Balancing Rock, Creston Wetland And Billy Goat Bluffs

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Balancing Rock, Creston Wetland And Billy Goat Bluffs

On 25 April 2025, Zosia Zgolak and I spent the day doing a trio of short hikes in and around Creston, British Columbia. We started the morning with a hike up Balancing Rock trail which starts from a pullout (49.12755, -116.63442) along West Creston Road just off Highway 3. A short but strenuous climb leads to a large erratic which might be of some interest to bouldering enthusiasts, but I found it rather underwhelming. For some added interest, we hiked a little further to climb a small knoll just beyond a nearby power line right-of-way. We took a short break there before retreating the same way to the trailhead.

	Zosia checks the map at the trailhead for the hike to Balancing Rock.
	Zosia reads the trail register which is located near the trailhead.
	A chipmunk comes out of its hideaway to see if there are some stray food crumbs. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	This is looking down at an observation tower (right of centre) in a nearby wetland. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Zosia passes under a power line en route to a small knoll just beyond.
	Sonny and Zosia pose with some rocks on top of the small knoll (790 metres).
	Zosia tries to push Balancing Rock.
	Here is a view of Leach Lake to the north.
	Zosia descends the trail with views of Nick Slough (right) and Arrow Mountain (far left horizon).
	Total Distance: 3.8 kilometres Round-Trip Time: 2 hours 21 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain: 229 metres GPX Data

After finishing our hike to Balancing Rock, Zosia and I left most of our gear in our car and walked a short distance south along West Creston Road to one of the access points for Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area which is comprised mostly of wetland interspersed by a network of dykes suitable for walking or cycling. The wetland is an important habitat for a wide variety of wildlife but especially waterfowl. We walked only a small portion of the area but were well-entertained by an abundance of Canada geese and tree swallows. We also spotted mallards, red-winged blackbirds, a sandhill crane, and even a painted turtle.

	Zosia arrives at an access point for Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area (CVWMA).
	Nick Slough is home to lots of waterfowl.
	A couple of tree swallows are perched on top of one of the many birdhouses in the area. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	This is one of many families of Canada geese roaming the slough. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Zosia approaches the observation tower seen earlier from Balancing Rock trail.
	Here is a view from the observation tower of Zosia walking along a dyke.
	Creston Mountain dominates the background in this photograph. The green building partway up the slope is the CVWMA administration office.
	A western painted turtle enjoys the warm sunshine on a floating log. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak

Highlight of the day!

Here is a zoomed-out view of the turtle on the log in Nick Slough.

Nice and short sampling of the local wetlands.

Total Distance: 2.9 kilometres
Round-Trip Time: 1 hour 19 minutes
Cumulative Elevation Gain: 20 metres

GPX Data

When Zosia and I returned from our walk through the wetland, we drove into Creston and enjoyed a relaxing lunch at Tim Horton’s before heading a short distance east to the trailhead (49.11733, -116.51801) for our final hike of the day—Billy Goat Bluffs. The hike is nothing more than a strenuous climb to a scenic viewpoint situated partway up the western slopes of Arrow Mountain. With the trail shrouded by forest most of the way, there is little else to see, but we enjoyed the shade nonetheless on this warm afternoon. On our way back, we encountered a trio of municipal employees working to assess the level of fire hazard posed by deadfall in the forest. This is probably now a high priority for many mountain communities in the wake of the wildfire devastation in Jasper the previous year. Zosia and I were most impressed by the dedication of the employees—all relatively young—who were still working diligently in the bush late on a Friday afternoon when most other people are usually at a pub or heading home for the weekend.

	Zosia reads some posted information at the trailhead for Billy Goat Bluffs.
	Most of the hike to Billy Goat Bluffs is in forest.
	The viewpoint at Billy Goat Bluffs is appropriately marked.

I think I can see the Tim Horton's where we had lunch!

Here is the view across the valley from Billy Goat Bluffs. Creston Mountain is right of centre.

	A break in the trees grants distant views of Duck Lake and Kootenay Lake to the northwest. Photo courtesy of Zosia Zgolak
	Total Distance: 6.2 kilometres Round-Trip Time: 2 hour 54 minutes Cumulative Elevation Gain: 381 metres GPX Data