If you’re looking for a Crazy Creek Resort review before booking, especially for a family road trip through British Columbia, we’ve got you covered. We spent five nights at Crazy Creek Resort in Malakwa, BC, between Revelstoke and Sicamous, travelling with our two boys. With the outdoor hot pools, playground, pump track, easy Highway 1 access and plenty to do nearby, it turned out to be a surprisingly great base for exploring the area. But there are a few things we think you should know before booking. Here’s our honest review of Crazy Creek Resort, including what we loved, what we didn’t, and whether we’d stay here again.
Quick facts about Crazy Creek Resort:
- Location: Malakwa, BC, directly off the Trans-Canada Highway between Revelstoke and Sicamous
- Accommodation: Full-hookup RV sites, semi-treed and open campsites, tenting areas, and cabins
- Hot pools: Three outdoor pools at different temperatures, plus a cold plunge
- Good for families: Yes. There are playgrounds, a bike track, and family-friendly pool hours
- Dog friendly: Yes. There’s a fenced off-leash dog park and access to the river
- Adult swim: 9–10 pm nightly
- Nearby attraction: Crazy Creek Waterfall and Suspension Bridge, located just across the highway from the resort. Separate admission fee applies
- Main drawback: The resort is close to both the Trans-Canada Highway and an active railway line, so road and train noise can be noticeable
Out Roaming Life contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Affiliate Program.
If you make a purchase using one of our links, we may receive compensation at no extra cost to you.
We only recommend products and services we trust. Read our disclaimer for more information.
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). Our site ended up being 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: 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. 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? The pools range from around 40°C (104°F) in the hottest pool down to an 8°C (46°F) cold plunge. The coolest of the three hot pools tends to be where families congregate. In our experience the families were very respectful. There were 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. This 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. This makes things 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 dogs 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 dogs the whole time we were soaking, without needing to leave them back at the campsite or take turns missing out on the pools.
Crazy Creek Waterfall and Suspension Bridge
While we were staying at Crazy Creek Resort, we also checked out the Crazy Creek Waterfall and Suspension Bridge, which is located just across the highway from the resort. It’s a separate attraction with its own entrance fee, but we thought it was worth adding to our stay. The falls are beautiful, and the suspension bridge gives you a great vantage point over the canyon.
We’ve put together a full review of the Crazy Creek Waterfall and Suspension Bridge, including what to expect, how long you’ll need, and whether we think it’s worth the admission fee.
Cabins at Crazy Creek Resort
Crazy Creek Resort has a number of cabins for rent with varying configurations. We didn’t stay in a cabin this trip, but we did take a walk through one. After seeing inside, we would definitely consider it for a future visit. The one we checked out had 2 queen beds in a studio style suite with a full kitchen and bathroom. There was also a small bunk room that would be perfect for kids. It also had a nice patio space with propane fire pit.
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?
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 train 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.
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
After five nights at Crazy Creek Resort, we’d happily stay here again. The combination of hot pools, playgrounds, the bike track, dog park, river access and easy access from the Trans-Canada Highway made it a particularly good fit for our family.
The biggest thing to keep in mind is the location. You’re close to both the highway and an active railway line, so this isn’t the place to book if absolute quiet is your top priority. We got used to the train noise pretty quickly, though, and it didn’t stop us from enjoying our stay.
For families travelling through this part of BC, especially those camping or travelling by RV, Crazy Creek Resort makes a convenient base between Revelstoke and Sicamous. If you’re booking a campsite, we’d also pay attention to the campground map. Choose your site with the railway and highway in mind.
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.
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
