Thompson Okanagan

Famous for its orchards, vineyards and wildly varied landscape. The history and culture of the Thompson Okanagan region is tied to the land. Aboriginal peoples led a semi-nomadic life moving between hunting and fishing grounds in the summers and settling into pit houses for the winter. Europeans came at first to trade for furs and then to establish cattle ranches, farms and mining operations. The region is full of museums and heritage sites that bring this colourful past to life for visitors.

Today, the Thompson Okanagan region is famous for its golf courses, orchards, ski resorts and vineyards as well as the wildly varied landscape. To the north of the central wine-and-fruit producing valley are vast boreal forests and to the south the desert of the Great Basin. The highest mountain in the Canadian Rockies is here, as is a waterfall twice the height of Niagara Falls and Canada's only true desert environment. Each year, outdoor enthusiasts flock to the Thompson Okanagan to hike, cross-country ski, snowshoe, fish, kayak, canoe, camp and view wildlife.