Armstrong, BC is home to a number of parks, green spaces, and walking trails. Locals and visitors alike enjoy the natural surroundings and leisure activities available in these lovely recreational spaces. Here are 20 great parks in Armstrong.
Memorial Park
Memorial Park is the main city park in Armstrong, BC. The open area is surrounded by grass for picnics, as well as picnic tables and benches. Large evergreen trees in the park provide shade in different areas throughout the day. Public washrooms are available.
Memorial Park is located at 3285 Pleasant Valley Rd, in Armstrong, BC. Parking is available on the east side of the park (off Pleasant Valley Road) and north of the park (off Park Drive).
Meighan Creek Armstrong Wetlands Trail
Armstrong’s Meighan Creek Armstrong Wetlands Trail runs through the natural bog area in the middle of town. This lovely downtown green space is home to red-winged blackbirds, boisterous frogs, and lovely little families of ducks. The creek is nicely shaded with willow trees and the wetlands are covered in pretty bullrushes.
Meighan Creek Wetlands Trail is located in Armstrong south of Patterson Avenue, near the new Park Place apartment building. The trail extends off either side of Okanagan street, with a portion headed west towards Willowdale and a portion headed east in the general direction of Askews Foods (although it only goes as far as Meadow Creek Lane). Street parking is available on Patterson Avenue.
Armstrong Skate Park
The Armstrong Skate Park is an outdoor concrete terrain park for skateboarding, bmx, rollerblading, and even scooters. This park draws not only locals, but also visitors on a regular basis. In the wintertime, an indoor park across the street is sometimes available.
The Armstrong Skate Park is located on the south side of Park Drive, right between the swimming pool and the skating rink. Parking is available in the dirt parking lot for the swimming pool or in the paved lot at NorVal Arena.
Harding Field Trail
Harding Field Trail is a connector trail running between Harding Road (near the golf course) across the fields to Pleasant Valley Road (near the high school). This ~1km path is a favourite spot for dog walkers, especially early in the morning and later in the evening, as there is little shade during mid-day.
Harding Field Trail is located at the south end of Okanagan Street, at the spot where the street turns into Harding Road. While there is no dedicated parking lot, there are a few dirt parking spots off Okanagan Street, as well as street parking in the area.
Thomas Hayes Ecological Reserve
The Thomas Hayes Ecological Reserve is a rural green space south of Armstrong (near the Tolko lumber mill). This nature park features trails where visitors can observe and appreciate nature in a reclaimed farmland environment.
Thomas Hayes Ecological Reserve is located on Thomas Hayes Road, off of Otter Lake Cross Road. There is a small parking lot at the trail head. Please not that this park does not allow dogs, as part of its commitment to minimize impact on the local ecosystem.
Otter Lake Park
Otter Lake Park is a lovely little neighbourhood park overlooking Otter Lake. The park includes some lovely willow trees and a path down from the road to the water. There is also a picnic table and a small shaded grassy picnic area. Otter Lake Park is a popular rest spot with cyclists who enjoy cruising down the back roads in this area.
Otter Lake Park is located on Otter Lake Road, just north of the intersection with Grandview Flats Road. There is a small dirt parking lot that is perhaps more like a roadside pullout.
McLeod Park
McLeod Park is a neighbourhood green space located in McLeod Subdivision. While this is a newer park, there are a few trees starting to grow in and create a bit of shade in the otherwise open field. The large grassy area is mainly fenced and also includes a picnic table and benches. There is also an off-leash dog park grassy area.
McLeod Park is located on Lockhart Drive (at Sydney Crescent), in Spallumcheen, BC. Parking is available in a small parking lot on the east side of the park (off Sydney Crescent).
Rose Swanson Mountain Trails
Rose Swanson Mountain, just west of Armstrong, includes a number of recreational hiking trails suited to a broad range of abilities. Take gentle walk through the woods or hike all the way up for a stunning view of Armstrong, Spallumcheen, and north end of the Okanagan Valley. The local township recommends bear spray, as well as bringing your own food, water, and good hiking boots.
The trailhead for Rose Swanson Mountain’s hiking trails (pictured above) is located near the end of Chamberlaine Road (which is off Hallam Road). Chamberlaine Road is a dirt road. The parking lot for the trails is an uneven dirt lot with a reasonable number of parking spaces available.
Armstrong Lions Park
Armstrong Lions Park is a small green space and playground in the residential area near Royal York Golf Course. There is a lovely floral mural decorating the basketball court area. The park includes a couple picnic tables and benches.
Lions Park is located on Hunter Avenue Location (at the intersection with Norman Street), in Armstrong, BC. This neighbourhood park has no dedicated parking lot (street parking only).
Pleasant Valley Secondary Fields and Chip Trail
Pleasant Valley Secondary School has an expansive area of well-kept grassy play fields, as well as a nature area “chip trail” overlooking local farms. The trail is about a kilometer, with options to shorten/lengthen it.
