Kamloops BC is located in the south central part of the province, about 100 miles north of Kelowna and about 200 miles east of Vancouver. The city is set on the confluence of two Thompson River branches near Kamloops Lake and several other smaller lakes. The city calls itself the "Tournament Capital" of Canada and boasts a large number of sports teams and world-class sports facilities. All of this outdoor activity can create a powerful thirst, and there are numerous famous Kamloops pubs to quench it.

Because of the rivers and lakes in the area, this is a prime sport fishing region with excellent fly fishing throughout spring, summer, and autumn, and ice fishing in the winter. Outdoor recreation involving water sports of all kinds is available as well as whitewater rafting. Kamloops mountain biking is legendary, and this city is known as the original birthplace of "freeriding," a term that originated with surfing and now includes sports as diverse as snowboarding and jet skiing.

There are great Kamloops mountain biking parks, including the Kamloops Bike Ranch, the most technically advanced bike park in all of Canada, as well as miles and miles of public trails on topography as varied as fast alpine tracks, rugged canyons, logging roads, and challenging desert tracks. About 45 minutes outside of the city is the Sun Peaks Resort Bike Park, ranked as one of the top five best such parks in all of North America. There are companies that offer guided cross country bike tours that can be combined with other activities like visits to wineries. Some companies offer Kamloops mountain biking as vacation packages that stay in all different kinds of accommodations including camping. There are several other parks in the area offering tracks and trails suitable for beginners and experts alike.

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Kamloops is also a great golf destination, with more than a dozen excellent courses. The season here is long for the northern weather and climate, extending from mid-March until well into October. There are fabulous vistas from green and fairway in this rugged landscape that has attracted famous golf architects like the legendary Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Robert Heaslip.

In addition to the many Kamloops pubs located in the area, you will find a vibrant nightlife with very popular sports bars (remember, this is the Tournament Capital), lounges, and nightclubs with live music. There are even casinos. Most of the live music spots are in the downtown area, which is also the area with the best selection of dining spots. Beer is big in Kamloops, and you can hit many of the best Kamloops pubs on a self-guided Brew Tour. You can get maps of the best watering holes and sample more than 130 different domestic and international beers.

If you've worn yourself out in the great outdoors, you can spend some time letting the region's incredible wildlife entertain you. The Kamloops Wildlife Park is a prestigious zoo with more than 65 species of wildlife, including falcons and other birds of prey, moose, grizzly bears, mountain goats, and cougars. Children on family vacations love the petting zoo and those with tired feet after a round of golf will love the miniature train ride through the facility. For the ultimate in relaxation, try one of the region's many spas; there are both day spas and spas that are part of hotels and resorts.

Kamloops BC offers many free things to do, including tours of working farms and ranches, self-guided walking tours of the heritage homes in town that reflect the area's history, and miles and miles of hiking trails.