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The Regional District of the Central Okanagan is making it easier for people to get out and enjoy more regional parks trails.

Seven of the parks now have designated trails marked with names and rating signs so that visitors can see a degree of difficulty on a particular trail.  There are also trail profiles provided giving a visual snapshot of elevation changes and other features over the length of these designated trails.

鈥淚n our Guide to Regional Parks, we鈥檝e always provided a simple rating system for many of our outings in the 鈥楾ake a Hike鈥� and 鈥楨xplore Your Parks鈥� programs.   But with a grant from the BC Community Recreation Program dedicated to improving trail signage and the visitor experience in our parks, we鈥檝e been gradually rolling out a uniform trail naming/rating system along with trail profile information," said RDCO spokesman Bruce Smith.

"So a visitor can determine before starting their hike, whether the trail experience will match or perhaps challenge their ability.鈥�

Green circles suggest a very easy/easy outing.  Blue squares provide a more moderate experience, while black diamonds indicate a more difficult or very difficult trail over steep, variable terrain with more obstacles and little maintenance.

鈥淒esignated trails in Glen Canyon, Kalamoir, Rose Valley, Trepanier Creek Greenway, Johns Family Nature Conservancy, the Mission Creek Greenway and Mission Creek Regional Park all have trail name and rating signage in place," Smith said.

"The ratings are based mainly on slope and distance and provide visitors with a consistency across our park system. The experience on one trail in one park should be the same with a similarly rated trail in another.鈥�

Trail ratings and profile information is available at information kiosks in these parks as well as for individual park webpages online .   鈥淲e鈥檝e created some information pages to help explain our trail rating and profile system.  In addition, all our online park trail maps are GPS-enabled.  That means you can use your smartphone or tablet鈥檚 internal global positioning system to enhance your experience and navigate our parks and trails,鈥� Smith added.

We鈥檙e also very excited about a unique relationship involving our regional parks staff and local First Nations.  Park visitors will notice recognition of the syilx/Okanagan culture with the new trail name signs.  We鈥檝e been collaborating for some time now with cultural services staff at Westbank First Nation and Snc蓹wips Heritage Museum to develop and translate trail names in both English and the Okanagan nsyilxc菨n language.

"We鈥檙e also starting to install interpretive panels in these areas to further explain the cultural and historical significance of the name in order to raise awareness and provide some context for this important aspect of life in the Central Okanagan.鈥