Welcome to the Similkameen Valley
British Columbia, Canada
Rugged. Rustic. Real.
It is Summer in the Similkameen Valley. Our wide open spaces and special places provide solitude and opportunities to reconnect with each other and the land.
From mountains to desert along the riverside, the Similkameen Valley is a diverse landscape, yours to explore.
The trails await for hiking and biking throughout the valley, check out China Ridge Trails near Princeton (Bronze Statue Capital of Canada) or many of the other choices in the valley. Both Cathedral Lakes and Manning Park offer a variety of outdoor adventures. Throughout the Similkameen there is fishing, camping, RVing, golf and during peak summer floating the river.
Farm fresh choices are abundant from both from Keremeos (known as Fruit Stand Capital of Canada) and Cawston the Organic Farm Capital of Canada. Wine-tasting options include a bike route or guided horseback wine tours through the vineyards. Also cider, fruit soda and distillery options. Explore our communities and hamlets and be sure to say hello or wave, we still do that around here.
The Similkameen Valley is the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Similamix and Smelqmix People.
Official visitor website for the Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, Canada including Cathedral Park, Cawston, Chopaka, Coalmont, Eastgate, Hedley, Keremeos, Manning Park, Olalla, Princeton, Similkameen Valley, Tulameen and Twin Lakes.
Top Rated Experiences
Getting Here
Getting Here Is Easy
The Crowsnest Scenic BC Highway 3 runs straight through the Similkameen Valley. Starting from the west exit from Hope, you will travel to Manning Park, then onward Princeton, followed by Hedley, Keremeos and Cawston. Further eastbound you will arrive at the junction of Highway 97 at Osoyoos and gateway to the Okanagan Valley in the Thompson-Okanagan Region of BC’s Interior. We are a 3-hour drive from Vancouver.
If you were to drive the valley from end to end, you’d cover 111 miles (180 km). Start at Manning Park in the west and end up at the BC Highway 97 junction in Kaleden (Hwy 3A) or Osoyoos in the east. How long it takes to drive it will be up to you, there is plenty to see and do!
What Does Similkameen Mean?
The Similkameen river and valley is named for its Indigenous people, the Similkameen, meaning “people of the river.”
Official visitor website for the Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, Canada including Cathedral Lakes, Cawston, Chopaka, Coalmont, Eastgate, Hedley, Keremeos, Manning Park, Olalla, Princeton, Similkameen Valley, Tulameen and Twin Lakes.
