New, local ownership turning Cherryville wilderness camp into tourist destination

Early this year, four plucky North Okanagan residents took over management of a wilderness camp nestled in a cedar forest in Cherryville, with plans to elevate it to a tourist destination.

With camping activity winding down for the season, one of the owners, Brady van Keulen, said the first season of ownership has been more successful than he dreamed of.

“The past six months has felt like six days in some ways and six years in others,” he told iNFOnews.ca. “It has been a whirlwind.

“We were full up with campers who had been here before, along with a wave of new ones mostly coming from the Okanagan.”

Formally owned and leased by an American investor, Gold Panner Campground sits on 40 acres of wilderness with two creeks running through it. It has tent sites, full-service RV sites, cabins and chalets.

When iNFOnews.ca interviewed van Keulen this past spring, his plan was to clean up the infrastructure and iron out the booking system, then get busy bringing events, school groups and recreation opportunities to the site, and open a store selling local artisanal goods.

All of that was accomplished, and then some.

“It was all hands-on-deck for the first couple of months,” he said. “The four of us worked hard to provide the best possible service and we got phenomenal feedback. I mean there were minor hiccups, but we’re pretty handy people.”

Right away, van Keulen started networking and forming partnerships with local schools and businesses, including Vernon’s Fraserway RV and the Vernon Lapidary Club to bring more community collaboration and educational opportunities to the site.

He has been networking with the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association to see what B.C. and international tourists are looking for, and ultimately make it happen while properly stewarding the land.

A YouTuber from the west coast came by in the spring and documented almost an hour of footage of the camp and surrounding wilderness with information about its geology and gold panning history.

“It’s a tour of all the grounds and land around it,” van Keulen said. “It was a special way to document the beginning of our venture and the history here. That was when I was fresh and eager to go at the beginning of the season.”

During the summer, it was so busy the team brought on its first employee to help at the onsite store.

“We support local artists at the store and bring in products like propane tanks so people don’t have to leave for anything,” van Keulen said. “I’m shocked at how well the store was received.”

Various school groups showed up to explore the grounds. A biker rally with more than 500 people took place there, and the first big wedding was held.

“It was very special to be a part of that couple’s journey,” van Keulen said. “We want the site available for anyone in the Okanagan looking for a place that isn’t too far, but private enough for their events.”  

An unusual offering, the campground can be entirely booked out for reunions, weddings and big parties. The buildings can sleep a total of 37 people and there are more than 50 campsites available.

Heading into the off season, there are four chalets available for winter use and areas for cross country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. In the winter months the water is off, so a stay comes with a 25% discount.

There will be some winter events popping up on the grounds. The first one is a bonfire event on Oct. 24 open for all ages to enjoy the fire, hot dogs and hot chocolate. Admission in by donation, with all proceeds going to the Cherryville Food & Resource Society.

Plans for next spring include expanding trail networks, adding a disc golf course, and setting up power generation. The site already has its own water system, where water is pumped from a creek and run through a water treatment system.

“We have power generation rights to one of the creeks so we’re dabbling with making our own,” van Keulen said. “The more off-grid the better in our opinion, we like being self-sufficient.

“People will see next season what we can do with support from community groups and customers when we reinvest it into the grounds.”

van Keulen said he is excited to be offering more events and attractions for campers and day users next year.

“This venture has evolved into something I didn’t foresee happening in the first year. We have events already happening with new attractions coming.

“I couldn’t thank our customers more for such a wildly successful first season.”

Gold Panner Campground is located in the Monashee Mountains at 423 Highway 6, Cherryville, 61 kilometres east of Vernon.

Go here for more information.