On this day blustery day we were cycling in Oliver along the Okanagan River. Cycling along rivers is great for a few reasons. For one, the river bottom is usually fairly smooth, making for an easy and enjoyable ride. The scenery along riverbanks is often beautiful, providing a great backdrop as you cycle. And finally, cycling trails are often built alongside rivers, making it easy to get out and enjoy a cycling workout in the great outdoors.
Yes, cycling offers a combination of fitness and enjoyable sightseeing. That is , if you are cycling an area that has great sights. This describes the trail along the Okanagan River which winds through Oliver. The trail is close to the river , and at this time of year the foliage along the river is just emerging so all is revealed along the river banks. It makes for some interesting observations along the way.
We parked at the trail head on the north end of Oliver, just north of the Mcalpine Bridge. It is a paved lot and there were a dozen vehicles already there when we pulled in around one oclock in the afternoon.
There was a big wind blowing but we were hoping that cycling along the river would mitigate the effects of the wind, and fortunately we were right. If we had been cycling beside the lake on the KVR trails, it would have been too much of a physical stress test for me. However, only a few times did I have to gear down to deal with the wind along the river, and I was happy about that !
Cycling in Oliver
Fifteen minutes into the ride we took a break at a bench, see picture above. It was at an oxbow point of the river and offered lots of great sight lines. Although you are in the city proper, cycling in Oliver allows you to sit at a spot like this where you can be far away from the city life.
The trail itself is paved, and that is pretty sweet compared to the graveled KVR trails. The asphalt has 
heaved in ribbons in more than a few spots, but overall the trail was in good shape.
We were on our ride for 17 kms in total. My wife was loving her new ebike , and it was working well for her. When she mentioned a slight aggravation in her knee, we took a break for 10 minutes at the super cool statue of the Salmon Chief, and then headed home. We had a following breeze and that made the return ride easy.
Salmon Chief
The Salmon Chief was a very instructional item. Not only is it a very detailed and awesome statue, there also is a lot of information on the Salmon Chief. I feel unqualified to tell you the story, but look here for more details. Certainly you will learn a lot and develop an appreciation for the lifestyle of the First Nations of the area if you check out the statue and go to the website we linked to describing it. Who knew that cycling in Oliver would be educational as well as physical rewarding!
In Conclusion
Cycling in Oliver is highly recommended. Apparently it runs the length of Okanagan River down to Osoyoos. We plan to return to start at the Salmon Chief, and head further down towards Osoyoos next time!
Oh, and by the way, we stopped in at the Howling Coyote in Oliver for lunch. I highly recommend their onion rings. I don’t recall having better, anywhere!
Our previous destination cycle was along the Trout Creek Trail, which you can check out here.