This is the balancing rock off a road near Mount Baldy in the South Okanagan.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/JDPix
June 24, 2022 - 6:00 AM
On a recent backroad drive, Kelowna’s Joanne Zebroff spotted a small sign saying ‘Balancing Rock here.’
She was headed down McKinley Camp Road, which runs from the road to Mount Baldy ski hill to Highway 3 between Rock Creek and Bridesville.
“We didn’t know there was a balancing rock on the way up to Mount Baldy,” she told iNFOnews.ca. “It’s at an odd spot on the drive. We had no idea it was there. David just saw the sign that said balancing rock. I said: “Gee, we just saw the Kamloops one. We did the Creston one. We’ve been to Haida Gwaii. Let’s check this out.”
This shows 5'6" Joanne Zebroff beside the rock, giving it some perspective.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/JDPix
It required a turnaround on the narrow road then back past the sign for another turnaround to avoid an overly sharp turn into a forest service road pullout where there was a sign on a tree, written in white paint, saying “Balance Rock here.”
Even then, it took the help of some locals for them to find the trail and the short hike to the rock.
Zebroff is not keen on revealing the exact location of this site, for two reasons.
This shows Joanne Zebroff having some fun under the rock.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/JDPix
She’s an amateur but serious photographer and is a member of the Kamloops Photographers Facebook group, which helped her hone her skills.
It also educated her about things like balancing rock locations. But that come with the danger of over-exposure.
“Social media has contributed to the destruction of a lot of places,” Zebroff said. “This is how places become over-loved. Everybody wants that photo.”
The other reason the Mount Baldy balancing rock site should not be overly publicized is that a forest fire burned through there, leaving dangerous trees that could easily blow down.
There are many danger trees in the area following a forest fire.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/JDPix
At one time Zebroff was a “waterfall chaser,” seeing how many waterfalls she could photograph. Now she’s keen on finding more balancing rocks.
She’s known of what she understands is called the Coyote Rock near Kamloops for years but just got there earlier this year.
Coyote Rock with Kamloops Lake in the background.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/JDPix
It’s located 1.5 km west of the Six Mile Viewpoint on Highway 1 between Kamloops and Savona.
The Kamloops Trails website warns that drivers have to be careful making the sharp turn off the busy highway. There’s a walk of about 0.7 km down a one-track trail to overlook the rock.
A closer view of Coyote Rock.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/JDPix
It’s on private property “but the owners have graciously permitted access to hikers, so keep dogs on a leash and respect cattle grazing,” AllTrails.com says on its website.
More accessible is the Pillar Rock at Pillar Provincial Park, 11 km northwest of Falkland on the Falkland-Chase Road.
Pillar Rock.
Image Credit: Submitted/B.C. Parks
There’s a steepish trail across from the provincial rest area leading up to the pillar. It takes 15-20 minutes to hike.
The only other balancing rocks Joanne knows of in B.C. are at opposite sides of the province.
The most easily accessible (other than the long drive and ferry ride) is on a beach in Haida Gwaii. It’s about one kilometre north of the Skidegate ferry terminal on Highway 16.
Balancing Rock on Haida Gwaii with Joanne Sabroff.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/JDPix
There’s a pullout there and it’s easily visible from the highway but a bit of a rocky walk across the beach to reach it.
Then there’s Creston's Balancing Rock Trail, billed by the Creston Valley Trails website as the area’s most popular hiking trail.
Balancing Rock near Creston with Joanne Zebroff.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/JDPix
It’s off West Creston Road, 150 metres south of Highway 3 and requires a steep hike to get to a large rock that doesn’t look like it’s balancing on anything but its flat bottom.
But, by going around to the other side, Joanne was able to get photos of daylight between the balancing rock and the ground underneath, so it really is balanced, she said.
This show that the Creston rock really is balancing.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/JDPix
The trail has “expansive views” of Creston and the surrounding area, AllTrails.ca says. Most people stop at the rock.
“The trail continues to a swampy boardwalk section where it splits in two directions. Heading up and left, the trail continues up Creston Mountain,” the site says. “To the right the trail descends toward Summit Creek and Highway 3, making a near loop.”
Also on the eastern side of the province are hoodoos in Yoho National Park with rocks balancing on top, Joanne said.
Unfortunately, the trail into the site is decommissioned so they’re out of bounds.
For more of Joanne’s pictures – not just of balancing rock but many more outdoor wonders – go to JDPix on Facebook.
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