This 1000 person village is midway between Princeton and Osoyoos on Highway 3, where it joins Highway 3A from Penticton. The community is surrounded by mountains on all sides, Apex (with its ski hill) to the north, Snowy to the south, and Kobau to the east. Over the years, Keremeos evolved into ranching and then into fruit-growing. The area has a very long growing season and fruit orchards have done well since 1910.
The area was first visited by fur trader Alexander Ross in 1813, and was a Hudson’s Bay post from 1860 to 1872. Over the years, its location has shifted, first to follow the water supply and later to be located around the Keremeos Hotel when it was built in 1906. The town was named for Keremeos Creek, whose name comes from the Okanagan word for either “land cut across in the middle” or “flat land cut through by water”.
Today, Keremeos is best known for its many fruit & vegetable stands along Highway 3 selling fresh produce from the area’s farms. There are over 30 fruit stands in the community.
Other Links
Keremeos Attractions
South Similkameen Museum
6th Ave & 6th St
This museum is located in the former Provincial Police office and jail ad includes various police uniforms
and pioneer artifacts. Open 9 am to 5 pm may through October.
Similkameen Valley Museum
Main Street, 2nd floor of Lower Similkameen Band Office
250-499-5528
This museum highlights the history and traditions of the local indigenous peoples and includes tools, dance costumes and photos.
The Grist Mill and Tea Room
Upper Bench Rd, 2.5 km from town
An 1877 Grist Mill in an orchard, now the only water-operated grist mill in BC. Open May to mid-October.
Red Bridge
Ashnola Rd, just off Highway 3
This 3-span covered bridge over the Similkameen River was built in 1907 by the Great Northern Railway.
The deep pools below the bridge are popular with swimmers.
Keremeos Columns Provincial Park
4 km north on Highway 3A (east at cemetery)
This undeveloped 20 hectare park requires a short route over private property (please ask permission),
and then requires a steep, hot 8 kilometre hike (bring water in canteens). At the end of the hike you
are rewarded with 30 metre high, 100 metre wide basalt columns formed by volcanos 30 million years ago.
Cathedral Provincial Park
Ashnola River Rd, off Highway 3, 5 km west of Keremeos
This 33,272 hectare park is 21 kilometres down the road, past small ranches. The park offers 32 kilometres
of wilderness hiking trails with views of various immense peaks with strange shapes (and stranger names
like Devil’s Woodpile, Grimface Mountain, Macabre Tower, or Stone City) and lots of wildlife.
The area has bighorn sheep, golden eagles, hawks, mountain goats, mule deer, pika, squirrels,
and plenty of fish in the water. It is also the starting point for the Centennial Trail to Manning Provincial Park.