WINTER RECREATION

Sun Peaks Resort, a.k.a. Canada’s Alpine Village, offers year-round recreational activities but truly shines in winter. With three mountains, 4,270 acres of skiable terrain, 12 chairs and lifts and nearly 100 kilometres of cross-country trails, Sun Peaks is as popular with locals as with visitors. A ski-through village, offering great restaurants and quaint shops, evokes a European-style resort. Other winter pastimes offered at Sun Peaks include heli-skiing, dogsledding, ice fishing and a family-friendly tube park.

If you crave a bit more adventure, there is untracked powder throughout the backcountry in three directions and a vibrant ski touring community. Heli-assist and Cat ski options are also available to the North, Easy, and South.

 

GOLF, HIKE, BIKE

Once the snow melts, a host of other outdoor recreational activities await. The Thompson Region is home to 13 championship golf courses, including Tobiano, regularly named B.C.’s most scenic golf course. Hikers can enjoy the rugged terrain of many local trails including Kenna Cartwright, Peterson Creek and Lac du Bois all within city limits. And Canada’s largest municipal bike park offers 40 kilometres of legendary trails for mountain bikers.
 

MORE OUTDOOR SPORTS 

With 100-plus lakes and numerous rivers, the Thompson Region boasts an array of water sports and activities for every age and ability. Find your favourite spot to canoe, kayak or paddle board. Boating, parasailing and fishing are also popular pursuits.

Fun dry land activities on offer throughout the region include rock climbing, skateboarding, horseback riding and even skydiving for the adventurous.
 

ARTS & CULTURE

Kamloops offers an ideal mix of friendly small-town vibe and big-city culture, thanks to its robust arts scene. Visitors and locals can enjoy the Kamloops Art Gallery, Symphony, Museum, Heritage Railway and local theatre productions by Western Canada Theatre and Project X Theatre Productions.

Thanks to its arid climate and terrain, the Thompson Region is also home to a burgeoning wine industry. Sample vintages from such popular wineries as Monte Creek, Harper’s Trail, Sagewood and Privato. Popular local grapes include Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

 

FAMILY FUN

The Thompson Region offers a range of experiences guaranteed to create family memories and form relationships with your kids. The BC Wildlife Park features over 65 species of local wildlife and gives you the opportunity to see cougars, moose, grizzly bears, mountain goats, and snakes up close and personal. After checking out the animals, why not play in the water park at Riverside, followed by an ice cream cone at Scoopz.

Kamloops is a great place for active kids, with a world class aquatic centre, gymnastics and trampoline facilities, a climbing gym, and more. Plus, the Kamloops Blazers are a WHL team with a rich history whose games are always a fun night. 

FIRST NATIONS
Kamloops comes from the Secwepemc word Tk’emlúps, meaning "where the rivers meet" and referring to the area where the North and South Thompson rivers flow together. The Tk‘emlúpsemc, "the people of the confluence", are now known as the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc  and are members of the Interior-Salish Secwepemc (Shuswap) speaking peoples of British Columbia. At one time there were 30 bands of Secwepemc living along the rivers and lakes of BC’s south-central interior. Today, there are 17 remaining bands that make up the Secwepemc Nation and three Secwepemc dialects.