Fintry Falls – Hiking With Kids – Kelowna

Fintry Provincial Park, also known as Fintry Estate, is a provincial park located in the town of Fintry and just about smack in the middle between Vernon and Kelowna.

The Fintry area has a very interesting history – People once called it the garden of Eden among other things. If you are a history buff click here to read more.

With over 2 km of waterfront access to the beautiful Okanagan lake. There is plenty of opportunities for swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking and for the land lovers hiking and wildlife viewing. Definitely something for everyone.

But IMO the highlight of the Fintry estate is the spectacular Fintry Falls also known as Shorts Creek waterfall. It’s a towering triple head waterfall that is a must-see if you are visiting the Okanagan.

Directions: The Fintry Falls hike is approximately a 40-minute drive from downtown Kelowna.

1. Coming from Kelowna drive over the bridge towards West Kelowna.
2. Take a right at the overpass onto Westside Rd.
3. Follow Westside Rd for 31.3km passing Bear Creek on your way then turn right onto Fintry Delta rd.
4. Continue straight at the bottom of the hill and you’ll see parking available on your left.

You have two options to hike when visiting Fintry falls. And I use the term hike loosely – it’s more like a leisurely walk or 10 minutes on the stair master. Work those buns.

• 1) Hike up a long set of stairs for a spectacular view of Fintry Falls – Green.
• 2) Hike along the creek bed to the bottom of the falls and enjoy a swim at the base of the falls in a large natural pool. – Red

I would suggest doing both if you have time.

We chose option 2 to the base of the falls. There were 5 kiddos (Ages 3-9) joining us on this hike with a total distance of around 2KM. The hike starts out flat and remains that way with a total 68M elevation gain.

The trailhead starts directly off the parking area along a well-used gravel path towards the old Fintry Dairy Barn.

Follow the trail past the Dairy barn to the left.

My DW leading the train O’ kiddos through a bit of bush. Continue to follow the trail past an abandoned cabin towards the creek.

Once you make it to the creek edge the trail becomes more obvious.

The trail begins to narrow in some spots and there are roots, twigs, rocks, and mud to traverse.

A fallen tree blocks the trail. But the kids love it. Keeps it interesting.

Continue following the creek bed until you approach the log crossing. Here you will need to carefully ford the creek. I can’t guarantee this creek is affordable (personal finance geek – remember) in every season. However, it was not an issue late July. Maybe not the same in early spring – YMMV. Always be prepared. If it doesn’t look or feel safe – don’t do it.

Don’t forget to bring your water shoes. You’ll need em’

Once across – continue following the trail towards the falls. At this point navigate through the rocks as best as you can. There is no defined trail.

Almost there you can see the base of the falls. Here the canyon is deep and the rock ridges tower above you. The roar of the waterfall is loud and clear.

Time for a swim. H and Cousin P were the only ones brave enough to take a dip. Cold but refreshing at least that’s what H said. If you are not up for a swim just dip your feet in and enjoy.

On the way back stop at the boat dock in Fintry and take a hard right towards the packing house to find the “secret beach”. Or at least that’s what I told the kids.

Continue towards the rear of the abandoned packing house and take the trail that wraps directly around.

Once around the corner, you will see the Fintry light beacon and the “Secret Beach” is just up ahead.

Do not jump off the BEACON!!! Just kidding – do whatever you want. The reaction from the kids at first was “I’m scared” and then shortly after the first jump it was “Let’s do it again!” and again and again and again. The kids had a blast.

Enjoying another adventure at Finty B.C. An easy hike for the whole family with little elevation gain. Add a picnic and swim in the beautiful Okanagan lake and make it an entire day.

Fintry Falls – Waterfall Pool
Distance: 0.93 km (1.86 km Return)
Elevation Gain: 60 m
Physical Difficulty: 1/5
Technical Difficulty: 2/5
Time: 0.5- 1 hr return – Download GPX – Download TCX

Random Okanagan Lake Fact Mystery O’ The Day:

Okanagan Lake is said to be the home of a world-famous lake monster named Ogopogo.  This sea serpent is said to be approximately 40-50 feet long and Ogopogo sightings have been reported in the area of Rattlesnake Island, across from Peachland. While visiting the Okanagan be sure to keep a lookout for the Ogopogo and have your camera ready!