By Brian Lawrence
It's easy to love the Creston Valley in the summer. With top-notch hiking trails and cycling routes steps away, and impressive waterways — Goat and Kootenay rivers, and Duck and Kootenay lakes — close at hand, the valley meets a wide range of summery recreation needs.
If you want a Creston summer experience, though, you're going to need the right equipment, and that's where the Creston Valley Adventure Rentals — owned by Creston-born and -raised Gillian Kemle, also owner of the Valley View Motel — will come in very handy, offering rental and delivery of water sports equipment.
Hot Spots to Cool Down
For some fun in the water, there are too many options to list here, but why not check out some of the locals' favourite spots?
•On a calm day, Kootenay Lake can't be beat. A jaunt on a paddleboard should be at the top of your list — and if you have it for a full day, you might even be able to visit beaches on the west side of Kootenay Lake. From Creston the Kuskanook Harbour & Boat Launch is the nearest place to launch kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and, of course, boats. And if the beach is more your scene, then a visit to the idyllic Twin Bays Beach, about 20 minutes north of Creston, is a must.
•Kootenay River can be accessed from a few locations, and one of the easiest is the former West Creston Old Ferry Landing on Kootenay River Road. I’ve kayaked from there, and always enjoy the perspective from the water level, as well as the opportunity to quietly get a closer look at wildlife on the water’s edge.
From this launch, paddlers can also enjoy a trip upstream to where the Goat River empties into the Kootenay River, or downstream to the bridge across Highway 3 on the Creston flats. The river is also an excellent spot for stand-up paddleboarders, maintaining a fairly mellow current for most of the summer.
•Canoeing and fishing are popular on Duck Lake, which plays host to huge flocks of migrating swans each spring, located just north of Creston and extending to the south end of Kootenay Lake. And in the early summer, the channel linking Duck Lake and Kootenay Lake may be high enough that you can paddle right out into Kootenay Lake!
•Closer to Creston, Goat River and the nearby Riverside Wilderness Park are also popular for swimming and fishing. The park is also a good spot for kayakers to drop in and paddle down the Goat and Kootenay rivers before ending at the Old Ferry Landing.
Water and Wildlife
For something a bit different, the Kootenay-Columbia Discovery Centre Society combines education and recreation, offering guided canoe tours from May to August in the ponds and channels of the Corn Creek Marsh area of the Creston Valley Wildlife Management Area (CVWMA). Trained naturalists lead tours that offer insight into the wetland and its wildlife.
The massive CVWMA is 7,000 hectares (17,000 acres), which include Duck Lake and 17 marshes, with a number of launch points for canoes and kayaks. Nesting waterfowl and fluctuating water levels create challenges, though, so be sure to get in touch with their team before making a journey on the water.
Planning Your Own Adventure?
For further information on the Creston Valley area's rivers, lakes, beaches, boat launch points and gear rentals visit the Swimming & Paddling Section of our website.
Freelance writer Brian Lawrence is a former editor and publisher of the Creston Valley Advance. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking and trail running, and acting in and directing productions with Creston's Footlighters Theatre Society.
