Balancing Rock is a well- known landmark in our area, but not many people actually hike down to it.   The parking spot is at a pull-out and gate 1.5 km west of the Six Mile Viewpoint on the TransCanada Highway.    Drivers need to make a careful turn  if there are other vehicles nearby since it requires a sharp turn on a busy highway.    There is a gate for public access and hikers can follow a single track down for about 0.7 km to a viewpoint above the spire with a large boulder on top.

There is a double track there too, but the single track veers off to the right, toward the edge of the gully.

On this day, I scrambled down to the bottom of the gully and explored below the spire, then across steep slopes to the hoodoos farther down, but most hikers can enjoy the view from the brow of the hillside.

There are several groups of hoodoos in the gully, easier to see from above.

The last group of hoodoos stand above the mouth of the gully above Kamloops Lake.

Most of the hoodoos are fang-shaped, made of conglomerated glacial tills, slowly eroded away since the last Ice Age.

Beyond the Balancing Rock and the hillside of hoodoos are some picturesque ridges and gullies leading down to the CPR line and the beaches of Kamloops Lake.   Snow covered the hills around the lake

On the west side of the grassland slopes are some rocky hills overlooking Kamloops Lake.

By following the edge of the slope break in an arc bearing west-northwest, we can come to a pleasant viewpoint above the lake, then we can return by the double track back up to the highway, aiming for Six Mile Hill above.

Along the way are a number of barren snags overlooking the lake.    To the east, the Thompson River empties into Kamloops Lake about 19 km away.

This hike is a moderate 4 km loop with fine views.   It can be done in any season, but we have to emphasize caution in pulling off the highway at this spot.   If coming from Kamloops, pull off at the viewpoint to let any following vehicles by, then drive 1.5 km to the pullout, signalling early.    There may be no parking because of plowed snow in the middle of winter,  so plan accordingly.    It would be a good spot for an early spring visit since the snow will clear early on the open slopes.