Now managed by the Osoyoos Indian Band, sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ (Okanagan Falls) Provincial Park stretches along the east side of the Okanagan River, between the river and Green Lake Road, about 400 metres south of the Highway 97 bridge over the Okanagan River. Across the river to the east is the village of Okanagan Falls, with the usual amenities of a small town available.
Established March 16, 1956, the park is 2 hectares in size. The park offers 25 vehicle-accessible campsites, all reservable from May 18 – September 3. The maximum stay is fourteen (14) nights in a calendar year. Note that sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ park closes annually the third weekend of September for the Okanagan Nation Alliance’s Salmon Feast.
Facilities include two pit toilets and two flush toilets, picnic tables and campfire rings at each campsite and drinking water. Firewood is available for purchase. Camping Fee is $25.00 per party/night, while the BC Senior’s Rate (from the day after Labour Day to June 14 only) is $12.50 per senior party/night.
Recreational activities include canoeing, kayaking, fishing, hiking and camping. The nearest boat launch is on Skaha Lake on the bottom of Main Street in Okanagan Falls.
Okanagan Falls Provincial Park
An information shelter is located at the beginning of the campground loop. The medium to large sized, well spaced sites are separated by irrigated lawn and a variety of deciduous trees that provide shade in the summer and a splash of color in the fall. There are few shrubs, resulting in an open, bright campground. The sites are gravel pads and have a fire ring and picnic table with BBQ attachment.
Campfires
While campfires are allowed and campfire rings are provided at each campsite, we encourage visitors to conserve wood and protect the environment by minimizing the use of fire and using campstoves instead. Firewood can be purchased in the park or you may bring your own wood. Fees for firewood are set locally and may vary from park to park. Limited burning hours or campfire bans may be implemented. To preserve vegetation and ground cover, please don’t gather firewood from the area around your campsite or elsewhere in the park (this is a ticketable offence under the Park Act). Dead wood is an important habitat element for many plants and animals and it adds organic matter to the soil.
sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ park is located within the traditional territory of the Osoyoos Indian Band. Since time immemorial, the Osoyoos Indian Band’s Okanagan ancestors have inhabited and cared for the lands and waters in their traditional territory.
In 2015, the park was renamed to reflect the traditional Okanagan place name for the area. The nqilxʷcən/nsyilxcən place name and history of sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ have been passed down for thousands of years through the oral tradition of capti̓kʷl stories and teachings.
sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ means “little falls.” This place name signifies a connection to the historic Kettle Falls in Washington state. The nqilxʷcən/nsyilxcən place name for Kettle Falls is sx̌ʷnitkʷ or “big falls.” These two falls were two of the most important fishing sites in the Okanagan Nation’s traditional territory.
The place name for sx̌ʷəx̌ʷnitkʷ contains unique sounds in the nqilxʷcən/nsyilxcen language that are difficult to translate into the English alphabet. The x̌ʷ is a vibrational sound. Think of the sound of water hitting the rocks at the falls. The i sounds similar to “ee.” The kʷ sound is made with a rounded mouth and sounds similar to a soft “coo” sound.
From Okanagan Falls Provincial Park
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