Giant’s Head Mountain Park

Giant’s Head Mountain is a remnant of volcanic dome located in Summerland, BC. The peak offers a spectacular 360-degree panoramic view of the Okanagan valley making it a favourite spot among locals and tourists for walking, hiking and sightseeing. The peak of Giant’s Head Mountain can be accessed either by hiking from the base trail or by driving along a series of switchbacks and hiking the remained section of trail. The gates to the park are closed during the winter months and occasionally during the summer when the risk of wildfire is very high. To locate the trail head drive along Milne Road, off Giant’s Head Road, in Summerland and look for parking on road side.

My friend and I decided to take our children on the 1.6 km trek up Giant’s Head Mountain. The first thing we noticed was that the trail is steep, rocky and exposed. Good hiking shoes and water are important. It would be wise to avoid this hike on a hot summer day, especially with younger children. All seven of our children (ages from three to ten) hiked from the base trail to the very top and then ran back down to the bottom along the switchbacks (the gates were closed). The hike was about 3km in distance with a 350 metre elevation gain. It took us just over two hours to complete the hike, which included some time to enjoy the breathtaking view at the top. I will definitely being adding this hike to my list of favourite family hikes in the South Okanagan.

Update 2016-07-15: On our recent hike up Giant’s Head we recorded this hike, from the trailhead to the peak and down again along the paved road, as 5.1 km in length with an elevation gain of 444 m. Check out our route here.