Rattlesnake Island (Okanagan Lake)

For other places with the same name, see Rattlesnake Island (disambiguation).
Rattlesnake Island
Protected Area
Southern view of Rattlesnake Island in Winter
Country Canada
District Central Okanagan
Coordinates 49°44′52″N 119°43′02″W / 49.74778°N 119.71722°W / 49.74778; -119.71722Coordinates: 49°44′52″N 119°43′02″W / 49.74778°N 119.71722°W / 49.74778; -119.71722

Rattlesnake Island is a small island on Okanagan Lake located directly east of Peachland, British Columbia, Canada. The land and shore surrounding the island form part of Okanagan Mountain Park. Legend has it that the lake monster, Ogopogo, lives in a cave on Rattlesnake Island earning the small land mass the nickname "Monster Island".[1]

In the 1970s, Eddie Haymour developed the island as a tourist attraction[2][3] which included a mini-golf course with a replica of the Great Pyramid at Giza and a giant camel. The provincial government blocked the project shortly after it opened.

On August 16, 2003, a lightning strike near the island started the 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park Fire that burned a large portion of the surrounding park.[4]

References

  1. "Rattlesnake Island". BC Geographical Names. Retrieved 10 October 2014.
  2. Portia, Priegert (31 August 2010). "Legends of the Lake". Galleries West Magazine. T2 Media Inc. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  3. "Bizarre Battle. Eddie Haymour has won $105,000 for...". The Orlando Sentinel. 29 August 1987. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  4. Judd, Amy (16 August 2013). "10 years later: Remembering the Okanagan Mountain Park fire (Gallery)". Shaw Media Inc. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
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