+ 60
Brandywine Falls and Swim Lake
Hiking Trail
Easy
1.19 mi
157 ft
Short walk to a viewing platform over a picture-perfect, 70-meter waterfall.
Brandywine Falls looks like a creation for some kind of movie set. It is the perfect waterfall—a curtain of water in complete freefall for 70 meters, dropping from a perfectly-straight lip in a parabolic cliff, accented by deep green forest. It is real, though, and it’s found in the Cheakamus Valley near Whistler.
Reaching the falls requires only a short, level hike just off Highway 99. Even if you are just passing through the area, this waterfall is worth the quick stop. The trail is popular year round, but especially in the warmer months. It’s good for snowshoeing in winter, too, when the falls are fringed with ice.
The hike begins with a covered footbridge over Brandywine Creek, then continues on a wide track through shady coastal rainforest and across a railroad track to reach the falls.
A large viewing platform over a cliff is the typical photo spot, but you can reach another vantage from a second platform farther down the trail. From a third platform at the end, you’ll see the creek as it slides through a little valley and empties into Daisy Lake below. From near this third platform, an unmaintained, very steep trail leads down to the bottom of the falls. It requires some scrambling on slick rocks and mud.
Swim Lake is a small lake surrounded by dense forest, located north of the falls along a signed spur trail that is also short and easy. It’s a worthwhile side trip, especially if you fancy a dip on a warm summer day.
Sources:
Written by Jesse Weber
Brandywine Falls looks like a creation for some kind of movie set. It is the perfect waterfall—a curtain of water in complete freefall for 70 meters, dropping from a perfectly-straight lip in a parabolic cliff, accented by deep green forest. It is real, though, and it’s found in the Cheakamus Valley near Whistler.
Reaching the falls requires only a short, level hike just off Highway 99. Even if you are just passing through the area, this waterfall is worth the quick stop. The trail is popular year round, but especially in the warmer months. It’s good for snowshoeing in winter, too, when the falls are fringed with ice.
The hike begins with a covered footbridge over Brandywine Creek, then continues on a wide track through shady coastal rainforest and across a railroad track to reach the falls.
A large viewing platform over a cliff is the typical photo spot, but you can reach another vantage from a second platform farther down the trail. From a third platform at the end, you’ll see the creek as it slides through a little valley and empties into Daisy Lake below. From near this third platform, an unmaintained, very steep trail leads down to the bottom of the falls. It requires some scrambling on slick rocks and mud.
Swim Lake is a small lake surrounded by dense forest, located north of the falls along a signed spur trail that is also short and easy. It’s a worthwhile side trip, especially if you fancy a dip on a warm summer day.
Sources:
Written by Jesse Weber
Created By
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