The PVSS fields and chip trail are located behind the school, which is on Pleasant Valley Road, and is accessible by the public only while school is not in session. The local school district does not allow dogs on school district property, and has posted signs to remind neighbours of this. Parking is available at Pleasant Valley Secondary School.
Armstrong Elementary School
Armstrong Elementary School is home to a wonderful playground, fields, hilly areas, and a forested natural area. This green space is often visited by local families during evenings, weekends, and summers when school is not in session.
The Brick School is located at 3010 Pleasant Valley Road, in Armstrong, BC. Parking is available south of the playground (off Rosedale Avenue) and on the north side of the school (off Pleasant Valley Road). Please use the designated parking areas and follow the signs for public use.
Taylor’s Trail
Taylor’s Trail, the Taylor Jade Van Diest Memorial Trail, is a paved connector trail that runs alongside the railway tracks east of the Brick School. The trail is nicely landscaped and includes pretty lampposts, as well as a memorial to Taylor.
Taylor’s Trail is located along the railway tracks between Rosedale Avenue and Pleasant Valley Road, parallel to Heal Court. Parking is available in the dirt parking lot along the east side of Pleasant Valley Road (also along the railroad tracks).
Armstrong Fair Grounds (IPE)
The Armstrong Fair Grounds are home to the ever-popular Interior Provincial Exhibition (IPE), as well as other agricultural and community events. The fair grounds include a nice walking loop which is popular with joggers and dog-walkers. Each time round the loop is about a half-kilometer.
The Armstrong Fair Grounds is located on Pleasant Valley Road, just west of downtown. The grounds extend to Wood Avenue on the north, Park Drive on the south, and Adair Street to the west. This is a wide-open space, and as such generally has ample parking (except during special events).
Deep Creek Wetlands Trail
The Deep Creek Wetlands Trail is a lowland urban nature trail just north of downtown Armstrong. This trail is popular with dog-walkers and bird-watchers alike. The area is also home to wildlife. Late in the growing season, the bullrushes can grow so high that the path seems like a jungle!
The Deep Creek Wetlands Trail is located north of Wood Avenue, between Okanagan Street and Mill Street (near the firehall). There is no dedicated parking lot on either end of the trail, but there is limited street parking available.
Highland Park Elementary
Highland Park Elementary School is a schoolground green space in Armstrong, BC that includes playgrounds, fields, and even a paved play court. As with AES, these outdoor spaces are visited by neighbourhood families during summers, evenings, and weekends when school is not in session.
Highland Park School is located at 3200 Wood Avenue, in Armstrong, BC. Parking is available in the parking lot when school is not in session.
Len Wood School
Len Wood Middle School includes large field with baseball diamonds and soccer goalposts, as well as paved tennis courts and a newly-installed playground. The fields are a popular spot with locals during non-school hours (and has even been known as a launching area for hot air ballons).
Len Wood School is located at 3700 Patten Drive, in Armstrong, BC. Parking is available in the lot when school is not in session.
Highland Park Subdivision Green Lot & Trail
Highland Park subdivision, north of Highland Park Elementary, includes a small grassy green lot with swings. This park is popular with dog-walkers and has a trail up the side of the ravine to the top of the cul-de-sac.
Highland Park Subdivision’s Green Lot & Trail is located on Highland Park Drive, near the intersection with Highland Park Crescent, in Armstrong, BC. This empty-lot park does not have a parking lot (street parking only).
Armstrong’s Caboose Park
Caboose Park is a small green lot in Armstrong at the town’s main intersection with the highway. The park has a grassy area, picnic table, and features a welcome sign for the town. The caboose itself is not open to the public. There is a fenced community garden behind the parked caboose. Residents can book out garden beds to grow their own produce.
Caboose Park is located on Smith Drive, just west of the highway stop light. This tiny park is between the library and the red barn car wash, and is across Smith Drive from McDonald’s and 7-Eleven. Parking is available in the adjacent Country Court Mall paved parking lot, by the library.
Game Court Trail
Game Court Trail is a short nature trail down through the ravine between the residential subdivision near the golf course and the adjacent highway. The trail features a nice bridge and a pond area for observing local wildlife.
Game Court Trail is located between Game Court and Bradley Drive. There is no parking lot at either end of this connector trail, although limited street parking is available.
Fortune Creek Rest Stop
The Fortune Creek Rest Stop is a highway rest stop along Highway 97A, just north of Armstrong. This rest stop has several picnic tables and a treed view of the nearby creek. There are no washrooms available or overnight parking/camping.
The Fortune Creek Rest Stop is located at 3745 Vernon-Sicamous Hwy. (Highway 97A). The rest stop includes a pull-through loop and dirt parking space.