Giant’s Head Mountain

While traveling in the Okanagan Valley, my parents decided to drive into Summerland to visit a few wineries. I’m not much of a wine drinker, and after my knee injury earlier this year I prefer to keep my sense of balance and coordination. For this reason, I was excited to stop off in Summerland, which is known as a great place for outdoor sports and tourism. Between some winery visits, we decided to check out Giant’s Head Mountain Park.

Formed by an ancient volcano, Giant’s Head Mountain towers 500 meters over Summerland. The park has switchback trails zig-zagging up the mountain, but there is also an option to drive 3/4 of the way up and park in a small lot close to the summit. We opted to drive most of the way due to both time constraints and my recent knee injury. The drive up the mountain isn’t for the faint of heart: there are no guard rails on the road, and the lane is only big enough for one vehicle. However, the hike from the parking lot was an easy 15-20 minutes up some beautiful switchback trails.

The summit offered beautiful panoramic views of the countryside below. You can see Okanagan Lake stretching across the landscape and all the orchards and wineries below. This has been the most challenging hike I’ve attempted since my knee dislocation. My parents are also a little older (mid-50s), and we all faired well with the short walk from the parking lot. Overall, the view was stunning. I’d recommend this hike to visitors looking for a unique and amazing view of Summerland.