Balancing Rock is the Creston Valley’s most popular hiking trail. Access and parking are easy. Has expansive views of the Creston Valley to the east. Great sunrise location.
Location: West of Creston just off Highway 3. Ascends the slopes west of the Creston Valley Wildlife Area.
Difficulty: A1, easy
Elevation Gain: +222m
Key Elevations:
Distance: 3.6km round trip
Time: 1-2 hours
Season: March to November. A good shoulder season hike.
Access: Excellent. 2 WD on pavement. Moderate-sized parking area on the west side of West Creston Road.
Map: 82F/2
Drive: Drive west from Creston on Highway 3. Turn left on West Creston Rd signed the Creston Valley Wildlife Area. Ample parking 150m south of the highway.
Trail:
Trailhead. On West Creston Road, 150m south of Highway 3. Transit the slope towards the highway, then switch back to a power line and continue below the line.
1.1km. Bench under a pine tree. Leave the views behind ascending through open forest
1.3km. Balancing Rock. A large erratic boulder perched oddly on the bedrock.
What to do? This is part of the Creston Mountain Trail Network with two possible extensions.
The trail ascends to the top of the hill, then descends through a denser forest to a swampy boardwalk section where it splits in two directions.
• Heading up and left, the trail continues up Creston Mountain.
• Heading down and right, the trail descends on the Fern Forest Trail toward Summit Creek and Highway 3 – 1.8km and 180m elevation loss.
The Indigenous Blackfoot people’s name for the erratic is derived from their word for rock, which is “okatok.”
The Okotoks Erratic – made up of quartzite that is light grey, pink, to purplish – measures about 9 metres tall, 41 metres long and 18 metres wide, or about the size of a three-storey apartment building.
For more information on glacial erratics.
References:
https://www.crestonvalleytrails.ca/trails/balancing-rock-trail/