Predator Ridge is home to rolling hills, pristine lakes, and breathtaking views. The Lodge, located at the center of the resort, is a great home base with a panorama view of the Okanagan Valley and the beautiful golf course. The Lodge offers accommodations ranging from studios to two-bedroom suites, all with a full kitchen and exclusive use of the outdoor swimming pool, hot tub, and BBQ area. Onsite activities also include biking and hiking. For pickleball and tennis, there is the nearby Racquet Club Center, aka "The Bubble." Golfers will enjoy the two 18-hole championship courses. There are several excellent dining options available as well. This ridgetop resort is just a 5.5-hour drive from Seattle or 4.5 hours from Vancouver, BC. At the end of an active day, a highlight is relaxing and enjoying the sunset.
Dining at Predator Ridge Resort
Pallino's Italian Bistro offers delicious pizza by the slice and sandwiches with indoor and outdoor seating. For Breakfast, many enjoy the Breakfast, a sandwich featuring fried egg, bacon, tomato, and pesto, and the Avocado Toast with oven-dried tomato, red onion, and a balsamic glaze on toasted focaccia. It's a great starter for a busy, active day.
For an upgraded dining experience, try Range, Restaurant, Bar + Patio. The steaks were the focus of dinner for tonight, but there were other tempting veggie and fish options.
The 12-ounce New York Strip Canada Prime served with brandy peppercorn sauce, was perfectly cooked and so tasty. Equally delicious was the 6-ounce sirloin with a very special raspberry vinegar jus. The perfect wine pairing was the Cab Sav from Platinum Bench, which had a great structure that really enhanced the steaks. This wine is grown south of Predator Ridge on the Black Sage Bench near Oliver, BC, near the US border.
Although not part of Predator Ridge Resort, Gerni's Farmhouse is just a six-minute car ride or a 30-minute walk. The restaurant is part of Sparkling Hill Resort. The farmhouse was originally built in the 16th century in Austria. Then, in 2019, the building was dismantled, shipped to Canada, and reassembled.
The restaurant has a patio overlooking Okanagan Lake, a perfect setting for a German Lager and some pretzels! The next decision is to choose from the menu of traditional Austrian dishes, such as bratwurst, chicken schnitzel, or Zwiebelrostbraten (slow-roasted beef served with potatoes and onions), among many others.
After dinner, the one selection not to miss is the Hausgemachter Apfelstrudel, a house-made apple strudel with whipped cream. Delightful! 
Hiking and Biking
Predator Ridge has over 22 miles (35 km) of multi-use trails for hiking, running, and biking. Probably the most popular hike is the short hike (less than a mile from the Lodge) to the Lavender Yoga Platform, a favorite for sunset views. Click here for additional information about hiking, trail conditions, and elevation gains at Predator Ridge. The Okanagan Lake Lookout Loop is under 2 miles (3 km) and is very popular, with great views.
There are many biking options. However, there are also plenty of hills, so one needs to be comfortable with that. A great option is signing up for a bike shuttle to the flat Okanagan Rail Trail, which begins in Vernon. More details on that are below. Many folks do enjoy the bike trails at Predator Ridge, even with all of the hills, and the resort has a vast array of bike rentals available.
Cruising along next to two mountain lakes on a level and smooth trail is truly one of the best biking experiences. The Okanagan Rail Trail offers continuous views of the beautiful lakes and cliffs and is enjoyed by bikers, runners, and walkers. The trail starts in the small community of Coldstream, which is part of Greater Vernon. Check out Kalavida Surf Shop for bike rentals, which is just a few blocks away. Of course, they also provide SUP rentals. (More on paddling Kalamalka Lake later.)
Kalamalka Lake (locals call it Kal Lake) has the most striking bright blue-green color! The color is from the calcium carbonate crystals that occur when the water evaporates. The colors are enhanced by the warm summer sun.
Continuing south on the trail, one goes past Kekuli Bay Park, an excellent spot to launch a SUP or kayak. About an hour into the ride or about 12.5 miles (20 km), you go past OKF Grill, a great place to take a break and refuel. The restaurant is at the end of Kalamalka Lake, separated by an isthmus from Wood Lake.
