The trails will be located on 325 hectares of Crown land adjacent to the RDNO Ranchlands.
With Vernon now named the trail capital of British Columbia, a local cycling group is looking to add to the city’s trail network in a big way.
The North Okanagan Cycling Society offers the Vernon Hill Trails, a network of mountain bike trails adjacent to the Regional District of North Okanagan (RDNO) Ranchlands, overlooking Vernon east of Galiano Road.
The Cycling Society will present the proposal to the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee on Wednesday, November 1.
The trails will be built on 325 hectares of Crown land and will provide connections to the Gray Canal Trail, the planned Ranchlands trail network and eventually extend to the BX.
The Cycling Society says the project would be beneficial given the trails’ proximity to Vernon and Coldstream, allowing cyclists to cycle to the trails from the East Hill and Coldstream neighborhoods. The company notes that the project will use the existing track infrastructure (the Gray Canal) and curb the construction of illegal tracks in the area. It could also offer “iconic” views.
The RDNO master plan does not currently allow for enhanced mountain bike trails, the society notes, adding that BC Parks trails are “crowded and do not allow for the development of new trails.”
“Future track development must be on crown land,” the society said.
The company is looking to the Advisory Committee for formal support and future financial support. It will also need parking infrastructure.
The company says it already has support from Recreation Sites and Trails BC and has completed engagement with the Okanagan Indian Band and Splatsin First Nations, saying none of them have expressed concern.
The goal is to discover the project in the spring of 2024.
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