No carrots on Carrot Mountain, but the view is worth the climb!

Trail: Carrot Mountain

Trail Distance: 6 km round trip

Trail Difficulty: Moderate - difficult

Directions:

This hike is located in West Kelowna. From Highway 97, turn north onto Bartley Road, then turn left onto Shannon Lake Road. Follow for 1.6 km and turn right on Shannon Woods Drive. Next, turn right on Shannon Hills Drive, then take your next left on Shannon Heights Place and park in the cul-de-sac by the gate.

If there is no available parking here, you can also park on the opposite side of the gate. To get to the opposite side of the gate from Shannon Lake Road, follow past Shannon Woods Drive and turn on to Tallus Ridge Drive. Make a right onto Mountains Hollow Lane.Turn right on Paramount Drive and follow until you reach the gate and park along the right side.

Description:

If you are feeling up to the challenge, Carrot Mountain offers a well deserved view and a worthy workout! A trail that really gives you a little taste of everything from a little waterfall to amazing mountain views!

From the parking area, walk up the gravel road by the gate. Continue left on the gravel road past the house (please be respectful of private property) where you will see a large concrete water reservoir. Walk up the right side and across to the obvious trail.

The trail brought us into a fairly thick ravine, starting off with a gentle slope. As the trail progresses, the slope increases to what feels like a never ending climb! Pace yourself as it is 3 km up. Following the beaten path with the odd orange ribbon, we slowly made our way up. After about a kilometer and a half we soon came to a small waterfall along Davidson Creek. Depending on the time of year, you might get your boots a little wet crossing this creek or it will be a perfect cool down spot on a hot summer's day. Although when we arrived, it was still a winter wonderland at this cool waterfall, but still very enjoyable!

After a little break at the waterfall, we continued across the creek and started to work our way back up the trail. The trail has many switchbacks to help gain the elevation and the view gets better and better with each step. Soon the end was in sight and so was the Canada flag perched at the top!

Once reaching the top, the views are just beautiful! Overlooking all of West Kelowna, Shannon Lake, Okanagan Lake, and all the way towards Peachland! When all is said and done, we gained just over 550 m of elevation in 3 km. With the top of Carrot Mountain being snow free, it was a perfect place to enjoy a beautiful sunny, spring day! After a well-deserved break of enjoying the views, we slowly headed back down the trail towards the parking area.

For the more ambitious hiker, there is a longer trail connecting Carrot Mountain, Mount Swite and Mount Hayman. I would advise you to do some research before attempting the longer trails as they are not marked.

With spring in the air please keep in mind that the Little Critters are coming out and waking up. When you are done your hike make sure you check yourself for ticks. Although this trail may not be snow free yet it is still worth the climb! Please watch your footing on the icy sections and step cautiously. Bring the appropriate equipment to keep yourself safe such as ice grips and/or hiking poles.

Always remember to be mindful of your surroundings, pack out what you pack in, stick to the trails and happy exploring!

Things to bring:

• Dogs on leash welcome
• Good footwear
• Water/ Snack
• Bear spray is always a good thing to carry
• Hiking Poles if needed

*The trail has plenty of Geocache to find as well!

Born and raised in the Okanagan, Kristy Draginda has always had a strong passion for the outdoors. Whether it be hiking to the top of a mountain or standing below a waterfall, she says there is no better feeling than being inspired by nature. Follow along as Kristy shares different hiking locations in and around the Okanagan. For more adventure photos, check out Hiking the Okanagan on Instagram or Facebook.