Disclaimer
If you've been researching Vernon, you might keep seeing Vernon and Coldstream used seemingly interchangeably, which can lead to some confusion.
Vernon and Coldstream are two separate municipalities, meaning there are 2 mayors and they both collect their own taxes and manage their cities separately. But if you crossed the border (around the south-east of Vernon) on foot, you would never notice. Vernon is the larger city, so a lot of things that are technically in Coldstream, like Juniper Beach and Jade Beach, often get referred to as part of Vernon.
If you're a proud Coldstreamian, I'm sorry, but for simplicity throughout this article we're going to refer to everything as Vernon. In some ways it matters that Vernon and Coldstream are distinct entities, but realistically if you're visiting from Vancouver or Calgary, you just want to know where the best swim spot and the best breweries are, and you're not too worried about which mayor the sales tax is going to.
Morning: Coffee In Town & Explore The Murals
Start the day with coffee and something to eat at Ratio Coffee & Pastry, right in the middle of downtown.
From there, it's an easy walk into Vernon's mural collection, 28 of them scattered through downtown depicting the city's history and culture, together forming one of the larger collections of public art in Canada. Most sit within a few blocks of the intersection of 32nd Street and 32nd Avenue, so it's a natural add-on once you're already downtown for coffee.
The project goes back to 1998, when artist Michelle Loughery brought the idea to the Downtown Vernon Association as a way to revitalize downtown while giving at-risk youth a chance to get involved in community development. A lot of that youth involvement is still visible if you know where to look; some of the murals have sections actually signed by the young people who helped paint them. Each one tells its own slice of the city's past, from railway history to the soldiers and pioneers who shaped the area, and one, titled Multiculturalism, depicts early pioneers from Chinese, European, Indigenous, and Japanese backgrounds who all contributed to the growth of the community.
You can absolutely wander the downtown core on your own and stumble onto them, which is honestly part of the fun. But if you want the full backstory behind each one, the Museum & Archives of Vernon runs guided walking tours starting from the museum steps, typically 45 to 60 minutes and best suited to those 12 and up, since it involves a reasonable level of activity. Bring comfortable shoes, and book ahead, since tours won't run without bookings. If you'd rather go at your own pace, there's a downloadable mural map covering the location and story behind each one.
Either way, don't rush it. Pair the walk with a stop at one of the shops or cafes along 30th Avenue, and you've got a relaxed hour or two built right into the middle of your morning.
Mid-Morning: Middleton Mountain Full Hike Or Lookout
Here's your first choice of the day. Middleton Mountain (I put "Mountain" in quotes because where I'm from on the coast, we'd call this a hill) sits near the south end of Vernon and delivers outsized views of the valley and Kalamalka Lake for very little effort.
If you're short on time or energy, just climb up from the road, about 10 minutes to the top, and walk the trail a short way to take in the view. If you've got more time, loop around some of the trails up top for the fuller experience. Either way, the elevation gain is minimal once you're up there.
Trail Map
There's very little shade along the way, so pack water and a sun hat if you have one, because you will be getting roasted the whole time. The payoff is worth it though. Right from the top, you get sweeping views of Kalamalka Lake to the south, the KVR trail tracing the shoreline to the right, Jade and Juniper beaches to the left, and Rattlesnake Point jutting out into the water. Take one of the wider loops, and you'll also catch views across the valley in every direction, with Swan Lake visible in the distance.
Park on the street here. The trailhead is obvious, tucked into a gap between houses where you can see the trail switchbacking up the hillside.
Afternoon: Kal Beach Or Juniper Bay & Rattlesnake Point
This is where the day splits based on what kind of afternoon you're after.
If you want an easy, amenity-packed beach day, Kal Beach is the pick. It's Vernon's main city beach, and the one most people picture when they think of a summer day in town, spacious, sandy, and popular, with plenty of room to spread out even when it's busy. It's bookended nicely too, a cafe and market on one end, a classic pub on the other, so you can swing by the cafe for coffee, pop back to the market for a cold drink or snack, and once the sun's gotten to be too much, head to the other end for a pint and a proper meal on their shaded backyard patio.
If you'd rather trade some amenities for scenery and a bit more activity, head to Juniper Bay and Jade Bay instead. Both sit on Kalamalka Lake and share a parking lot. They are both known for their striking turquoise colour that makes the whole area feel more like a stretch of the Adriatic than anything you'd expect to find in the BC interior, with more tree cover than most other spots in the valley.
