iN PHOTOS: Wildlife abounds at peaceful, must-see nature park in Vernon

The sparkling water of Swan Lake in Vernon is easy to see for drivers along Highway 97 or those travelling the winding Old Kamloops Road, and there are many great reasons to stop at the nature reserve on the southwest end of it.

The Swan Lake Nature Reserve is a 50.5 hectare regional park of pristine marshlands and grasslands where visitors can wander a flat 1.8 kilometre trail or climb to the top of a three story observation tower with binoculars or cameras.

“You can just park right beside the trail and immediately start walking for views of the grasslands,” said Vernon naturalist Harold Sellers. “There are interpretive signs explaining species, history and habitat on the trail, and once you get up the tower you can see the lake for quite some distance.”

n osprey lands on its nest in Swan Lake Nature Reserve in Vernon. iNFOnews.ca/ Cliff Pringle

The area is mostly undeveloped and no dogs or vehicles are permitted there, allowing for peaceful nature observation, photography and birding.

Sellers is part of an active group of volunteers in the North Okanagan Naturalists Club that do restoration and conservation activities at the park along with education and interpretation efforts.

“Swan Lake is one of our favourite spots and has become very popular in recent years, especially with the addition of an observation tower,” he said.

This western painted turtle lives at Swan Lake Nature Reserve in Vernon. iNFOnews.ca/ Cliff Pringle

The park is jointly owned by the Regional District of North Okanagan and Ducks Unlimited who purchased it two decades ago with financial backing from Seller’s naturalist club and other organizations.

The reserve and the lake are enclosed in a broader provincial wildlife management area 471.5 hectares in size that lies in the path of a major migration corridor, according to the provincial government. Over 200 bird species stop there to feed and rest throughout the year, including great blue herons, marsh birds, raptors, geese and ducks.

These beaver kits were spotted at Swan Lake Nature Reserve in Vernon. iNFOnews.ca/ Cliff Pringle

To access the nature reserve, go west from Highway 97 on 43 Avenue and turn right onto Old Kamloops Road. Go north for 2.5 km and turn right at Stawn’s Honey, through a gate and down to the parking lot.

Do you know of peaceful spaces to visit in your neighbourhood? Let us know at news@infonews.ca.