approximately 400 km east of Vancouver at the junction of Highway 97 and 3 on the border of Washington State. Canada’s only desert extends past Osoyoos Lake to Skaha Lake, and west up the Similkameen Valley towards Keremeos, approximately 24 km. (15 miles). This area receives an average rainfall of less than 12 inches per year. The desert plants and animals of this area are found nowhere else in Canada.The “Osoyoos Arid Biotic Zone” is a continuation of the Sonoran Desert that extends from Mexico right up to the Okanagan Valley. While irrigation has made Osoyoos a lush green oasis, it is interesting to note that the desert continues undisturbed where there is no water.
Osoyoos: (we pronounce it “oh-sue-use”) is a native word meaning the narrowing of the Lake. These ‘narrows’ are visible from the bridge on Highway # 3 east, and from “The Spit” along East Lakeshore Drive (Campground Row).
Osoyoos is a full-service community, with Schools, Churches, and Recreation Facilities. Medical and dental needs are met locally, and the South Okanagan General Hospital is in Oliver, a short 12 miles / 20 km away.
Osoyoos Residents and visitors enjoy skiing on Mt. Baldy or at Apex. There’s an international curling club, ice arena and bowling lanes. Golfers enjoy superb facilities from early spring right through until November. Osoyoos golf courses are among the first Valley courses to open in March and the last to close in November.

During the summer months, Osoyoos is a busy and very popular tourist destination, however throughout the rest of the year, residents enjoy all the benefits of small town life: slower pace, friendly neighborhoods, and community events that invite your participation.