From the highway, turn onto Road 22. This area receives an average rainfall of less than 20 cm per year. Growth is sparse, and the desert plants and animals of this area are found nowhere else in Canada. Actually, the Pocket Desert is a continuation of the Sonoran Desert that extends from Mexico to the Okanagan Valley. In fact, the plants and animals here are the same as those found in the higher elevations of the Mexican portion of this desert.
Typical plants found are sagebrush, greasewood, rabbit and antelope bush, and bunch grass.
Some animals that may be spotted are yellow-bellied marmots, pygmy horned toads, painted turtles, various lizards, white throated swifts, nighthawks and Calliope Hummingbird. Watch for rattlesnakes. This area is also the site of an owl recovery program. The Osoyoos Museum is home to an original 1891 log cabin, the first schoolhouse in Osoyoos, as well as serving as a jail and government house during its life. Considered to be one of the best small town museums in BC, the museum offers great exhibits for the whole family.