If you’re road tripping through the Shuswap, Okanagan, or Revelstoke area and looking for somewhere to stop that the whole family will enjoy, Crazy Creek Resort needs to be on your list. We spent five nights here and could have easily stayed longer. Between the hot pools, the kid friendly layout, and the easy access off the highway, it hit that sweet spot of relaxing for the parents and fun for the kids. Here’s our full rundown, including a few things to know before you book.
Quick facts:
- Location: Malakwa, BC, on the Trans-Canada Highway between Revelstoke and Sicamous
- Type: Full hookup RV sites, semi-treed and open sites, tenting area, and cabins
- Hot pools: 3 pools of varying temperature plus a cold plunge (seasonal, confirm availability)
- Good for families: Yes, playgrounds, bike track, and family friendly pool hours
- Dog friendly: Yes, includes a fenced off leash dog park and river access
- Adult swim: Nightly from 9 to 10pm
- Nearby attraction: Crazy Creek Waterfall and suspension bridge (separate entry fee)
- Main con: Located near an active rail line and the highway
What You’ll Find in This Post
This review covers everything you need to decide if you should stay at Crazy Creek Resort, including:
- Where Crazy Creek Resort is located and how it fits into a British Columbia road trip
- A breakdown of the campsite loops and what to expect from each
- Full list of on-site amenities
- What the hot pools are actually like, including temperature and crowd vibe
- Whether it’s a good fit for families and dogs
- Our take on the neighbouring waterfall and suspension bridge
- What to know about the cabins
- Booking, check in, and check out details
- The honest truth about train and highway noise
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Where Is Crazy Creek Resort
Crazy Creek Resort sits in Malakwa, BC, right along the Trans-Canada Highway between Revelstoke and Sicamous. It’s a really convenient stop if you’re driving the Trans-Canada corridor, whether you’re headed toward the west coast, Okanagan, the Shuswap, or up into the mountains around Revelstoke.
Crazy Creek Resort to the popular town of Salmon Arm is about a 45 minute drive, and Revelstoke is roughly the same distance the other direction, so it works well as a home base for exploring both areas.
Our Site and the Campground Layout
We booked a treed site in the 102-139 loop with full hookups (sewer, water, and electricity) and ended up in site 137. It was spacious and had a decent amount of privacy, though that really does vary site to site in that section. Check the Crazy Creek Resort site map before you pick.
For anyone trying to figure out where to stay, here’s the general breakdown for when you are looking at the Crazy Creek Resort campground map:
- Sites 102-139: treed and more private, good mix of spacing
- Sites 220-244: semi-treed, a nice middle ground
- Sites 245-261: pull through sites, ideal for big RVs and 5th wheels
- Sites 200-212: more open sites, good if you’re camping in a larger group
If you’re booking a Crazy Creek RV Park style site for a big rig, the pull throughs in the 245-261 range are going to be your best bet for ease of setup.
Amenities at Crazy Creek Resort
There’s a lot packed into this property. Amenities at Crazy Creek Resort include:
- The hot pools (more on that below)
- A bike track the kids loved
- Two playground areas
- A fenced off leash dog park
- A convenience store
- Multiple bathroom locations spread around the property
- A dedicated tenting area
- Dish washing station near tent camping area
- River access on land the resort owns, where you can cool off or let the dogs swim
- A few walking paths around the property
- A stage near the office and playground that occasionally hosts live music
- A food truck that runs during busier periods
It’s the kind of place where you genuinely don’t need to leave for a few days if you don’t want to.
Crazy Creek Hot Pools Resort: What to Expect
The hot pools are really the main draw, and they lived up to the hype for us. There are three hot pools of varying temperatures plus a cold plunge, though it’s worth checking ahead of time what’s open since it can shift depending on the season you’re visiting.
How hot are the Crazy Creek Hot Pools? They range from a milder family-friendly temperature up to a hotter, more adult oriented soak. The coolest of the three tends to be where families congregate, and in our experience the crowd there was respectful. Lots of kids having fun, but not overly rowdy, and most people followed the no jumping in rule.
