Okanagan Valley

The "Half Fire, Half Water" Vernon Trail 🔥🌊 Just south of Vernon, Cosens Bay serves up a sizzling hike followed by a refreshing lake plunge—the perfect way to cool off and recharge. 🚗 Parking: Use the Red Gate lot (~20 spots). Arrived at 11:14 AM—plenty of space. By 2 PM, only 2 cars remained. ⛰️ The Route: ~12km total (hike + swim), 3.5 hours. No technical challenges—just brutal sun exposure. The "hardest" part? The short climb back from the lake: steep, shadeless, but with speeding jet skis and boats dancing on the water below. Body in mild hell, eyes in heaven. 😅 🏖️ The "Beach": A long stretch of smooth pebbles (not sand!). A few picnic tables (never crowded)—or just claim shade under lakeside trees. Since it’s only accessible by hike or boat, the 1km shoreline stays blissfully quiet. 👨👩👧 With kids? Older ones can handle the 4.5km hike from Red Gate. For an easier walk (~3km, zero elevation), start at Kalamalka Provincial Park’s Cosens Bay lot—but expect mountain bikers (it’s a popular MTB hub!). 🌊 The Swim: Crystal-clear water! First plunge = icy shock 🥶, but after a dunk, the world goes silent (and your body adjusts). Stay close—just 20m from shore, the depth swallows 6’ swimmers, and the water turns abruptly colder. The surface? Literally a border between two worlds. #Vernon #HikingBC #KelownaAdventures