3 Gorgeous Waterfall Hikes in Strathcona Provincial Park

Hike to three beautiful waterfalls in BC's oldest provincial park.

Hiking Easy

Description

Strathcona is famous as British Columbia's first provincial park. It was designated in 1911 following an expedition to explore the area conducted by Price Ellison in 1910. While far from the first person to explore the region, his expedition sought to identify the area's suitability as a park. And what a park it is!

From the founding of BC's provincial park system with Strathcona, the system has grown to become "one of the largest protected area systems in North America," according to Gov.BC.CA. "There are 1,033 provincial parks, recreation areas, conservancies, ecological reserves and protected areas, covering more than 14 million hectares — approximately 14.4% of the provincial land base," they continue.

At almost 250,000 hectares in size, beautiful Strathcona park still reigns as the 10th largest provincial park in BC. Located almost exactly in the center of Vancouver Island, this dramatic landscape is home to crystal-clear lakes, towering mountain peaks, glistening glaciers, deep forests, and of course: thundering waterfalls.

If you're looking for a delightful way to experience the beauty of Strathcona without slogging for hours to reach the top of a mountain peak, this outline of three of Strathcona's beautiful waterfalls provides a great itinerary to help you get started. Reaching all three of these waterfalls will take a bit of driving, but the scenic roads to reach the trailheads travel through some of the most beautiful terrain in the park!

Lower Myra Falls is the most remote of the three falls, located at the southern end of Buttle Lake. Despite the long drive required to reach it, visiting Lower Myra is a must, as it's easily the most impressive cascade in the park! This multi-tiered cascade will keep you enraptured by its many thundering falls and the beautiful views from the rock ledges. The falls are named after Myra Ellison, who accompanied her father Price on his expedition at the age of 20.

Lady Falls is a stunning vertical falls that plummets 98 feet straight down. This sheer waterfall is decidedly different than the other waterfalls in this guidebook for Strathcona Provincial Park, as it's one massive, thundering torrent crashing on the rocks below!

Finally, Lupin Falls is the smallest of the three, and yet this hike is one of the most rewarding. On this short loop, you'll traverse through a deep section of the rainforest, walking beneath towering trees and through an understory of fern and moss. You'll cross the creek as you hike via a beautiful wooden bridge and enjoy the opportunity to soak in the beauty and wildness of the rainforest.

Sources: BCParks.com BeyondNootka.com News.Gov.BC.CA