Discover West Kelowna, One Quest at a Time
Are you looking for a fun way to explore West Kelowna? Discovery Quest invites you to slow down, look a little closer, and uncover the stories, places and natural features that make our community unique.
Our first edition takes you along the Gellatly Bay Waterfront, where you’ll explore local landmarks, discover the area’s natural environment and uncover stories along the way. Keep your eyes open, follow the clues, collect the hidden letters and see if you can solve the secret phrase!
Designed for curious explorers of all ages, Discovery Quest combines storytelling with a little friendly challenge, providing you with a new way to experience some of West Kelowna’s special places.
Start your adventure with the Waterfront Edition, and stay tuned for more Discovery Quests coming soon.
DISCOVERY QUEST: Waterfront Edition
Download your Discovery Quest – Waterfront Edition sheet here. See below for more information on each of the locations. Scroll to the end of the Waterfront Edition section to see the secret waterfront word. After the map, scroll down to learn more about each spot.
Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park | 2375 Whitworth Rd
More than a century of agricultural history is rooted in Gellatly Nut Farm Regional Park, a historic nut orchard along the Gellatly Bay Waterfront in West Kelowna.
The property was developed by the Gellatly family, including David Gellatly, an agricultural pioneer who became known as the “Tomato King” and “Potato King” for his successful crops. His sons, Jack and David Jr Gellatly, were a plant breeders who developed 36 nut varieties, including cold-hardy heartnuts and hazelnuts. Many of the varieties they developed can still be found growing in the orchard today.
The former farm is now a public regional park, where visitors can walk beneath the orchard canopy, explore the interpretive signs and enjoy the waterfront playground. In the fall, the orchard becomes a gathering place for the annual nut harvest, when visitors can take part in the park’s U-pick experience and collect heritage chestnuts, walnuts and hazelnuts.
Gellatly Landing | 4200 Gellatly Rd
Today, Gellatly Landing is a place to sit by the water and look across Okanagan Lake. In 2003, it became a place where West Kelowna residents watched a very different scene unfold.
On August 16, a lightning strike sparked the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire. Fanned by strong winds and extreme heat, the fire eventually burned more than 25,000 hectares, forced the evacuation of approximately 27,000 people and destroyed 239 homes on the east side of Okanagan Lake.
As the fire spread, residents gathered along the Gellatly Bay Waterfront and at Gellatly Landing, watching the flames move across the lake. The waterfront became a place where people came together during one of the most significant emergencies in the Okanagan’s history.
Today, the view from Gellatly Landing offers a quiet reminder of how much this landscape—and the community around it—has changed since those summer nights in 2003.
West Kelowna Yacht Club | 4111 Gellatly Rd
Moored along the Gellatly Bay Waterfront is a piece of Okanagan transportation history: the M.V. Pendozi, a retired car ferry that now serves as the clubhouse for the West Kelowna Yacht Club.
The Pendozi was the first of three ferries to operate the Kelowna–Westbank route, beginning in 1939. Before the floating bridge opened in 1958, the ferry carried as many as 30 cars and 150 passengers across Okanagan Lake.
When the bridge made the ferry service unnecessary, the City acquired the vessel for $1. A few years later, the city was looking for a new home for the retired ferry. In 1965, the newly formed West Kelowna Yacht Club offered $2 for it—and the city donated the vessel instead.
The Pendozi was brought to shore, where it was renovated and given a second life as the yacht club’s clubhouse.
There is also a story behind the name. The ferry was intended to be named after Father Pandosy, but his name was misspelled as “Pendozi.” The mistake was never corrected. According to local lore, changing the name of a vessel is considered bad luck, so Pendozi it remained.
Rotary Trails & Powers Creek | Gellatly Rd
Following Powers Creek toward the lake, the Rotary Trails provide a connection between West Kelowna neighbourhoods and the Gellatly Bay Waterfront.
Powers Creek stretches for 29.5 kilometres and provides habitat for native Kokanee salmon and Rainbow trout. Near the waterfront, the trail follows the lower creek through a shaded corridor, with a wooden footbridge crossing the water.
Keep an eye—and ear—out for birds along the way. Bald eagles can often be seen in the area, sometimes perched near their large treetop nests, while turkey vultures can be spotted riding the thermals overhead.
The trail network continues beyond the waterfront. From here, the Flumes Trail leads toward Glenrosa and into Glen Canyon Regional Park, where a 24-foot waterfall can be found within the canyon.
Willow Beach | 4055 Gellatly Rd
With its sandy shoreline and easy access to the lake, Willow Beach is a popular stop along the Gellatly Bay Waterfront.
The beach takes its name from the willow trees that once lined this part of the shoreline. Although many of those original trees have since been removed, the name has remained.
Today, Willow Beach is a place to spread out on the sand, swim in Okanagan Lake or launch a stand-up paddleboard. Public washrooms are nearby, making it a convenient place to settle in for a few hours by the water.
CNR Wharf | 4030 Gellatly Rd
The CNR Wharf was the first site officially added to the West Kelowna Heritage Register, recognizing its role in the agricultural and transportation history of the community.
Beginning in the 1930s, the wooden wharf served as a shipping point for the region’s orchard industry. Local fruit and vegetables were brought to the waterfront, loaded onto railway barges and transported down Okanagan Lake to connect with the main railway lines.
Shipping continued at the wharf for several decades before coming to an end in 1972.
The wharf was restored in 2014, preserving its original timber character. Today, visitors can walk along the pier and out over the lake, or make use of the diving boards and zipline for a different way to experience the waterfront.
Gellatly Dog Beach | 3911 Gellatly Rd
Near the mouth of Smith Creek, Gellatly Dog Beach gives four-legged visitors their own place to enjoy the waterfront.
Smith Creek flows down from McDougall Rim and Mount Swite before reaching Okanagan Lake beside the beach. The off-leash area provides access to the shallow water and shoreline, with trees offering shade on warmer days.
It is a simple spot to let dogs run, swim and explore while their owners enjoy the lake and the surrounding landscape.
SECRET WATERFRONT WORD: lakeside