If you want some adult only time, there’s a nightly adult swim from 9 to 10pm, which is a nice touch if you’re travelling without kids or if at least one parent can sneak away after the kids are down for the night.
There are showers right at the pool area too, which is handy after a soak, plus that food truck for mid-day snacks.
Is Crazy Creek Resort Good for Families
Short answer, yes. Between the hot pools being welcoming to kids, the two playgrounds, the bike track, and the general vibe of the place, this is an excellent family destination.
Crazy Creek Resort with kids is easy. There’s enough going on that you’re not stuck trying to entertain bored kids at the campsite all day, but nothing is so spread out that you’re constantly loading everyone into the vehicle either.
The bike track kept our boys busy for hours, and having two separate playground areas meant there was almost always somewhere new for them to run off some energy. The river access was a hit too, our boys loved cooling off there just as much as the dogs did.
What really stood out to us was the pool. A lot of hot spring style pools lean adult only or feel like kids are just tolerated rather than actually welcomed, but that wasn’t the case here. Kids were able to play around some, which we appreciated, but the onus is on parents to keep things safe and respectful of others at the same time. Generally, we found that to be the case. Most parents asked their kids to refrain from jumping in or splashing much, which the other guests without kids seemed to appreciate.
Our boys were entertained the entire stay, and we still managed to relax a little as well, which honestly feels rare when you’re travelling with young kids.
Does Crazy Creek Resort Allow Dogs
Yes, dogs are welcome, and there’s a fenced off leash dog park on site so they can run around safely. There’s also river access where dogs can go for a swim and cool off, which our dog loved just as much as we loved the hot pools.
We really appreciated that dogs were allowed to be tied up at the picnic benches just outside the pool fence, as long as they were well behaved (which they were). It meant we could keep an eye on our dog the whole time we were soaking, without needing to leave him back at the campsite or take turns missing out on the pools.
Crazy Creek Waterfall and Suspension Bridge
While we were there we also checked out the Crazy Creek Waterfall and suspension bridge, which is a separate attraction with its own entrance fee. We’ll do a full review of that one on its own, but the short version is we really enjoyed it even with the extra cost. The falls are worth seeing and the suspension bridge gives you a great vantage point over the canyon.
Cabins at Crazy Creek Resort
If you’re travelling with a mix of ages or splitting up activities, it’s worth knowing that one of the Big IslWe didn’t stay in one of the cabins this trip, but we did take a walk through one and would definitely consider it for a future visit.
If you book a cabin, hot pool entrance is included in your stay, which isn’t the case if you’re camping. Camping guests do still get a reduced rate on pool entry though.
Check In and Check Out Times
When we stayed, check in time at Crazy Creek Resort was between 4pm and 9pm, and check out time at Crazy Creek Resort was 11am, which we found quite reasonable. We’re not fans of a 10am check out, it always feels too early and hard for us to make on time.
We’d recommend checking directly with the resort or your booking confirmation for the most current times, since these things can shift seasonally.
Crazy Creek Resort Booking
If you’re planning a stay, especially in peak summer months, book ahead. This is a popular stop along the corridor and sites fill up, particularly the full hookup and pull through sites.
For campsites, check their site directly for Crazy Creek Resort booking availability and current rates. For cabins, you can book through their website, Expedia or Hotels.com.
Can You Hear the Train at Crazy Creek Resort Campground
Okay, here’s the one real con, and we want to be upfront about it. The resort sits close to a rail line, and yes, you will hear trains passing through numerous times a day. It’s a double track, so the noise from trains starting and stopping while waiting for the oncoming trail to pass can be fairly loud as the cars clang together.
The good news is that unless it’s an emergency, trains no longer blow their horns through this stretch, which cuts down on a lot of the noise you’d otherwise expect. We found we got used to it pretty quickly, and it wasn’t too disruptive overnight for us. That said, if you’re a very light sleeper, it might be more bothersome, so it’s worth keeping in mind.
