Trail rating: Easy
Stretch your legs in Polson Park, the heritage tree-filled city grounds edging downtown, bordered by Highways 97 and 6 and below the Vernon Jubilee Hospital.
There's a Japanese garden, a Chinese pagoda, a wishing well and the famous, camera-friendly Floral Clock, whose date is changed daily. Polson Park is the lush backdrop to many grad, wedding, family and reunion photos. The Vernon Community Arts Centre, Vernon Lawn Bowling Club and Okanagan Science Centre are housed in the park.
All ages enjoy Polson Park with activities from the popular children's playground (wheelchair friendly), to skateboarding, tennis, lawn bowling, soccer, football, running, concerts, picnicking and duck watching at the pond.
Follow the one way internal road and park in the overflow lot across from the Japanese Garden. Continue through the park to the elevated boardwalk where you may see a beaver working.
Look for: native vegetation along the unchanneled portion of Vernon Creek Chokecherries, Douglas maple, Red-osier Dogwood, cottonwoods, willows and hawthorns abound. Great-horned owl families reside in the huge willows.
Check out the trail map for Polson Park here.