Destination Merritt in the Winter
Tourism Nicola Valley.
Merritt BC Canada in the Winter
“Go were no man have hardly gone before.” Tania Stewart, eco blogger with Experience Nicola Valley
Merritt in the Winter can become a top destination point for Tourism in Canada.
Make Merritt in the winter your destination. Why not? There are no crowds. Outdoor winter adventures are plentiful like xc skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing and snowshoeing. Why not make the Nicola Valley your “New” winter spot during the snow season. Merritt is alive and well in November, December, January and even into March in the mountains. Indeed just ask Jason Pake and his wife Trina Hall along with daughter Jasmine Ashley who Experienced the Nicola Valley in November.
The Nicola Valley under some Living Skies
Albeit The Nicola Valley it so Beautiful!
Taking part in winter activities has so many benefits. For example, a good winter activity can help ease the winter blues while boosting your body’s immune and respiratory systems. And… if you have children, you already know that winter adventures tires them out so they go to bed sooner and sleep better during the night. The result is a quieter, more romantic and peaceful cuddle around a fire with your other half.
Make Merritt your destination. Photo Credit: Tania Stewart
In fact take a look!
Your winter backcountry awaits you. Photo Credit: Tania Stewart.
To clarify, Merritt is an ideal base camp, for day tripping.
Jason Pake with Trina Hall.
Make Merritt BC your base camp when exploring the region. Merritt sits at the junction of 4 major highways heading north, south, east and west. Ideal for winter day trips. For instance leave early and spend a day hiking in Whistler BC. It is a 4 hour or so drive to Whistler from Merritt BC. Plus image the time and money saved with restaurants , accommodations and convenience when Merritt is your base camp.
Accommodations in Merritt, like the Best Western Plus , Comfort Inn, and others in the Nicola Valley provide top amenities and services at a fraction of the price. (Here is a link to a full list of accommodations and contact information)
Additionally taking in Merritt’s Activities.
Bowling in Merritt
Friday Night’s in Merritt BC can be a lot of family fun too at the local Bowling Alley. Bring your “A” game though! As a matter of fact Merritt’s Bowling Alley has provided decades of “Fun” for many generations. There are 8 lanes 5-pin bowling along with the venue being fully licensed.
Nicolanes Bowling is open everyday of the week for a lot of fun with friends, family, or colleagues. For instance, go bowling for staff parties, birthdays, family reunions, or just a night out on the town. That is come meet new people while being active. Truly “Bowling is fun for ALL ages!”
Explore Merritt in the Winter
Before making Merritt your winter destination, plan out your Nicola Valley winter activities – outdoors and indoors. This includes day-tripping Merritt’s neighboring communities, visiting our art and culture venues and events, as well as, exploring any of our top notch xc skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing and ice fishing destinations.
Merritt Snowmobiling. Photo courtesy Experience Nicola Valley.
Enjoy the solitude ice fishing in the Nicola Valley.
It is All in the Attitude
Sharing nature with your family!
Plan a winter adventure and then the after party. After a winter hike, skiing cross country trails, shredding snow in a snowmobile or sitting back in your ice shack ice fishing why not finish your day around a cozy campfire sharing stories. Or… a bonfire like our photo.
“Winter activities, like snowmobiling, xc skiing and snowshoeing will release some of that pent-up energy, and cause your body to burn fat.”
You should know… one of BC’s top snowmobiling destinations is just up the road from Merritt BC. Snowmobiling around Merritt is truly spectacular. It is
Outdoor winter activities for kids!
called “The Coke” which is short for Coquihalla Highway. I am going on a limb and say, “Merritt is the “Powder Capital of Snowmobiling in BC”.
Consequently, just south of Merritt are the Kane Valley XC Ski Trails. “Cross Country Skiing” at Kane Valley is a must for all lovers of the winter backcountry. Bring a camera for the picturesque scenery along the trails and, yes, there are warming shelters along some of the xc ski routes as well.
Even more impressive, is our four-pronged approach to winter adventures here in the Nicola Valley. Rounding out at #3 is the “Ice Fishing” opportunities in the region. We enjoy over 200 lakes in the area. Many are ice fishing lakes. And #4 is snowshoeing. Pick a backcountry road or head to Kane Valley.
“Before heading out for a winter activity, be sure to dress accordingly — ideally, in layers, and let someone know where you are going and always carry emergency back up supplies, ” says me, Tania Stewart.
Destination Merritt Exploration in the Winter. photo Tania Stewart.
Make The Nicola Valley your Destination Home Base.
Cross country skiing on the Kane Valley Trails.
Winter snow time! Photo credit – Experience Nicola Valley.
Just So You Get It.
Merritt BC is centrally located.
Accommodations are affordable in the Nicola Valley compared to many of the surrounding bigger cities and communities. Merritt has “Base Camp” written all over it. Enjoying sightseeing day trips without the hassle or added expense of moving from one accommodation to another is a big plus when exploring from Merritt. Spending a lot of your time unpacking and packing up, over and over again, can be a big time waster on any vacation.
Day Trip Destinations
Nearby Kamloops is 87 km with one hour travel time from Merritt. Here is the plus. There are 2 main roads leading to Kamloops from Merritt. The quick and fast Kamloops connector (Highway 5). It is an up-and-over highway through the mountains. The other route (Highway 5A), is a little bit longer, many say more scenic, cuts and snakes its way around the mountains passing by lakes, ranches and grasslands. It makes for a perfect day trip with two routes of scenery.
Kelowna Day Trip
Sun Peaks Resort.
Kelowna, best accessed from Highway 97C, is just over the mountains to the south of Merritt BC. The distance to Kelowna is 127 km and about only 1 hr 36 minutes away. In Kelowna there are 2 ski resorts to enjoy as a winter day trip – Big White Ski Resort and the other is Silver Star.
Feel the Need to Ski?
Sun Peaks Resort and Harper Mountain.
Beyond is Hope BC.
Othello Tunnels
While the drive is spectacular. Its only 120 km – 1 hour drive from Merritt to Hope BC. Incidentally Hope has many attractions. Many with no crowds and most are very outdoorsy. Take the Othello Tunnels. It is a series of tunnels through mountains over a gorge providing scenery and some history. You know what tunnels mean right? They can be enjoyed in sun, rain and snow and you stay dry.
Winter in Merritt BC
Notably the Nicola Valley is becoming a better recognized winter destination for the region. The secret is out. November, December, January or February are home to many outdoor winter attractions as well as many indoor ones.
|Some of the indoor venues to visit during the winter months include Merritt’s Aquatic Center with a pool, 2 x hot tubs, a sauna and a fully equipped fitness room. For all avid shoppers, Merritt boast’s a downtown hub full of shop’s, cafe’s, historical pubs, gift stores, services, and nail salons.
Time your visit right, and you can come a enjoy a local hockey game with a Junior Hockey Team – the Merritt Centennials . So… the question is, “What are you going to do in Merritt in the winter months?” The answer better not be a “Couch Potato”.
