Rock Ovens Hike

Where:

• Rock Ovens

 

When:

• July 29, 2020

 

Who:

• Ed, Jace, Marilyn, Stephanie, Mary, Jamie

 

Trailhead:

• located in S.E. Kelowna  at the Scenic Canyon Regional Park parking lot at the end of Field Road
• take the first left after the turnoff to the Gallagher’s Canyon golf course and drive to the parking lot at the end of the road
• the trailhead starts at the far end of the parking lot
• there is also a parking lot off of Hollywood Road that is a gentler slope but a longer hike to get to the rock formations

 

 

Degree of difficulty:

• 100 meters of elevation
• 4 km round trip
• 1 hour and 20 minutes total time on the trail
• we started on the Saskatoon Trail, then onto the Mission Creek Greenway, followed by the Rock Ovens trail
• it’s a gradual downhill on a wide gravel road on the way down to the creek where it is flat from there
• the climb back out of the creek bottom is quite moderate
• the hike is appropriate for all ages

 

 

Interesting notes:

• the Rock Ovens and the rock formation that they located within were a big surprise as they are very unique
• they provided refuge and cooking shelter for Chinese gold miners who panned the area in the mid-1800s
• there are four unique geological formations along the canyon walls (Ancient Basement rocks, Eocene volcanic rocks, Eocene sedimentary rocks, and Quaternary sediments)
• the honeycombed Eocene volcanic rock was one of the most unique rock structures I’ve ever seen

• our dog was more than thrilled to cool off in the water of Mission Creek which winds its way through Scenic Canyon

• there are a few different trails along this pathway system (Mission Creek Greenway, Black Bear, and Pinnacle that you can take when you reach the bottom)
• Layer Cake mountain provides a dramatic backdrop on the way down the trail and along the creek