*Warning — Summer 2021 – several who have recently tried to access Ashton Creek Natural Waterslides found the trail blocked off and No Trespassing signage. Private land owners in the area are fed up with irresponsible people making a mess and causing a disturbance. It is recommended to not try accessing the waterslides at this time.
When we heard about the Ashton Creek (Enderby) natural waterslides 10 minutes east of Enderby, BC, we went for a fun, totally off-the-beaten-path adventure. It was a few years back that we were first acquainted with these mysterious, magical natural waterslides and it took us until this summer to find the gumption to finally go!
Getting To Ashton Creek (Enderby) Natural Waterslides
Head out of Enderby east along the Enderby Mabel Lake Road until you hit Ashton Creek. Just past the Tempo gas station, you’ll veer left onto Rands Road, passing in front of Ashton Creek Christian Fellowship church. Follow Rands Road until you see the intersection with Olich Road and hang a right. The day we went, there were at least half a dozen cars parked along the street, so you know you’re in the right place.
It’s a dead end road, and the trail begins where the road stops. Follow the path for five minutes or so, and voila! You’ll be at the natural waterslides.
Heading with Kids? What You Need to Know
- It’s more of an older kid experience. Our 7-year-old couldn’t get enough while our 5-year-old was done after one run down the small slide. Our 3-year-old stuck to dry land and poked rocks with sticks the whole time.
- The trail to the natural waterslides can easily be walked in flip flops or sandals. It’s a straightforward and mostly flat walk. To make it a more comfortable experience when actually exploring the falls, bring along your Keens or sports sandals, or your water shoes. We didn’t bring ours and wished we had.
- Water coming down the slides is really cold!
- We brought our kids’ lifejackets and were glad we did.
- Our kids stuck to the bottom slide only. The potential for knocking heads and possible concussions increases the higher up the falls you go.
- On a hot day, expect to share the experience with dozens of other people, including many a folk keen on having a wee party at the slides.
Hiking on Private Property?
To be honest, we’re still not sure. There is almost no information to be found on the web, and we were given directions by a friend who visited a couple of years back.
This is what we DO know:
- There are ‘No Trespassing’ and “Private Property” signs on the fence where the trail starts, but the trail swings around the side and follows the fence, without going onto that particular property.
- While the trail snakes its way along through forest and is never barricaded or blocked itself, there are No Trespassing and Private Property signs on trees on both the left and right of the trail.
We don’t know if the natural waterslides are on private or public land. It’s just not clear. The trail could meander between two property lines, but we aren’t sure.
So…go at your own risk.
I went there today and found many no trespassing and private property signs along the fences and a more detailed sign saying that due to theft from property the land owners will be closing the trail access. I stayed off the trail and just hiked directly upriver in the river. The waterslides were worth the effort. This was my first time visiting.
Went there today – so excited however disappointed as fenced off. If anyone knows another way in please let me know ?
I believe it is always fenced off with signs warning not to continue.
The trail from the Olich road is 100% blocked off now with explanation from the landowner. Not sure how else to get there so we didn’t see them today.
Go in at the culvert where the crossroad to Trinity Vally is. Hike up the riverbed. Takes a while.
I do highly recommend the natural slides, but do be aware that you do need to park at the church and hike up the creek bed to get to the falls because most if not all the land around it is private property with warnings, and dont use the trails there also on private property.
Went here last weekend with some girlfriends we drove about an hour and a half to get jere and we’re very disappointed when we got to the original trail and it was fenced off. When asking a neighbour for help they were very unfriendly and told us that we would have to go through the creek. Being from out of town we had no idea where this creek was so he told us to park at the church and figure it out from there. We found the creek just off the road and walked for about 30 mins till we reached the slides. On our way back we tried to find access to the road because walking through the creek sucked so bad so we came up to the fence where there used to be access and tried to find a way around it. A near by neighbour approached my friends and I and told us that we were on private property and to go the way we came. When we apologized and agreed to go back the way we came he continued to be extremely rude and tell us that we are the reason they have to spend so much money every year rebuilding fences and to f*cking go back the way we came. Very upset at this whole situation it was supposed to be a fun day but people really ruined it. I’d say if u have little kids this is not the trail for you.
Sorry you had such a bad experience. The landowners around there should just put up some signs directing people where to go. People are going to keep trying to find the slides so there may as well be a trail between private property to appease everyone.
I don’t think it is up to the land owners to put up signs re directing people, they could, but the supplies for the signs at least, should be paid for by CSRD or local govnt. If the landowners have fences, strangers shouldn’t be so ignorant to disrespect them. If livestock and animals are behind the fences, the trespassers could be hurt, or, livestock harmed or, offences damaged, escape. It is not surprising my the landowners are fed up with trespassers. I don’t feel sorry for the trespassers- not at all. Would they imagine they are the landowners dealing with so many people crossing their private land, likely littering or being nosy, along their merry way? Bottom line-it’s privately owned land. A new route needs thoughtfully and carefully built, with proper signage about the hazards of creeks. People need to research better the activity, and access before they go! I am stunned by the risky , twit like behaviour of people just “hearing about natural waterslides“(aka slippery rocky waterfalls into a cold creek) And trying to wing it to check them out, without researching it first. And if there is little information, except the access is on blocked off and on private property- shouldn’t that be enough to cause a rethink?
There are countless examples of private property blocking public waterways where neighbour’s found ways of dealing with this problem of “trespassers” (how much of a trespass is it when people walk along the barrier between two properties?) by communication with the city and respectful requests and signage that isn’t ambiguous. On top of that, swearing and being aggressive is never to be tolerated. Someone has a chicken up their @$$.
Calm down sara
It is sad that rudeness is happening . I have lived in the area my whole life. There is nothing worse then to have people come,through your property like they own it.leave a mess for the locals to clean up. Signs get ripped down. So remember when you are going to a area that in the country most likely walking on someone’s land . If you don’t people walking on your back yard leaving garage behind. You might understand why the Locals get upset and become a little rude. They deal with people all day long.
You knew the land was private yet you still trespassed, you got what you deserve. Out of town people have ruined the slides for everyone. This article has not helped at all.
We went up there on the weekend and it was great…….the path was marked off and welcoming so folks must have put there heads together and figured out a way……thanks to them for doing this 🙂
If the author would take this article down it would save a lot of people in the community a lot of work and frustrations. The hike is not easy and people continue to trespass and leave there trash all over what used to be a very beautiful spot. It’s a pity so many have to ruin a good thing for everyone else. It was a local treasure for decades now it’s a public dump.
Broken glass.Garbage.And people starting fires has made for no option but to cut off access to the public. Please stop posting it on Facebook
If you look on the local regional mapsite you will see that the road goes ALL THE WAY to the creek for access (past the paved area). These NEIGHBORING people have no right to stop you from accessing the river along the road. Do not go off the path and you arent on private property