't even sure if it would be open in October. Pretty sure weather dependent, they usually are closed in October. So off we headed out to enjoy our new trailer by ourselves.
We left the small dogs at home with a dog-sitter and took the well behaved dog on a weekend trip. I know.. I lie. She is a brat too but she has good recall.
We pulled into the campground - which is on a long peninsula. It feels like you are driving out on the lake forever before you get to the campsites. You pass a beach, dog park, walking paths, day use and finally - to the campsites. What a tight area! There is only one way in/out of the loop. If you miss your spot you are doing the loop again to get into your spot.
We found a perfect spot on the lake - that we would fit in but oddly enough there was a plastic dollar store tablecloth on the picnic table with a rock holding it down. We looked at the site sign and saw no ticket showing it was paid for. So we decided to just unhook. 20 minutes after settling in the park ranger rolled up asking if we had seen a tablecloth. I went and retrieved it from the garbage. It was an awkward conversation as the ranger knew he didn't have a leg to stand on. If nobody paid for the spot and there was no receipt ticket issued and clipped to the site # then it was fair game no matter what was in the spot. So he took the piece plastic, our payment and wished us a good weekend. The people who had "asked him" to save the space never did come by and try to claim it. So this was our site for the weekend. Site # 25
A perfect end to a perfect camping season!
I would rate this campground a 3 out of 5.
Location is good - especially if you get a space on the lake, pet friendly, fairly easy going facilitators, some sites are private, some have shade.
Price is way too high IMO - $30 a night without showers? There are no amenities other than pit toilets and water taps. Summer would be ridiculously busy with high traffic circulating through this park.
I would only camp here during off season and only a 2 night max.
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