Having just purchased a new camera, I was excited to try it out.
I spent a couple of days driving from Kelowna to Revelstoke and stopped at a few waterfalls along the way.
I was shocked at how beautiful these falls were and how simple it was to access them.
I am sure hundreds of people drive right by these sites daily and have no idea what beauty lies behind just a few minutes off the road.
When visiting the waterfalls I would recommend hiking boots and maybe a walking stick, but you could do these just as easily in runners.
If you are a photographer I would suggest a tripod, or at least a monopod, as many of these falls are shaded.
So let’s begin!
Whatcom Falls
I started my Weekend of Waterfalls in Bellingham visiting my family and stopped at Whatcom Falls.
This was located in, aptly named, Whatcom Falls Park. The walk to the falls was simple and from the stone bridge you get a fabulous view of the falls.
The falls are in a tree covered area of the park so, like most of these locations, a tripod was very helpful. There was no path leading down to the stream so I didn’t attempt it.
Complete park information for Whatcom Falls can be found at: https://www.cob.org/services/recreation/parks-trails/Pages/whatcom-falls-park.aspx.
After this I headed to Kelowna for my base of operations.
BX Falls
After a driving up to Kelowna, the next stop was at BX Falls in Vernon.
There are two entrances to the park. I found the “lower” parking area by setting my GPS for “6185 Star Rd, Vernon, BC V1B 3P4”.
From there it is a hike up to the falls (I didn’t attempt this).
The “Upper” area was a little trickier to find. On a hunch I followed signs to "Cedar Falls Campground & Store" which took me next to the trailhead (you won’t miss the signage).
I started down the trail and could hear the rushing water. After walking for a few minutes on the trail I came to the steps leading down to the falls.
These were under construction so I continued on another few minutes and came to the older steps.
These are steep but there are handrails and resting benches for the climb back up.
Once at the bottom it was a simple trek upstream to the falls, the path leading downstream also provided some great photo locations and would eventually lead to the lower lot.
It was great being able to get right up to the falls, the place was secluded enough so you felt like you were the only person on earth.
Sicamous Creek Falls
This park was easy enough to find by following my GPS to “859 2 Mile Rd, Sicamous, BC V0E”.
When I arrived, I was disappointed to see that the trail was closed with no ETA for re-opening.
My friend said that just meant I’d have the falls all to myself but caution took over so I wasn’t able visit.
I then decided to continued my trek to the next stop.
Gorge Creek Falls
This is location of the Last Spike for the Canadian Pacific Railway.
To get here, I drove the Trans Canada to Craigellachie. This location isn’t very well marked but I looked for a rest stop.
Once there you will see two buildings and the Last Spike monument.
Go past the first building and follow the path up the hill to the right.
There is a kiosk at the top of the hill with directions.
Unfortunately the trail was closed, two closures in a row and things weren’t looking good.
Key Falls
I continued on the Trans Canada towards Revelstoke.
Driving past Crazy Creek, I followed my GPS to “N50 58.506 W118 36.359”.
After passing over a bridge there is a non descriptive turnout on the right side of the road (if you are travelling towards Revelstoke).
There is plenty of room to park however, if you look you will see a parting in the vegetation which is the start of the trail.
Once you step through you are welcomed to a beautiful forest location. the trail is very easy to follow but there are rocks and tree roots.
Trying to balance my camera and tripod was tricky but I was able to use the tripod as a walking stick at times and within a five minute walk you will be at the base of the falls.
This was an AMAZING view. The sound of the water and the isolation of the viewpoint was quite remarkable.
My biggest problem was being so close to the falls I had to keep drying my lens from all of the mist!
You do need to be a bit careful here as the wet rocks were a bit slippery.
Out of all all the falls that I visited, this was my favourite.
Moses Creek Falls
Continuing on towards Revelstoke, I headed to the Moses Creek Falls.
Just before crossing the bridge into Revelstoke turn left and follow the road about 6KM to GPS coordinates N51 02.576 W118 13.151.
On the left side of the parking area is the marker and the path leading down is right next to it.
Simply follow this path down the hill and you will come to an access road where you will continue straight.
Entering a wooded area you will see another path, at this point you will see a path that goes left, but don’t take this path, continue straight down the next hillside.
The path is winding and narrow but I was able to navigate it fine carrying my camera and tripod. This will lead you right to the falls and thankfully it only took about 10 minutes from start to finish.
These falls are a little different from the others, as the water falls down the side of the rocks instead of pouring over.
There are pools and water flows which makes this a great sight and you can get right next to it as well.
Farther down stream the water picks up again as it heads to the lake.
Sutherland Falls
The final destination on my trip was the Sutherland Falls at Blanket Creek Provincial Park.
Simply head to the park, which is about a 30 minute drive from Moses Creek Falls and follow the road to the bottom where you can turn left into the parking area.
From there follow the marked trail which says it’s a 5 minute walk to an observation area.
All along the walk you can hear the water rushing by but there wasn’t an easy off path way to get there.
Near the end you will come upon a warning sign about staying on the trail and explaining the dangers of attempting to kayak from this point.
The trail ends at a fenced observation area that has a great view of the falls.
I attempted to get a little closer to the falls but the rocks were wet, and a little slippery, and the view wasn’t particularly better.
I hope my journey motivates you to great adventures as well!
Let us know what your favourite waterfalls are in the Okanagan!
