Giant’s Head Mountain Park is a volcanic dome remnant located in the heart of Summerland, BC. The peak of this prominent geological feature offers a spectacular 360-degree panoramic view of the Okanagan valley making it a favourite spot among locals and tourists for exploring. The trailhead is located on Milne Road which, off of Giant’s Head Road, with parking along the left side of Milne road. When the gate to the park is open there are two ways of getting up Giant’s Head Mountain: hiking from the trailhead or driving along a series of paved single-lane switchbacks and then hiking the remained section of trail.
Usually we wouldn’t be Hiking up Giant’s Head Mountain in mid-July but the weather has been cool and we’ve been taking advantage of it by hiking our favourite trails in the South Okanagan. The trail up Giant’s Head Mountain cuts straight up the mountain through the paved switchbacks. The trail is steep, rocky and quite exposed so it’s important to wear good hiking shoes and bring plenty of water. Alternatively you can walk up the paved road but be aware of oncoming traffic. All three of my children (8, 6 and 4) have successfully hiked this mountain in the early spring but this was our fourth hike in six days and Teddy’s little legs were tired so he was carried up most of the way.
The panoramic view from the peak is breathtaking! There are also a series of engraved metal tubes at the top that highlight various landmarks. Take a look through the holes and discover some new places to visit. From the trailhead to the peak and back down along the paved road was 5.1 km in length with a 444 m elevation gain. Check out our course here. It took us about two hours to complete this hike on a cooler 19°C afternoon, and this time included a picnic stop at the top. Without the stop it was 1 hour 39 minutes of hiking time.