A Weekend of Waterfalls Around Vancouver, B.C.
Trip dates: November 8, 2024 – November 12, 2024
Bridal Falls – Photos in this post were taken on my Fujifilm X-T5 using the King Negative recipe
When most people think of British Columbia, Canada, they picture Vancouver. And while the city itself is an adventure, teeming with culture, nightlife, and endless activities, it’s also surrounded by countless waterfalls just waiting to be explored. During a weekend trip to Vancouver, my sister and I decided to embrace November’s wet, gloomy weather and set out to discover a few of these flowing falls.
If you only have one weekend in the Vancouver area like we did, the waterfalls listed below can all be visited within two days. The easiest way to plan your adventure is by dividing your trip into a “north” day and an “east” day, with room to add in hikes to waterfalls within Vancouver itself if time allows.
If you’d rather not drive too far or don’t have two full days to dedicate to chasing waterfalls, don’t worry. There are still plenty of beautiful spots right in Vancouver that we didn’t have time to visit, including Crystal Falls, Sawblade Falls, Cliff Falls, Norvan Falls, Kennedy Falls, and Cypress Falls.
North
Brandywine Falls Provincial Park
In Vancouver
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park (not a waterfall, but worth visiting)
East
Alexander Falls
Distance from downtown Vancouver: 73 miles
Hike Length: 0 miles
Elevation gain: 0 feet
I don’t have much to say about the stunning Alexander Falls, except that no hiking is required to see it. This gorgeous 141-foot waterfall is easily visible from a boardwalk just steps from the parking lot!
Brandywine Falls Provincial Park
Distance from downtown Vancouver: 65 miles
Hike Length: 1.4 miles round trip
Elevation gain: Practically zero feet
The gate to Brandywine Falls Provincial Park is only open seasonally, from May 1 to October 31. If you visit outside of that time frame and find the gate closed, there’s a small pull-off area just off the highway where you can park. While there are a few other trails in the area, our main destination was the falls. On the walk in, we were treated to beautiful fall colors and an abundance of mushrooms along the trail.
Shannon Waterfall
Distance from downtown Vancouver: 37 miles
Hike Length: 0.7 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 82-180 feet
Shannon Falls was a bit crowded, likely because it's close to Vancouver and easily accessible right off the highway. There are two viewpoints for the falls, and it’s definitely worth hiking to both since they’re only a short distance apart. My favorite part of the hike was a tree covered in mushrooms that we spotted by the river (below).
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
While it’s not a waterfall, I still think the Capilano Suspension Bridge is well worth visiting while you're in Vancouver. Tickets are a bit pricey, just over $70 per person. You can find more details about pricing and the park here. If it’s within your budget, I’d say the cost is fair for everything the park has to offer. In addition to the famous suspension bridge, there are treetop bridges, a cliff walk over the canyon, and several scenic pathways to explore.
After purchasing our tickets, we headed straight for the main suspension bridge to face the challenge head-on. The bridge stretches 230 feet high above the canyon. When there are lots of people on it (as there were during our visit), the bridge tends to bounce, which definitely gets your heart racing. As someone who’s afraid of heights, I quickly shuffled across, but still managed to soak in the stunning canyon views between nervous steps.
Once you cross the suspension bridge, you’ll find several paths that wind through the forest on the other side of the park. We decided to explore the treetop bridges next. As I mentioned earlier, I’m afraid of heights, but surprisingly, these bridges didn’t bother me at all. They felt very secure and were beautifully tucked into the treetops, offering a peaceful and unique perspective of the forest.
After channeling our inner Tarzan on the treetop bridges and exploring a few forest paths, we shuffled back across the suspension bridge to check out the one area we hadn’t yet explored: the cliff walk. It’s located just to the right of the suspension bridge, next to the gift shop.
We had already walked over a canyon and through the treetops, so we figured the cliff walk would be no big deal. Boy, were we wrong. In terms of height-induced anxiety, the cliff walk was easily the most intense part of the park. The path is attached directly to the cliffside, and while it’s completely secure, it feels a lot less reassuring than the other bridges. I felt more exposed here than anywhere else in the park.
Lynn Canyon Park
Distance from downtown Vancouver: In Vancouver
Hike Length: 1.6-mile loop or less than 0.5 miles to the suspension bridge
Elevation gain: 357 feet
Lynn Canyon Park is brimming with vibrant forest scenery that feels straight out of a Twilight movie. Within the park, you'll find not only lush greenery, but also a variety of mushrooms, a couple of waterfalls, a suspension bridge, deep pools, and two main trails: the Lynn Canyon Loop and the Baden Powell Trail. We focused on the Lynn Canyon Loop.
There are two trailheads for the loop, one near the Lynn Canyon Cafe and one at the north end of the lower parking lot. If you're doing the full loop, I highly recommend starting from the lower lot. If you're only interested in seeing the suspension bridge and not hiking the full loop, you can access the bridge right next to the cafe.
Bosumarne Falls
Distance from downtown Vancouver: 75 miles
Hike Length: 1.5 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 328 feet
Bosumarne Falls is located on an unmarked trail, so the easiest way to find it is by downloading an offline Google Map of the area to your phone (you won’t have service out here). Set your destination to "Bosumarne Falls" and follow the navigation until it ends. When your phone says, “You have reached your destination,” keep driving a bit further until you spot a pullout on the left with large boulders on a small hill. It’s easy to miss if you’re not watching for it.
If you look past the boulders, you’ll see a trail leading straight into the forest, that’s the path to Bosumarne Falls. If you reach the end of Chilliwack Lake Road, you’ve gone too far. Once you're on the trail, follow it for about a mile until you reach the river. From there, keep to the right, the falls are located upstream from where the trail splits.
Bridal Falls
Distance from downtown Vancouver: 75 miles
Hike Length: 0.8 miles round trip
Elevation gain: 164 feet
After a short walk from the parking lot, you'll see Bridal Falls towering above you on the hillside. This is the hill you can climb to reach the base of the falls. Be cautious at the top, the waterfall is massive and generates a powerful blast of mist and air. My sister got a little too close, and the force of the water actually pushed her partway into the pool. Fortunately, she caught herself before being swept downstream.
Cascade Falls
Distance from downtown Vancouver: 56 miles
Hike Length: less than 0.5 miles round trip
Elevation gain: A few stairs to the bridge and viewing platform
Cascade Falls is a breathtaking waterfall that plunges 98 feet into a vibrant emerald pool, surrounded by moss-covered rocks and dense forest. The walk to the viewing platform is short and easy, more of a stroll than a hike, but the payoff is incredible. The falls are powerful and serene all at once, and the suspension bridge offers a perfect vantage point to take it all in. Of all the suspension bridges we visited, this one was my favorite. The peaceful atmosphere and lack of crowds made it feel like a hidden gem tucked away in the wilderness.
Note for the reader: I share these locations so that others can see beautiful places and enjoy nature as much as I do. Please be respectful of the outdoors and what condition it is in when you visit. Don’t go off trail, leave no trace, and pack out what you came in with.
