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To finish off a full month and a half, of beautiful B.C. waterfalls, I decided to keep this week's adventures local. Hopefully, along this waterfall journey, you've been able to find a couple new places to explore, here in our backyard!
Crawford Falls
Crawford Falls, one of the most well-known falls around the area, has become quite popular over the past few years. The trail itself starts out a little steep in order to get down to the bottom of the canyon and the falls. At the end of the trail, you will need to go down a ladder until you see the first set of falls. After taking in the first waterfall, make sure to head upstream to the second set which is located about five minutes from the first falls. The second set of falls are about twice the size, and easily worth the hike in - especially around this time of year!
Christie Falls
Located up the Bear Creek forest service road, along Westside Rd, Christie Falls makes for a great day trip. The stream that turns into Christie Falls can get pretty dried up near the end of the season which is why I'd recommend viewing the falls in the springtime, or as early as the snow melts and allows access to the trail head. The hike is fairly short and not very hard, it takes about 15 minutes total, but descending down to the falls from the trail is where things start to get technical.
This is the spot where you'll want to make sure you have proper footwear, as things can get fairly slippery and the trail is steep. Not to mention, the moisture from the falls makes the path extremely slick at times. At the base of Christie, you'll find a couple of cool cave-like features that are explorable. The edge of the cliff above hangs over, allowing for a walking path right under and behind the falls. The cliff can also be scaled by rock climbing to the top if you have enough experience to do so. According to recent social media updates, the falls are still quite snowed in, limiting vehicle access, due to the late spring.
Hardy Falls Regional Park
The trail into Hardy Falls is perfect for any fitness level and is a great place to take someone, who may not be much of an avid hiker. The path is flat and easily accessible. During spawning season the creek also makes for a great viewing place to observe the process of salmon spawning.
Fintry Falls Provincial Park
Fintry falls, otherwise known as the stairway to waterfall heaven, lives up to its nickname with enough staircases to cover your workout for the week. This hidden gem, well-known to locals, is located halfway down Westside Rd, which makes it one of three along this stretch of road and is worth the extra bit of exercise. The falls themselves were once used to harness energy and power the old township of Fintry. It's quite an interesting place and if you haven't been, it might be time.
Directions to all of these local waterfalls can easily be found on a search engine or map app. Plan a day trip to all four of these waterfalls this summer and see what all the fuss is about. These local falls are all within the Okanagan and are definitely a great way to spend your afternoon.
Since the day I took my first photography course in high school I knew it would soon become my new-found passion. After finding some much-needed inspiration on Instagram, I slowly got into the adventure side of photography. Whether it’s climbing a mountain or shooting down a zip-line, off-roading or just simply doing some fishing in the backcountry, I’m always trying to find new ways to have a little fun while applying photography in the process. Raised in the Okanagan, I still find myself blown away with what I discover in our valley. Join my adventures on Instagram @theexpeditionist or contact me at ericsaukarookoff@hotmail.com.
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