The resort is also close to the highway, which you can hear a bit at the pool area, but they play good music that does a decent job of drowning it out.
For us, none of this was a deal breaker. The overall experience was great enough that the noise was just a minor thing to be aware of rather than something that ruined the trip. If train or highway noise is a bigger concern for you, take a look at the campground map and try to pick a site further from the tracks.
Frequently Asked Questions about Crazy Creek Resort & Hot Pools
Does Crazy Creek Resort allow dogs?
Yes. There’s a fenced off leash dog park on site, plus river access where dogs can go for a swim.
How many pools are at Crazy Creek Hot Pools?
There are three hot pools of varying temperature, plus a cold plunge. Availability can shift seasonally, so it’s worth confirming before your visit.
How hot are the pools at Crazy Creek Hot Pools?
They range from a milder, family friendly temperature in the coolest pool up to a hotter, more adult oriented soak in the warmest one. Temperatures range from 40°C (104°F) down to the 8°C (46°F) cold plunge.
Is Crazy Creek Resort good for families?
Yes. Between the family friendly pool, two playgrounds, and the bike track, it’s one of the better family stops along this stretch of the Trans-Canada.
What are the check in and check out times at Crazy Creek Resort?
When we stayed, check in was between 4pm and 9pm, and check out was 11am. Times can shift seasonally, so confirm the current details through your booking confirmation or directly with the resort.
Can you hear the train at Crazy Creek Resort campground?
Yes, the resort is close to an active double track rail line and trains pass through numerous times a day. Horns are no longer used except in emergencies, which helps, but the noise from trains starting and stopping can still be noticeable. It wasn’t a deal breaker for us, but light sleepers should keep it in mind.
How far is Crazy Creek Resort from Salmon Arm?
About a 45-minute drive. Revelstoke is roughly the same distance in the other direction.
How We Spent Our Days
Since we visited in summer, we found the days got pretty warm, so we ended up saving our pool time for the evenings when it felt a lot more comfortable easing into the hot water. If you’re visiting in the heat of summer, evening soaks are the way to go.
A typical day for us at Crazy Creek Resort looked something like this: breakfast at the campsite, then biking and a stop at the playground, then down to the river so the dogs could swim and cool off. From there we’d usually do another round of playground or biking, or head out for an activity like the Crazy Creek Waterfall and suspension bridge, or a quick stop at Kay Falls. Then it was dinner and pool, or pool and dinner, depending on how the day went.
If you want to check out Kay Falls while you’re in the area, it’s an easy add-on to your day. Kay Falls sits about 4.5 km (2.8 mi) east of Crazy Creek Resort on Hwy 1 (Trans Canada Highway). Just after you cross the bridge across the Eagle River, park on your right. From there, you’ll find a narrow trail heading up a slight bank into the trees. Follow that for just a few minutes to get to these magnificent falls (takes about 5 minutes to walk there). It’s a really easy stop to work into your day without cutting into pool time.
Final Thoughts on Crazy Creek Resort & Hot Pools
Crazy Creek Resort earns its spot as one of our favourite stops in this part of BC. The hot pools alone are worth the visit, but combine that with the playgrounds, bike track, dog park, river access, and the friendly staff, and you’ve got a spot that works for pretty much every kind of traveller, whether you’re in an RV, a tent, or considering one of the cabins.
If you’re looking through Crazy Creek Resort reviews trying to decide if it’s worth the stop between Revelstoke and Salmon Arm, our answer is a solid yes. Just pick your site with the train tracks in mind, and you’re set for a great few days.
If you’re looking for a meaningful stop to add to your family’s BC road trip, one with hot pools, a bit of adventure, and enough going on to hold the kids’ attention, we hope this helps make your visit easier to plan. Please consider pinning it on Pinterest, saving it for later, and sharing it with anyone else dreaming of a family trip through the Shuswap, Okanagan, or Revelstoke area.
In the end, kids won’t remember that fancy toy you bought them, they will remember the time you spent with them.
Kevin Heath