The views of Wood Lake are equally stunning. After 16 miles (26 km), the trail reaches the town of Woodsdale, the pick-up point for the Predator Ridge Shuttle. Once completed, the trail will be 32 miles (52 km) long and will end in Kelowna. There is a nearly 4-mile (6.5 km) section just north of Kelowna Airport that is not yet completed. For a map of the trail, click here.
Paddling Kalamalka Lake (Kal Lake)
There are a few options on where to launch; on the east side of the lake, the Kinloch Drive Boat Launch is a good choice. Just plug in this location to get there: "Boat Launch Drive and Kinloch Drive Coldstream, BC." To launch on the west side of the lake, head to West Kalamalka Beach. Both spots have limited parking, so respecting parking rules in the area is essential. Another good launch spot on the west side, with more parking, can be found at Kekuli Bay Park.
We paddled along the Kalamalka Lake Paddle Trail, which has 43 buoys set up with km markers; the buoys can be found every 0.30 miles (.5 km). Our trip started at the 2 km (1.24 mile) marker at Kinloch Drive Boat Launch. One important purpose of the buoys is to encourage those in motorized water vessels to keep their distance from human-powered vessels.
It is a joy to paddle on this beautiful lake or just float while soaking in the scenery. In the summer, taking a swim would be an additional treat. For ambitious paddlers, the lake's length is a little over 10 miles (16 km), and the shoreline is 26 miles (42 km). Make sure to check out PADDLE BC, providing information on where to paddle, rent, and much more.
Vernon Wine and Ciders Paired with Great Food
Cambium Cidery has a long and interesting history. Many years ago, the stagecoach company, Barnard's Express (BX), owned this property. They served the interior of BC from 1861 until 1921, including during the Cariboo Gold Rush. In 1946, the Dobernigg family bought the land and planted orchards. That family was the current owners' grandparents, Dave Dobernigg and his wife, Melissa (Missy) Dobernigg. They are a third-generation farm operation and perhaps will eventually be fourth-generation farmers with their children participating in the business.
Missy and Dave took over the orchard in 2000, and it was on Missy's initiative that they decided to produce cider to grow the company. Missy decided to learn the trade in 2011 from cider legend Peter Mitchell in Washington State. In 2013, they rolled out their first cider. Today, their cider can be found in their beautiful tasting room in Vernon, countless bottle shops and liquor stores throughout British Columbia, and on the menus of many bars and restaurants.
The cider tasting was set up like a wine tasting – with the dry ciders presented first and moving to the sweeter ones. The first cider we tasted was the Modern Apple, which was a little tart, very refreshing, and delicious. Another favorite among the group was the Blackcurrant Cardamon Cider. The complex taste of the spices combined with the sweetness of the black currants and apples was amazing! One standout was the Earl Grey Cider, which was slightly sweet with great flower notes. The tea is sourced locally from, teassential, a specialty tea shop located in downtown Vernon. Teassential has other teas that are excellent!
Cambium Cider is also an excellent farm-to-table restaurant. So, after the cider tasting, it was time to check out what Chef Christian Scott had to offer. The Lamb Burger was an excellent choice. It was juicy and tender and was served with crispy onions, smoked cheese, carrot and cabbage slaw, pickles, and tarragon aioli. The centerpiece of the kitchen is a wood-fired oven, so don't forget to check out their amazing pizzas.
Intrigue Wines, located in the Lake Country subregion of the Okanagan Valley Wine Region, is 18.5 miles (30 km) south of Vernon. The winery's latitude is 50 degrees north, which used to be considered too far north to grow wine grapes; however, with the rapidly warming temperatures, that is no longer the case.
It is interesting to compare the temperatures between the Lake Country region (the furthest north) and the Oliver region (the furthest south part of the Okanagan Valley). Reds like Cab Franc or Cab Sav thrive in the Oliver region, which is close to the US border. In the northern area of Lake Country, cool-climate grapes like Reisling flourish. An advantage that the entire Okanagan Valley has over Napa, in California, is 16 hours of daylight in the summer – compared to less than 15 hours for Napa.
