Kalamalka Lake

If you’ve driven up to Vernon [1] from Kelowna [2], this was the beautiful lake that Highway 97 paralleled for much of the way. It’s known as a “marl” lake because as summer warms the water, the limestone bedrock forms crystals that reflect the sunlight, creating a distinctive aquamarine color that is all the more stunning with surrounding parched hills as a backdrop.

The continuously changing emerald and turquoise water and surrounding mountain panorama is best appreciated from Kal Lake Lookout, five kilometers back toward Kelowna along Highway 97. Just south of the information center, a steep road winds down to the lakeshore and fine Kal Beach, fringed by trees. Parking is across the railway line from the beach (access is under the rail bridge). Also on the beach is a concession and, at the east end, a pub with a huge deck.

Continue beyond the beach for eight kilometers (five miles) to Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park. Within this 978-hectare (2,420-acre) park, a 1.5-kilometer (0.9-mile) trail winds down through bunchgrass and ponderosa pines to Turtle Head Point, while other trails lead to a low-lying wetland and lofty viewpoint.