The closest campground to downtown is Hiawatha RV Park (3787 Lakeshore Rd., 250/861-4837 or 888/784-7275, www.hiawatharvpark.com, tent sites $42, hookups $44–52). It has a separate tenting area, showers, laundry, game room, and playground.

Two provincial parks in the vicinity of Kelowna offer camping. The closest is Bear Creek Provincial Park ($24) across the bridge from downtown and then nine kilometers (5.6 miles) north on Westside Road. With 122 sites nestled under cottonwood trees, this park is a world away from the busy nearby commercial campgrounds, but arrive early in the day to ensure a site. Campers also enjoy a short beach and trails that cross back over Westside Road and into desert-like terrain above the lake.

Fintry Provincial Park ($24) lies 23 kilometers (14.3 miles) farther north along Westside Road in the same beachside setting as Bear Creek, although the campground is less developed. A trail leads from the campground to a deep canyon along Shorts Creek.