janisinbc

Hi There

We are traveling to Kelowna/Rutland area in the two last weeks of July and are looking for decent place to camp with our boys and small quiet lap dog.This is for a hockey school in Rutland.
We have found Holiday resort on Duck Lake, but have heard that it is not a swimming lake...would there be enough to do for two weeks there for the boys?
Any ideas or help would be great.
We looked into renting a house or condo and that is very exspensive.
Thanks

ltt

http://www.rv.net/forum/ - check out this helpful forum
there is a tone of stuff to do in the okanagan and i would not get bored with two weeks. it does get extremely busy though so book a site soon. i prefer vernon or penticton over kelowna.

BikerScott

it's about an hour drive from either Vernon or Penticton to Kelowna - if the boys are going to a hockey school in Rutland every day, it might make more sense to stay a bit closer...

traveller69

If you do decide to take a drive to Penticton the boys would love doing the canal in an inner tube. It is great fun. You start at one end where you can rent tubes or whatever and a bus transports you back to the starting point. It can take a couple of hours anyway depending on the wind. All if our visitors with kids just love it.

weasel

Hi I would stay at Ellison Provincial Park . It would only take about 15 to 20 minutes to drive to the arena from there. Another option would be Bear Creek, but it would take longer to get to arena. Also it's on the other side of the lake and the bridge can have ugly traffic jams.Both of these campgrounds take reservations go to www.discovercamping.ca or call 18006899025. you can usually make reservations 3 months in advance and these sites go very quickly. good luck and remember to hang your kids hockey gear down wind from your campsite.

janisinbc

Thanks everyone for your help so far.
The provincial sites look great, but I was wondering if anyone knew of a campsite that has hook ups. Or is there no really great campsites with lots to do within them other than the provincial ones. We will have a second vehicle to drive around in, so we don't have to undo everything every day.
Which provincial campground has the better swimming/beach/sites that is near there - Bear or Ellison?
Thanks again, all the help is most appreciated.

Lynette

Provincial Parks do not have any hook ups. Ellison is located about 15 minutes from Vernon, and then to get from Vernon to Rutland will be about 40 minutes in the summer time. The beach at Ellison is a bit of a walk from the sites. Bear Creek is about 20 minutes down Westside road, so it will be about 40 minutes or so into Rutland from there also. The sites at bear creek are closer to the water, and in my opinion, it is a nicer provincial park.
For what you are looking for, I think Holiday Park would be a great place to stay. My kids love to go camping with their grandparents there when they come to town. There are 2 or 3 pools, hot tubs, a small golf course (6 holes I think), an activity room with ping pong, fooseball, pool etc. The grounds are nicely kept, and it is fairly close to where you want to be, without being in town. The sandy beach is nice, but the lake bottom is somewhat slimy on Duck Lake, but Reiswig park on Wood lake is very nice and only about a 7 minute drive. It would be my choice.
There are not too many campgrounds right in Kelowna, but one you might check out is called Hiawatha. It is on Lakeshore Road across the street from Rotary beach on Okanagan Lk.
http://www.hiawatharvpark.com/
If you have more questions about Kelowna, just ask, I live there

janisinbc

Hi Lynette

thanks for your info, a few more questions for you...
Do you think it would be better to stay over at the Bear provincial park?
or would it be better to go towards Winfield and Kalamalka lake?
thanks for your help, this is a frustrating thing to do for two weeks. I don't want the boys to be bored with not being able to go into the lake at the Holiday resort.
i also heard that if you know someone there they can invite you to stay there and you can get a reduced rate..have you heard of this?
Cheers ( feel free to email me on my email address )

Lynette

Hi Janis
This is just my opinion, but if you need to drive everyday to the rink in Rutland, (which is on the north side of Kelowna), then I would stay in the Winfield, Kal Lake area, just because you do not have to go over the bridge and go through the entire city every day. Bridge and city traffic in the summer can be frustrating.
Here is another campground located in Oyama (between Winfield and Vernon) on the shores of Kalamalka Lake. It is called Tween Lakes resort.
http://www.camping.bc.ca/Tween_Lakes...t_1107MID.aspx.
I have never been to this one, but it has a nice location with a swimming beach.
My parents have a coast to coast camping membership, and that is how they get into Holiday Park. I think it works something like a timeshare, but for camping, so that is the way I have always been there. You maybe able to get in with an invite to check them out (going to a presentation etc.) Check on their web site maybe.
Hope this helps

traveller69

I have to add my two cents worth here. I am not familiar with any of the campsites but by all means listen to Lynette. Do not locate in a spot that means you have to go over the bridge and through Kelowna. We avoid that in the summer like the plague. Traffic is a nightmare and on more than one occasion there has been an accident on the bridge and we sat for 45 mins to an hour on the hill just at a standstill. At the best of times driving through the city takes forever with all of the lights etc. We have to go to Kelowna Hospital for a lot of medical tests and treatments that can't be done in Penticton. When that happens in the summer we get a motel so we won't be late for an appointment due to traffic.

janisinbc

thanks once again everyone, great advice about the bridge, I wondered about that.
I will continue to look on the rutland side.
Cheers, Janis