This is a new trail that accesses Elephant Mountain, the flagpole and CBC Towers.
Rating: ♦♦♦♦◊
Difficulty. A1
Distance: 3.8 km roundtrip
Elevation gain: +300 m
Time: 1 hour
Season: Late March to late November
Drive: From Nelson, cross the Big Orange Bridge and drive 2.5 km towards Balfour on Highway 3A, turn left just after the Kaslo/Creston sign up a gravel road signed Lyon’s Bluff Trail to the parking area.
Trail: The trail has many stone steps on the steady climb through the ponderosa forest. At .7 km, cross under a hydro line and continue through the open forest on switchbacks that make it an easy climb. It is open earlier and offers less shade than if ascending through a forest. At 1.5 km is another long stone stair that crosses a rockslide. At 1.9 km, reach the top of the bluff.
Continue up the ridge of Elephant Mountain to the CBC towers or complete the traverse of Elephant Mt ending at the Pulpit Rock trailhead (arrange a shuttle).