Winter Things to Do

A Winter Wonderland

Embrace the magic of crisp, clean air and snow-covered forest sentinels in the North Okanagan. Here, milder winter temperatures beckon adventurers outdoors, where light Okanagan powder snow provides a soft cushion on winter trails. Off the slopes, seasonal celebrations like the Silver Star Light Up Festival and Vernon Winter Carnival draw revelers. After each outing, warm up and refuel inside a cozy lodge, inviting spa, or welcoming restaurant.

Get Active Outdoors

Head for the hills, where frozen ponds and a blanket of natural snow create ice skating chills and downhill and cross-country thrills. For more winter adventures, from tubing to cat-skiing to snowmobiling, the North Okanagan delivers snowy fun.

Alpine Skiing

Go downhill skiing at Silver Star, home to SilverStar Mountain Resort, one of British Columbia’s largest ski areas with 3,282 acres of terrain for all abilities. Don’t miss the view of Okanagan and Kalamalka lakes from the summit, the powder stashes in Trinity Trees or, for daredevils, the steep, challenging runs on the back side.

Explore Alpine Skiing

Cross-Country Skiing

Try out skinny skis at Silver Star, whose Nordic trails connect with neighbouring Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre to create Canada’s largest maintained cross-country network with over 100 kilometres of groomed and track-set trails. Farther north, the Larch Hills Nordic Society offers an extensive pathway system with track-set and natural trails.

Discover Cross Country Trails

Snowshoeing

If you can walk, you can snowshoe, the saying goes, and it applies to almost any snow-covered path in the North Okanagan. Choose from over 300 kilometres of trails in and around Vernon, the Trails Capital of BC, including designated and maintained snowshoe routes at Silver Star Mountain Resort, Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre, and Predator Ridge.

Find Snowshoeing Paths

Fat Biking

In the North Okanagan, two-wheel views don’t end when the snow flies. Pedal winter trails on a fat bike, a mountain bike with oversized tires adept at navigating on soft surfaces like snow. Take a spin on the groomed trails at Ellison or Kalamalka Lake provincial parks, or head up to Silver Star to ride the resort’s 15+ kilometres of designated winter bike trails.

Grab Your Bike

Ice Skating

There’s nothing quite as Canadian as ice skating on a frozen lake. Lace up your skates at Brewer’s Pond in Silver Star or Centennial Outdoor Rink in Vernon, or try wild ice skating on Echo Lake near Lumby.

Carve the Ice

Winter Events

Celebrate winter’s snowy days and starry nights at festivals and events that pair outdoor fun with camaraderie and cheer.

Vernon Winter Carnival

Go all-in on the season every February at Western Canada’s largest winter festival. The Vernon Winter Carnival is an annual celebration of snow featuring live music, a snow sculpture competition, hot air balloon glow up, curling, and more, over 10 days in Vernon and Silver Star.

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Silver Star Light Up Festival

This annual celebration kicks off the ski and holiday seasons with entertainment, food, an artisan market, and fireworks. Don’t miss the moment the switch gets flipped and festive lights hung on colourful buildings, and strung in evergreen trees, sparkle to life.

Visit Silver Star Village

Paradise Camp Snow Cat Tours

Ride in a warm snow cat up to Paradise Camp on the back side of SilverStar Mountain Resort for a true dining adventure. Here, a three-course, lantern lit dinner awaits inside this cozy, backcountry cabin. Watch fluffy flakes settle on the ski runs during the ride back to the village.

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Snowshoe Dinner Tours

Traipse through a snowy forest under a full moon to a cozy cabin on a snowshoe dinner tour at Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre. There’s nothing more magical than passing glowing tree silhouettes with the knowledge that a gourmet meal—and a well-deserved glass of wine—await around the next bend in the woods.

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PRIDE Day

Bring your pride to the slopes for Silver Star’s annual celebration of acceptance. Enjoy live music, a PRIDE-themed artisan market, drag performances, a parade, and more, in between skiing and snowboarding.

Celebrate Pride

Explore North Okanagan

Slow down and veer off the beaten path in five welcoming communities connected by lakes, forests, mountains, and hundreds of kilometres of trails. Armstrong, Enderby, Lumby, Silver Star and Vernon welcome adventurers in all seasons to play, rest and refuel. Find your happy place in the great outdoors, at a community event, or with family and friends at a farm-to-table restaurant.

Vernon

Greater Vernon’s trail network entices paddlers, skiers, runners, hikers, and cyclists to go the distance in the Trails Capital of BC. Pair your adventures with events, great food, and fun attractions in all seasons.

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Silver Star

This colourful mid-mountain village is famous for the light Okanagan powder that settles on its downhill ski slopes in winter, but Silver Star welcomes adventurers in all seasons.

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Lumby

The village of Lumby is close to crystal-clear lakes, enchanting forests with old-growth trees, and the rugged peaks of the Monashee Mountains.

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Enderby

This small community is close to mountain trails and a growing number of wineries, as well as the winding Shuswap River.

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Armstrong Spallumcheen

Connect with the land in Armstrong, a city that embraces agritourism with farm-fresh food and events that nod to its ranching and agrarian heritage.

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