Cycling the Myra Canyon trestles

Cycling through the Myra Canyon is one of the coolest activities I have done since being in Canada. We were particularly lucky with the weather when we went: dry, balmy temperatures but with the colours of autumn saturating the hillside around us. It was absolutely stunning and a real breath of fresh air.

The Myra Canyon trestles are a scenic part of the famed Kettle Valley Trail (a 650 km rail trail network through central British Columbia). Obviously it is a huge undertaking to ride the whole thing, so we just dipped our toes in by cycling the extremely accessible Myra Canyon portion.

Myra Canyon is located about 40 minutes drive from Kelowna. It is at the end of a scenic road which winds past golf courses, orchards and vineyards before turning into a gravel road that inclines upwards towards the trestles. I was a little bit concerned for our hire car, but I need not have worried – it is a road well worn.

We rented bikes from Myra Canyon Rentals which was conveniently located at the beginning of the trail (we reserved bikes in advance, but in autumn it probably isn’t necessary). Once we were kitted up we headed onto the trail.

It is a 12 km cycle in one direction on a flat, open path across a number of trestle bridges and with magnificent views virtually the whole way. The path is pretty popular, both with walkers and cyclists alike, however there is definitely enough room for everyone. There are so many viewpoints with heaps of benches, which was great for taking photos and just soaking up the scenery without getting in anyone else’s way.

We crossed 18 trestle bridges and went through 2 tunnels before reaching the end of the track, at which point we turned around and made our way back. Even though the tunnels and trestles were now familiar, riding the trail in reverse gave us all new views of the landscape so it wasn’t boring at all. On the way back we stopped at all the spots we had identified as being good for photos, as well as just enjoyed cruising on our bikes.