Shimmering Shannon Falls

It has been a tradition both for our family, and for most tour companies, to make a stop at Shannon Falls on the way to Whistler.

The main reason is the convenience. It is along the route. Located along the Sea-to-Sky Highway two kilometers south of Squamish and only 58 kilometers from Vancouver, it is the perfect stopover.

The actual falls is part of the Shannon Falls Provincial Park and is considered the third highest waterfall in British Columbia at a drop of 335 meters above the highway. The falls and the park are both named after William Shannon, a pioneer settler who lived here in the late 1880s and made bricks for a living.

But if you ask me, even if it happens to be out-of-the way, it is still worth a visit. The park, spanning 87 hectares, is home to a series of granite cliffs and old-growth forests of Douglas Firs, Hemlocks, and Western Red Cedars. The water originates from the alpine massif below Sky Pilot Mountain and the Stadium Glacier and tumbles down the valley to form the Shannon Creek.

From the park entrance, it is easy to find a well-maintained boardwalk that leads to the falls and further into the Pacific forests. One can follow the path that meanders along the waters from the base of the falls through the network of trails that crisscross the areas towering trees and into the huge boulders deposited at the base of the creek.

And since this park is adjacent to the Stawamus Chief Provincial Park, some trails connect to the ones that lead to The Chief itself (the granite mountain shaped like an Indigenous Chief’s head), while some go as far as the Sea-to-Sky Gondola parking lot, where another majestic gondola takes you up to a mountain summit that provides sweeping views of Howe sound and the surrounding coastal forests.

Most visitors stay at the picnic area right by the entrance. Families occupy the numerous picnic tables that dot the grounds, or spread their blankets on the grass for a picturesque lunch break. There is a concession stand for those who did not bring their own food, and there is a play area for kids and kids-at-heart to stretch their legs and release their pent-up energy from the long drive to or from Whistler. There are water fountains, washrooms, and an information centre available as well. Most stay for a few hours to take pictures of the falls and stroll around the outskirts of the forests.

But there are also seasoned hikers who make this their starting point for their hike to The Chief or to Whistler. Some even engage in rock climbing, for there are fantastic rock slabs at the south of the falls that offer daredevils a challenge with their steep uphill climbs and slippery ledges.

I have never hiked here. All my visits have always been touristic in nature – a peek at the falls with its silvery cascading waters, a picture there, a short scamper in the forest, and sometimes a few jumps over the rocks and boulders in the middle of the creek. I’ve waded in its waters but have never swam there like some summer visitors do.

However, on my last trip there, when I was with my husband and our then preschooler son, we stayed a little bit longer because my boys wanted to explore further. I let them roam around while I sat at one of the benches on the viewing platform to relax. It was close enough to the falls for me to feel its torrent and have my face sprinkled with the refreshing glacial water.

Looking at it from this vantage point, I had always thought of it as a veil gracefully falling down the back of a radiant bride. Such a refreshing sight!

I look forward to seeing Shannon Falls again on my next visit to British Columbia.