Nairn Falls Hike

Nairn Falls is one of the most accessible and spectacular waterfalls in the Sea-To-Sky corridor. Located 30 kilometers north of Whistler Village, the trail to the falls begins at the Nairn Falls Provincial Park and Campground parking lot, which features a day use area with several pit toilets and picnic tables. From here a 1.5-kilometer hike up the Green River leads to the viewing platform at the falls. Here the Green River tumbles down through a deep, narrow box canyon and passes underneath a natural bridge before making a sharp S turn and cascading over a series of drops totaling about 60 metres.

The trail up to the falls is wide and easy for the whole family, though the viewing area is on rocky terrain that requires some degree of coordination. Handrails and fences have been installed for safety. There are also a couple of educational signs explaining the geological processes that created the falls. Along the trail there are views of the northwest face of Mount Currie as well as one spot where it is possible to access a rocky beach area on the river. Expect the trail to take 20 to 45 minutes each way, and plan to spend at least a few minutes at the falls.

Nairn Falls may not be as tall or dramatic as Brandywine Falls, but it carries much more water and it is easier to get up close and personal with the falls here, where the energy of the river is particularly strong at high flows. At lower flows the giant potholes carved into the canyon walls are revealed, and the immense power of the river is equally evident. Visitors marvel at the raging torrent of water and sediment relentlessly pounding away, and the water's ability to dig down through solid bedrock over thousands of years is somehow both incomprehensible and blatantly obvious.

The trail is open year round, but snowshoes may be required during the winter months.