Kamloops & Sun Peaks Resort: The Ultimate See & Ski Family Getaway

Head to the heart of interior B.C. for the perfect family-focused getaway. Think eclectic city sights and 4,270 acres of epic, skiable snow-draped terrain. Whether you set up basecamp in downtown Kamloops or stay slope side, 45 minutes away at Sun Peaks Resort, you’ll find an array of outdoor adventure activities to entertain and engage kids of all ages.

 

Explore Canada’s Tournament Capital

Touted as the country’s tournament capital, Kamloops hosts an average of 100 sporting events annually and an array of arts and culture-focused festivals. The city’s rugged, desert-like landscape offers year-round outdoor adventure and family fun, enhanced by an unpretentious, welcoming feel.

 

Bundle up and take to the streets, exploring downtown Kamloops. Begin with the vibrant Back Alley Art Gallery showcasing 33 larger-than-life colourful murals hidden behind Victoria and Seymour streets. Afterwards, stroll over to Riverside Park to play on the long stretch of sand beach and two children’s playgrounds. Mcarthur Island Park, featuring the city’s newest playground, is an 8-minute drive from downtown and another fabulous option.

 

Uncover local heritage at the Kamloops Museum and Archives. In addition to 20,000 historical and cultural artifacts, there’s a phenomenal interactive Children’s Museum, with period costumes, a pioneer log cabin and a trapper’s tent on the lower floor. Museum admission is by a suggested donation of $3 per adult and $1 per child.

 

Learn about animal conservation and rehabilitation at the B.C. Wildlife Park, a non-profit sanctuary for injured and orphaned animals just 20 minutes from downtown. The park’s star attractions include black, grizzly, and white Kermode bears, Arctic wolves, cougars, foxes, elk, mountain goats, Bighorn Sheep, bald and golden eagles and five species of owls. Admission fees fund conservation projects and veterinary and rehabilitation services.

 

Grab some marshmallows, hot dogs and roasting sticks, and drive to family-owned Harper Mountain for an evening picnic and play in Snow Tube Town. Or jump for joy at Apex Adventure Plex, Kamloops’ 30,000-square-foot trampoline park, featuring slide trampolines, obstacle courts, rope swings and more. Afterwards, refuel with woodfire pizza at Yew Street Hall — the city’s newest grab-and-go culinary experience.

 

Stay in the centre of it all at the pet-friendly Delta Hotels Kamloops, and enjoy the property’s outdoor heated pool, hot tub, and convenient downtown location. Download the Tourism Kamloops’ Loops Explorer Pass before travelling for big savings on up to 52 top attractions, accommodations, and local hot spots — including the B.C. Wildlife Park.

 

Discover Canada’s Second-Largest Ski Area

Over at Sun Peaks, you’ll find three mountains boasting up to six metres of pristine, featherlight powder and an average of 2,000 hours of annual sunshine. The year-round resort’s ski season stretches from mid-November through early April, and families benefit from runs accommodating all abilities off every chair — from cruisy groomers and woodsy glades to alpine bowls and steep mogul runs.

 

Explore the resort’s 139 trails as a family, or enrol your little ones in lessons. Sun Peaks’ programming includes private and group full- or half-day ski and snowboard lessons for ages three and up. Or, level up your adventure with the Alpine Fondue Starlight Descent. The enchanting evening, perfect for families travelling with teens, begins with an exclusive chairlift ride to the Sunburst Bar + Eatery to indulge in a decadent three-course Swiss-inspired dinner. Following the fondue, you’ll don a headlamp and glide down the freshly groomed 5-mile run — a cruisy blue made even more magical beneath a starlit sky.

 

Embrace Sun Peaks’ family fun off the slopes as well. Lace up your skates for a game of shinny on the outdoor ice rink, see the sights on a horse-drawn sleigh with Sun Peaks Stables, or book a two-hour Moonlight Snowshoe & S’mores tour (ages eight and up.) Families craving a bucket list-worthy adventure can head into wooded wilds with Mountain Man Dog Sled Adventures for an adrenalin-spiking ride through a snowy lodgepole pine forest.

 

Elevate your on-mountain experience at the Sun Peaks Grand Hotel & Conference Centre. The pet-friendly property’s beautiful mountain-chic vibe, onsite Mantles’ restaurant, outdoor heated pool, and hot tubs create the perfect alpine escape.