Explore Living at Big White

Experience Winter

Experience Summer

Experience Eats + Drinks

There is so much to do and see at Big White and the greater Okanagan region in both summer and winter seasons. There are activities for your entire family and restaurants for every occasion. Select a category above or continue scrolling to explore every aspect of the a Big White lifestyle. 

Nordic Skiing

Nordic or cross country skiing is a great way to explore the wilderness. There are 25km of nordic ski and multi-use wilderness trails just outside your door at Big White. Alternatively, the Kelowna Nordic Ski & Snowshoe Club is just a short 35-minute drive to the Southwest. Here you’ll find 75km of trails that meander through the forest providing beautiful panoramic vistas of the Okanagan highlands and a chance to see local wildlife such as deer, moose, and snowshoe hare. There are trails suitable for every level of skiier and four day-use cabins where you can take a break and rest.

Snowmobiling

The backcountry surrounding Big White is a fantastic playground for snowmobile enthusiasts. There are two dedicated snowmobile parks. The Graystokes area has been a favorite riding area for Okanagan snowmobilers since the inception of the snowmobile in the early 60s. With its myriad of meadows, lakes, and finely groomed trails, the area has become synonymous with great family riding. The Idabel/Myra are on the East side of Highway 97 features more than 300km of managed trails stretching from Beaverdel to Chute Lake and includes the historic Kettle Valley Rail Trail and Trans Canada Trail. Explore Little White mountain’s high alpine and views of the Okanagan Valley.

Ice Fishing

From about mid-December to late March the Okanagan’s mountain lakes freeze over and ice fishing gets underway. This is a wonderful family activity even with smaller children. For those living or staying at Big White one of the best options for ice fishing is Idabel Lake which is located only about a 25 minute drive away on the other side of Highway 97. This is a popular lake that is easily accessible even in the middle of winter.l and is also home to Idabel Lake Resort. Idabel Lake is stocked every year with Rainbow and Brook Trout. The average catch here is said to be between 12 to 14 inches, but catching fish over 16 inches is not uncommon. Other area lakes that are known for good ice fishing are Shannon Lake in West Kelowna, and Beaver Lake and Oyama Lake in the mountains above Lake Country. There are a couple charter services that provide a full ice fishing experience for those who don’t have the knowledge or the gear to enjoy this on their own.

Winter wine Touring

The Okanagan Valley is Home to 70+ wineries and while many of them close their tasting rooms and restaurants for the winter there are some great year-round wine touring destination. Wine touring is a fantastic adult activity and a great way to stock up on our local Okanagan wines before you drive back up to Big White. Either drive down from the mountain and explore a couple wineries on your own or arrange for a formal wine tour with one of the regions wine tour operators some of which even offer pick-up and drop-off at Big White. Below is a list of several Kelowna and area wineries that are known for being open throughout the winter. Make sure to visit their website or call to confirm hours before making the trip. Also, a list of Okanagan winter wine tour operators.

Downhill Mountainbiking

At Big White, the resort is no longer just a winter playground. Once the snow melts the mountain is transformed into a downhill mountain bike riding paradise. Big White s BC’s newest bike park! A combination of enthusiasm, terrain, technology, infrastructure and experience have been the ingredients to this new bike park, with development led by the experts at Alpine Bike Parks and tested by local pro riders, like Tom and Bas van Steenbergen. Trails have been crafted for both beginner and experienced riders and there is even a new slopestyle course, built to host the only FMB Gold level event in Canada.

Explore nearby lakes

The Okanagan Highlands surrounding Big White is home to more than three dozen backcountry lakes in addition to numerous larger Okanagan Valley lakes. This means that there is a lakeside activity for everyone within a 60-minute drive or less from Big White. The valley lakes including: Okanagan Lake, Woods Lake, and Kalamalka Lake are world-renowned. They offer adventurers a variety of activities including boating, sailing, jet skiing, water skiing, wake boarding, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, even scuba diving, and of course lazing on the beach in 30-degree celsius temperatures.

