OLIVER, BC

Located at the northern most point of the Sonora Desert, and at the southern end of the Okanagan Valley, Oliver (population: 4,224) encompasses desert land, lakes, mountains, and renowned vineyards and orchards. Visitors come to experience an exquisite array of local colour, flavour and natural splendour.

Wine connoisseurs come to taste Oliver’s medal-winning wines, giving the town a well-earned reputation as the “Wine Capital of Canada.” You can follow the town’s “Golden Mile” to some 14 wineries, sampling palate-pleasing wines all within a 20-km (12 mile) distance.

Oliver celebrates the seasons in style. Visitors can attend popular fall events such as the Festival of the Grape, Festival of the Tomato and the Lavender Festival. For those on the go, Oliver has wide-open or secluded spots for cycling, paddling, swimming, golfing, hiking and biking. You can see hundreds of bird species, and spot wildlife from California bighorn sheep to Northwestern Pacific Rattlesnakes. 

Oliver’s Golden Mile is a concentration of wineries along a short, beautiful stretch of the Okanagan Valley. Wine tours and tastings are main attractions. Downtown wine shops offer more than 300 BC wine varieties for sale. 

See the much-photographed McIntyre Bluff, a natural rock formation with the profile of an Indian Chief. Hike McIntyre Bluff for valley vistas and wildlife viewing. View Balancing Rock, a natural rock form balancing at the edge of a cliff on three smaller rocks. In nearby Osoyoos, the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre offers 4 km (2.5 mi) of self-guided paths through desert lands inhabited by aboriginal populations for thousands of years. The Osoyoos Desert Centre also offers interpretive desert walks.

Experience local history, from ranching to gold mining, at the Oliver Heritage Museum. View local heritage buildings on the Museum’s Heritage Walk. The Vaseux Lake area is popular for viewing pictographs. 

Some 220 bird species and a sizeable herd California Big Horn Sheep are highlights of Vaseux Lake Provincial Park. The park is also a great fishing spot. Scenic places to paddle, swim, golf, hike and cycle can be found across the countryside. The International Bicycling & Hiking Trail winds along the Okanagan River offering access to local wineries/vineyards.

Venture into desert lands inhabited by Aboriginal populations for thousands of years through the Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre and Osoyoos Desert Centre.

Winter brings opportunities for scenic downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing. 

The Vaseux Lake area is a fine spot to view pictographs—often depicting human, animal and abstract figures--dating back thousands of years. The Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre offers tours, programs and interactive displays, guiding visitors through thousands of years of Aboriginal habitation of the Nk'Mip Desert. 

Oliver’s celebrated Golden Mile is dotted with wineries offering great tours and tastings. Select your favourite bottle from the hands of the local vintner who made it.  Cycle the Golden Mile Trail, a 10 km (6 mile) round trip journey that features panoramic valley and desert views.  The 18.4-km (11.4-mi) International Bicycling & Hiking Trail gently meanders through the heart of the South Okanagan following the Okanagan River, providing easy access to local wineries/vineyards. 

Black Sage Road is a great countryside route passing many vineyards, orchards and wineries between Oliver and Osoyoos. It’s a scenic alternative to Hwy 97. Tour the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory to see how picking up waves from stars and other celestial bodies help map the universe. A 500 m (547 yd) walk from the parking area leads you to the Observatory’s 26 m (28 yd) telescope and seven-antenna synthesis telescope.

Vaseux Lake is a sanctuary to more than 220 bird species. Follow the boardwalk that winds along the marshy shore to spot Canada Geese, Trumpeter Swans, Blue-winged Teals, Wood Ducks, Lazuli Buntings and Golden Eagles. Vaseux Lake also provides range for a sizeable herd of California Big Horn Sheep. 

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