Okanagan Falls

Small South Okanagan lake village below Skaha Lake, with cliffs, birds, and wine.

Okanagan Falls is a small place at the south end of Skaha Lake, where the old falls have mostly disappeared under the lake-control works. That sounds like a weak start, but the surrounding landscape is the real story: dry cliffs, warm water, vineyards, bird habitat, and strange little ecological pockets.

It is not a full resort town like Penticton or Osoyoos. The appeal is more selective and more local. Peach Cliff rises above town with bighorn sheep habitat, sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ Park protects riparian woodland below the lake, and Mahoney Lake is a rare meromictic lake south of the village.

Okanagan Falls is best for travellers already moving through the South Okanagan who want a quieter base than the larger towns. Bring a bike, binoculars, or a taste for small wineries, and it becomes much more than a dot on Highway 97.