Rearguard Falls

Rearguard Falls was another one of those unplanned waterfalls that we happened to chance upon thanks to its conspicuous sign right off the Hwy 16. This waterfall was more like a wide series of rapids and cascades, but I guess the significance of this waterfall has to do with the salmon migration, which I learned from a sign at the car park.

Apparently, the Chinook are the largest and strongest species of Pacific salmon, and they're able to make the 1200km journey up the Fraser River from the ocean to spawn here. It's said that they can be seen in late Summer, but I guess we were just a smidge too late to see them as we didn't spot any (we were here in late September).

A short walking path from the car park descends to the viewing area right next to the falls. The sign here is pretty spot on saying it's about 30 minutes return to do the walk.

Another thing I found interesting was that there were a couple of other paths off limits of visitors flanking the viewing area. It turned out that those paths are for raft or kayak launching and/or portaging. So that kind of suggests that this falls is routinely run.

Directions: The well-signed and wide car park for Rearguard Falls is about 100km west of Jasper along Hwy 16. Or, it's about 14km west of the well-signed car park for

Alternatively, the car park is a little over 4km east of the Hwy 16/Hwy 5 junction. If you're headed east on Hwy 16, then the turnoff is on your right (and is much easier to access as you don't have to cross traffic to get to it).

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The signpost at the car park

Distant view of the falls while on the way down to its overlook

Julie walking down to the viewing platform for the falls

Looking downstream away from the falls

Wide profile view of the falls

Contextual view of the viewing platform and the falls

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Fixated on the falls from an overlook near the start

Left to right sweep of the falls showing some of the scenery further downstream

Left to right sweep starting from the brink of the falls and ending a little further downstream

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TRIP REPORTS

• September 20, 2010

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NEARBY WATERFALLS

• Overlander Falls
• Thunder Falls

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