Oyama on the isthmus between Wood Lake and Kalamalka Lake

Oyama is shaped by two lakes and the isthmus connecting Wood Lake and Kalamalka Lake. Here, experiences on the water meet paths along the shore: the Oyama Boat Launch is on Wood Lake and is also an important access point to the Okanagan Rail Trail. When choosing this area for a vacation, you can start with a specific question: Should your trip mainly include boating, or would you like to explore Oyama on foot and by bike?

Between Wood Lake and Kalamalka Lake

The Oyama Boat Launch is a boat ramp on Wood Lake in the northern part of Oyama. From there, boaters can travel through the canal at the Oyama isthmus from Wood Lake to Kalamalka Lake. This makes the canal a distinctive feature of the local waterscape: it connects a trip on Wood Lake with the northern end of Kalamalka Lake.

This water connection also has a history. The shipping canal across the isthmus opened in 1908, creating a connection to the northern end of Kalamalka Lake. Anyone interested in how the lakes and their use have evolved will find a specific historic feature of Oyama here, one that still plays a role in navigating between the two bodies of water.

The Boat Launch is an important access point to the Okanagan Rail Trail. If you’re interested in this trail, Oyama offers a specific starting point to consider when choosing where to stay. The boat ramp and trail access represent different ways to experience the area: on the water or along a route to explore by bike or on foot.

Walking and cycling by Wood Lake

Pelmewash Park is a multi-use path for cyclists and pedestrians on the west shore of Wood Lake, running from Winfield to Oyama. Pelmewash Parkway provides public access to Wood Lake and its shoreline. Its paved multi-use path runs continuously from Winfield to Oyama. This means you can consider whether you’d prefer to explore on the water or get active along the shore as you plan your stay.

Oyama General Store also offers a way to enjoy the area actively: it rents e-bikes, stand-up paddleboards and kayaks directly at the beach on the Oyama isthmus. The different rentals cater to a range of interests, from cycling to paddling. If you’re looking for a vacation rental in Oyama, you can use these activities as a guide to the kind of vacation you’d like—without reducing the two lakes and their paths to just one way of travelling.

Finding your way around the Boat Launch and isthmus

The informal Oyama Boat Launch is at the north end of Wood Lake, at the northeastern corner of the isthmus and on Oyama Road. It has 35 spaces for vehicles with boat trailers, as well as 65 spaces for vehicles without trailers and designated accessible parking spaces. These figures help you understand the site as a boat ramp and access point. They distinguish spaces for vehicles with trailers from the additional spaces for vehicles without boat trailers.

The Oyama Community Club building and grounds are also located in Oyama on the isthmus between Kalamalka Lake and Wood Lake. The canal and water connection aren’t the only ways to describe this distinctive location: the club is another specific landmark on the isthmus. Together, these places give a clear sense of how the water, lakeside path and land connection shape Oyama’s character.

More places to explore

If you’d like to expand your search to other places, you’ll find additional destination pages here: Winfield, Kelowna, West Kelowna, Carrs and Peachland.

For the broader travel overview: Central Okanagan.