The previous two winters brought some damaging cold temperatures to the Okanagan. January 2024 saw temperatures of –18 F in Vernon and –8 F in the Osoyoos/Oliver area. However, even though the temperatures in Lake Country were much lower, there was more crop damage in the Osoyoos/Oliver area, mainly because the Reisling grown in the Lake Country is hardier and more suited to a cold climate, so those grapes fared better than the more delicate reds in the Osoyoos/Oliver area.
Intrigue Wines has 20 acres of Reisling planted, so sampling some is in order. The 2022 Reisling had brisk pear and apple notes. This refreshing wine would be great to enjoy on a warm summer day on the patio. The next wine we tasted was the Social White, a well-structured wine with a lot to offer! It is a complex blend of 59.5% Riesling, 18% Gewurztraminer, 14.2% Kerner, 3.1% Muscat Canelli, 3% Chardonnay, 1.9% Pinot Blanc, and 0.4% Pinot Gris. The interesting grape is the Kerner, a white grape that was first developed in 1929 by crossing Reisling with the red Trollinger grape. Kerner grapes are more common in Germany.
Head winemaker Roger Wong has a rich history in winemaking and experience with some of the higher-profile wineries in British Columbia, including Tinhorn Vineyards and Grey Monk Estate Winery. Along with Intrigue, he also has his own Riesling vineyard in the area.
Intrigue Wines was established in 2008 by two families who came together to explore their love of wine. Roger, Jillian Wong, Ross, and Geri Davis have forged a strong partnership and produced some excellent wines!
What to discuss first? The wine tasting, the fine dining at their restaurant Block One, or the award-winning architecture? The stunning property and vineyard are located above the shore of Okanagan Lake. The building design features large windows that allow plenty of natural light and offer stunning views of the vineyard, lake, and rolling hills. This building has received international design awards for its architecture. For a bit more informal experience, be sure to check out the Gravity Lounge.
Block One was named one of the Top 100 Restaurants of 2022 by Open Table. An excellent appetizer was the Scallops, served with a spicy Fresno kosho sauce (made with Fresno chilies). The scallops were served with pickled kohlrabi, radish, smoked avocado, and limes. So delicious!
One of the entrées to try is the Venison Striploin. This was an excellent cut of meat, tender and marinated in a shio koji glaze. Another excellent entrée was the Dry Aged Duck Breast, delightfully garnished with gooseberry & stone fruit marmalade, red chili paste, fermented turnips and mushrooms, and a buckwheat dumpling. The interplay between the sweetness and spiciness was wonderful!
The dinner was paired with their Estate Pinot Noir, a dark ruby red with light tannins, which was great with both the duck and venison. Pinot Noir can be described as the signature wine of Winemaker Matthew Fortuna. Matt has been at 50th Parallel for over 11 years and, before that, at other wineries in the Okanagan. He also spent considerable time in Australia, honing his skills. Along with the Pinot Noir, Matt does an excellent job with the Pinot Gris. With peach, lemon, and strawberry flavors, this Pinot Gris would go great with spicy seafood or just to sip on a hot summer afternoon.
To complete the dining experience, order the Crema Catalana. It is a delicious dessert made with mascarpone crème brulé, orange blossom meringue, citrus gel, and other delicious ingredients.
Take A Hike
It makes sense that there are so many trails to explore since Vernon has recently been officially named the Trails Capital of BC. Deciding which trail to focus on was difficult, but the Grey Canal Trail was the best choice. The canal's history dates back to the 1900s when this gravity-fed irrigation system sustained over 20,000 acres of farmland and orchards. The canal system spanned 30 miles (50 km) from Lavington to Okanagan Lake.
The Ribbons of Green Trails Society now maintains the trail system. Local experts suggested accessing the trail in the eastern part of Vernon off Boss Creek Rd. For the parking lot, you can plug in these coordinates: 50.26482 N, 119.22059 W, which is just off Boss Creek Rd.
This trail starts at the top of the hill, with splendid views of East Vernon and Kalamalka Lake. Head about 2 miles south towards Coldstream Valley Estate. There are some lovely, forested areas to enjoy, along with all the great views.
Another fantastic trip has come to an end. It's impossible to cover everything in one go, so a return visit to explore more hikes, wineries, and other area highlights is definitely necessary.
Editorial disclosure: food, beverages, and lodging are generously provided.
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