Juniper Bay is the sandier and generally nicer of the two, so it draws the bigger crowds. Jade Bay is rockier, which naturally filters out some of the noise, making it the better pick if you're after something quieter or want to launch a paddleboard.
Washrooms are pit toilets only, two near the parking lot and two more down by Juniper Bay itself.
From there, you can extend the afternoon with a hike out to Rattlesnake Point, a sinister name but nothing more; there's no extra snake risk here than anywhere else in the Okanagan. The full loop from the parking lot takes about an hour and a half, 4km with roughly 160m of elevation gain, passing Juniper Beach on the way up to the highest point of the peninsula, with sweeping views of Kalamalka Lake and all the bays carved into it below.
Trail Map
The loop on the way back passes more coastline and a designated dog beach (well-behaved humans welcome too) before returning to the lot. Personally, I prefer doing it as an out-and-back instead, up to the viewpoint and then back down to Juniper Bay for a swim to cool off.
Evening: Gerni's Farmhouse Or A Cute Farm Stand For Families
This is the last choice of the day, and it depends entirely on who you're travelling with.
If it's just the two of you, Gerni's Farmhouse is the move.
There's a lot of European influence and Italian countryside charm scattered around the Okanagan, all dry hills and rolling vineyards, but nowhere does the comparison ring truer than here. It's an adults-only restaurant, sitting inside Sparkling Hill Resort, a strictly 16+ property perched at the top of Predator Ridge.
Sparkling Hill itself is a polished, high-end resort, but Gerni's is a nice break from that, teleporting you straight into a low-key Austrian pub experience instead. The building itself has a wild backstory: an original 16th-century structure from Weerberg, Austria, dismantled in 2019, shipped to Canada, and rebuilt on-site by Holzbau Maier, completed in October 2021.
The result is an unpretentious little restaurant with a patio overlooking Okanagan Lake from up near the highest point on Predator Ridge, easily one of the better views you'll get with a beer in hand anywhere in the valley.
You don't need to be a guest at the resort to visit. It's a great stop for dinner, or to catch a pint during happy hour, which runs 2 to 5 pm. They're open daily from 12 pm to 9 pm. To find it, park in the public lot for Sparkling Hill Resort, walk through the main entrance and lobby, then down the stairs at the back; Gerni's will be on your right. If you get turned around, just ask at the front desk.
If the kids are along for the trip, Davison's Orchard is the better fit, and honestly, they'll enjoy it a lot more than the farmhouse pub anyway.
It's been running since 1933, and admission is completely free. There's a lot packed in here: fresh produce, tractor rides, farm-to-table meals at the Farmhouse Café, handmade bakery treats, real fruit ice cream, U-Pick apples and pumpkins in season, and a couple of farm-themed playgrounds.
For younger kids, the Crazy Cow Kids Corral is the real highlight, a free, one-acre play area with treehouses, straw bale climbing, a sandbox, and toy tractors, while parents grab a treat from the café or squeeze in a round of tetherball or corn hole.
The farm tours are also worth doing: a tractor-pulled wagon ride through the orchard to see the fruit growing on the trees, running daily in July and August (starting June 26th) from 10 am to 4 pm, $6 for kids 2-12 and $10 for adults.
There's also a dedicated animal area with sheep, goats, cats, turkeys, and chickens, most of which will eat right out of your hand, a great first taste of farm life for kids who haven't had much exposure to it.
Final Thoughts
That's a full day in Vernon, but it's really just one version of it. Swap the beach or swap the evening stop, and you've got an entirely different trip using the same base. If you want to dig deeper into everything else Vernon has to offer, like biking the KVR in from Lake Country, camping at Ellison Park, exploring the wineries along the Scenic Sip, or mountain biking Kal Park, check out our comprehensive guide to the Best Things to do in Vernon for the full rundown.
And if you've got more days to work with, Vernon isn't the only worthwhile day trip in the valley.
Summerland is built around an old steam train ride and a great hike up Giant's Head Mountain.
Peachland is a slower, smaller lakeside town with its own charming waterfront and a proper hike up Pincushion Mountain to close out the day.
And Naramata, tucked along its own stretch of wineries on the bench, is about as good as it gets if wine touring is your top priority.
We have full-day trip guides for each of them if you want to keep building out your Okanagan itinerary.
FAQ
How much time do you need for a Vernon day trip?
Are Vernon and Coldstream the same place?
Is Middleton Mountain a hard hike?
Should I go to Kal Beach or Juniper Bay in Vernon?
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