Biking the Myra Canyon Tressels

The Kettle Valley Railway Trail is an old railway network that runs through southern part of British Columbia between Midway and Hope. The railway network was abandoned in the later part of the twentieth century and subsequently purchased by the provincial government of British Columbia in order to preserve the railbed. Over time various groups and individuals have set to restoring the six-hundred kilometer railbed into an amazing network of multi-use trails that are enjoyed by countless people every year.

We have biked several parts of the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) Trial over the last few years, mostly around the southern part of Okanagan lake and Skaha lake. Now that my two eldest children are becoming confident bikers I thought it would be a good time to explore the trestle bridges located in Myra Canyon Provincial Park. We started our bike ride at the Myra Station entrance, which is one of the most popular public entrances because of its proximity to the trestle bridges. We rode to the Ruth entrance and back again. The round trip was about twenty-three kilometers. For directions to the Myra Station and Ruth Station entrances click here.

The trail between Myra Station and Ruth Station is amazing. There are eighteen trestles bridges to cross and two tunnels to go through. The view of Myra canyon is breathtaking and the city of Kelowna can be spotted in the distance. There are other interesting things to note along the trail as well, most of which are marked by signs. The trail itself is wide with gentle gradients throughout. I pulled a double chariot behind my bike and it fit comfortably on the trail and was just right on the trestle bridges. Because of the popularity of this section of the KVR it can be very busy with hikers and bikers, and there were several times that I had to struggles to get past groups of people with the double chariot in tow.

My seven year old was able to bike the entire twenty-three kilometer round trip while my five year old completed half. They both did superb. I would not recommend training wheels on this trail, but a chariot behind a bike works well. It is also important to prepare for the elements. We went on a cool and stormy day and my sister was quite surprised by how cold it was up there. We were sure glad to have our raincoats and my son was happy to share his with auntie Natalie. I imagine it can get pretty hot up there, either way be prepared.

Overall, this is great section of the KVR for a family bike trek! One that I highly recommend.