Kamloops, Canada's Tournament Capital, is located at the confluence of the South and North Thompson Rivers in British Columbia's semi-arid grasslands, and is a hotbed of outdoor activities.
Sandstone canyons, grasslands, and evergreen timberlands play host to incredible hiking, mountain biking, and camping. More than 100 lakes and two major rivers provide great fishing, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, and tubing.
Kamloops was named one of the top three GamesTown2010 communities for demonstrating its spirit and passion for sports and healthy living leading up to the 2010 Winter Games.
Not only an outdoor activity centre, Kamloops also takes pride in its vibrant arts community, represented in art galleries throughout the city, and theatre and music festivals and events held annually.
Outdoor Activities in Kamloops
Kamloops is set on a vast and rugged landscape of hills, gullies, and grasslands that invite hiking, mountain biking, and wildlife viewing, all easily accessible from the city. Boat on nearby Kamloops Lake for a day of fishing, or hit the links at Tobiano Golf Course, one of Canada's best. Take the whole family hiking, mountain biking, and golfing in summer, and downhill skiing and snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, dogsledding, and ice-skating in winter.
The City's Culture and History
Experience Kamloops' First Nations culture at the biggest powwow in British Columbia: Every August the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc (Kamloops First Nation) hosts the Kamloopa Pow Wow, a weekend-long event attracting First Nations singers, dancers, artists, and performers from across western Canada and the US. Kamloops history is accessible year-round at the Kamloops Museum & Archives, or on a self-guided walking tour of heritage homes and buildings throughout the city. A brochure of Kamloops "Heritage Homes Walking Tour" is available at the museum.
Kamloops Downtown
With a population of 87,017, Kamloops is the fourth largest municipality in British Columbia outside of the Lower Mainland, and the second biggest in the Thompson Okanagan region. Therefore, the amenities of metropolitan centre are readily available. A wide range of hotels, spas (including Sunmore Ginseng Spa), restaurants, art galleries, and theatres are located in Kamloops downtown district. The Kamloops Symphony, as well as professional and amateur theatre companies, perform throughout the year. In summer, the city virtually lives outdoors attending festivals and events, concerts, rodeos, and farmers' markets.
Riverside Park
Riverside Park is the Kamloops gathering spot in summer. Located in the heart of downtown Kamloops, the park features Rotary Rose Garden, Rotary Bandshell, Uji Japanese Gardens, waterpark, lawn bowling, tennis courts, picnic area, and River's Trail. Riverside also hosts Music in the Park, a free nightly concert held in July and August.
Communities near Kamloops
Thompson Okanagan regional communities of Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Merritt, and Logan Lake are all located near Kamloops, and offer great outdoor recreational opportunities. Also, close to Kamloops are Little Shuswap Lake and Big Shuswap Lake, where sandy beaches attract sun soakers every summer.
A series of provincial parks – including Roderick Haig-Brown Provincial Park, Wells Gray Provincial Park, and Lac Du Bois Provincial Park – surround Kamloops, and offer swimming, fishing, boating, hiking, mountain biking, wildlife viewing, and cross-country skiing. McConnell Lake Provincial Park, 35km/22mi south of the city, has rainbow trout weighing in excess of 1.5kg/3.3lb.
For more information about things to do, restaurants, and accommodations in Kamloops, stop by the Visitor Centre at 1290 West Trans Canada Highway (take Exit 368 off the Trans-Canada Highway). The Visitor Centre is directly across from the Aberdeen Shopping Mall.
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