The backcountry lakes offer a more calm experience including kayaking, paddle boarding, canoeing, and fishing. There are plenty of areas to explore with lakes of different size and shape, and different surrounding landscapes and wildlife to watch.

zipline and other aerial fun

You haven’t experienced it all until you’ve zipped through the forest from 381-feet above the ground. You can do that at ZipZone Peachland, Canada’s highest zipline. While this destination is about an hour and a half from Big White it just so happens to be a short drive from the West Kelowna wineries. It’s also not the only place to try out the zipline or take in some other off-the-ground activities. The Okanagan lifestyle is all about enjoying life, being active, and taking in the beauty of the outdoors. In addition to above mentioned excursion, check out Oyama Zipline Adventure Park, Myra Canyon Adventure Park, and Okanagan Adventure Park (located en route between Big White and Kelowna.

Wine TOuring

Big White sits in the highlands just above the rich, fertile, lands of the Okanagan Valley. This area has a long history in agriculture and has become world renowned for its winemaking. There are more than seventy wineries within the South Okanagan, stretching the roughly 150km from Lake Country, British Columbia down to the town of Osoyoos at the US border. The wineries nearest to Big White are the East Kelowna wineries including: Camelot, SpearHead, Frequency, The Vibrant Vine, and Kitsch. They are about a sixty minute drive from the mountain and accessible without even going back into the city.

Dirt Biking + ATV Riding

For those that prefer a little more power from time to time dirt biking and ATV riding are the perfect activity to get your adrenaline rush. It’s also a great way to just get out and explore the wilderness given how much more trail you can cover in the same amount of time. There is as seemingly endless network of existing and retired forestry roads that make it easy to create an adventure out of travelling the backcountry. Curious what those Monashee Mountains look like up close? Take a day tour and ride from Highway 33 across Trapper’s Creek FSR to the Christian Valley and up into the alpine. On the West side of the highway you’ll find part of the KVR Trail that allows dirt bike and ATV’s, another great area to explore the mountainous terrain and backcountry lakes.

beach days

The Okanagan is fortunate to have more than twenty awesome beaches where you can relax and bask in the sun’s rays while the kids build sand castles and swim in the lake. Hot Sands Beach and City Park and Tugboat Bay Beach and Waterfront Park are two of the largest beaches in Kelowna and are located right downtown so when you something to eat or an afternoon ice cream, you’re just steps away.

Golfing

There are 16 golf courses in Kelowna and surrounding area and with 2,000 hours of sun every year the Okanagan Valley offers one of the longest, and driest, golf seasons in Canada. The Pinnacle of golfing here is the world class Predator Ridge but there is a course here for golfers of every skill level and budget. Many Kelowna golf courses offer incredible views of Okanagan Lake, mountains and rolling hills, vineyards and orchards, and sweeping meadows and forests.

Black Mountain Golf Course is the nearest course to Big White, located on Highway 33 en route from Big White to Kelowna. This magnificent 18-hole, Par 71 Championship golf course sits at the centre of a master-planned golf community. The 6,400 yard course is dramatically sculpted into the Okanagan landscape offering incredible views all around. Black Mountain Golf Course was named PGA of BC Golf Facility of the Year in 2018. It is a public golf course known for its spectacular course conditions from early spring to late fall.

6⁰ Bistro

Gunbarrel Grill

The Woods Restaurant

Snowshoe Sam's
Restaurant & Lounge

Cantina del Centro

Bullwheel Pub Gastro Family Pub

The BullWheel offers a menu of Canadian favourites and newly developed dishes crafted from locally sourced foods. Serving breakfast, lunch, or dinner along with a wonderful selection of cocktails, Okanagan wines, and beers from local breweries.

Sasquatch Sushi

Sasquatch Sushi brings an international taste offering to visitors and locals alike with a selection of sushi and other, fun, shareable foods.