There is a place near Kelowna that is so special and so odd that I must tell about it for there is charm, nostalgia and history hidden in the nearby hills

Located 1,000 metres above the Valley and the city, you reach Chute Lake Resort by driving along the rutted bed of an abandoned rail line which has been converted to a bike/hike trail that is part of the Trans-Canada trail. The view of the lakes and valley below is nothing short of spectacular. The KVR rail line traverses gaping gorges on wooden trestles that have been rebuilt after the fire of 2003.

The resort is a combination of log lodge, restaurant, campground, cottage rental, boat rental, museum, antique collection and hodge-podge of interesting old stuff. The propietors are a senior couple who have owned it for 34 years.

Many of the thousands of antiques on display in the big barn have price tags, but not everything is for sale. The barn is labelled museum, but little in it is restored or reverently displayed and many treasured collectibles are exposed to the weather. Anyone who enjoys the past can spend hours looking at ancient chain saws, clothes washing devices, signs from the automotive industry, glass insulators and devices whose use is open to conjecture.

In the rustic lodge a big wood-burning stove provides warmth (it is cold much of the year at 1,300 metres) and a basic menu features burgers, fries and pies. Interior decor is every manner of antique, collectible and aged items that are just plain interesting.

Ask proprietor Doreen Reed about the bison burgers that used to be on the menu and she says, “We can’t get them anymore. The supplier died – or was murdered. He had a lot of enemies…”

Ask about the lack of signs to the resort and she says. “They made us take them down. They gave us an hour or they would charge us.”

Ask why she is working alone, providing linen for tired cyclists staying for the night, taking orders for breakfast and preparing dinners, she relies, “The staff left least week. He went one way and she went the other.”

Doreen and Gary Reed own the resort. He is a passionate collector who hates to see anything go. His possessiveness caused him to stay and protect in 2003 when fire destroyed hundreds of homes on the outskirts of Kelowna. Miraculously the fire skirted the resort.

Rustic log cabins provide an overnight stay for those enjoying a Kelowna-Chute Lake-Penticton trip. This trip can be done in a day, but it’s a lot of driving on rough, dusty roads and this is not the place to be in a hurry. The lodge offers eight basic rooms upstairs, eight cabins and 20 camping sites. Prices for a room or cabin start at $70.

Getting There
Finding Chute Lake is no easy matter and neither cell phone nor GPS is likely to work. Start at Highway 97 in Kelowna and go south along Pandosy, which becomes Lakeshore, which becomes Chute Lake Road, but does not go to Chute Lake. Exactly 10 km. from 97, power lines come down a hill at a new housing development called Upper Mission Estates where you turn left onto a paved road with the name Upper Mission Drive.

The pavement ends at a gravel pit, so turn left onto a dirt road. If you are in a low-slung Jaguar the chances are good that your cat will have its entrails ripped out. Otherwise any car with reasonable clearance and good springs should get you there.

The dirt road twists and turns as it gains altitude.  Eight kilometres after leaving pavement you reach the Kettle Valley recreational trail. No signage helps you out and driving right past is possible. Look for a cattle guard on the left, a bit of a fence on the right and a single-lane dirt road that crosses. Orange kilometre signs appear occasionally and this crossing is between 8 and 9. Turn right onto the KVR track. A left turn takes you to the beautiful Bellevue trestle, 5 km. distant, where automobile travel ends.  After the right turn onto the KVR you can envision chugging through this spectacular scenery on a steam train. Continue for 11.5 km. to your destination. You won’t miss it.

Chute Lake Resort
RR1 Site 16, Compartment 16, Naramata V0H 1N0

250-493-3535

www.chutelakeresort.com