About Helmcken Falls
Helmcken Falls was probably the most famous of the waterfalls that we saw in the Wells Gray Provincial Park.
It seemed like tour buses would routinely stop here and offload their busloads of people thereby crowding the viewing deck and picnic area.
I guess the reason for its popularity was that it had a 141m cumulative drop over two distinct plunging tiers.
I had read somewhere that this was said to be the 4th tallest waterfall in Canada so it’s understandable why it gets the notoriety.
Since the waterfall was on the Murtle River, it shared the same river as Dawson Falls further upstream, which also made us think that Helmcken Falls flowed year-round.
Given the volume of something like Dawson Falls squeezing into a narrow chute that caused the river to eject and plunge over Helmcken Falls, we could appreciate its volume punctuated by the waterfall’s height.
During our visit in September 2010, we had to contend with bad weather.
At least the heavy rains were sort of off-and-on at the time so we could linger at the viewing deck without getting drenched.
However, the thing that really tested our patience was the relentless fog that stubbornly stayed around the gorge between the viewing deck and the Helmcken Falls itself.
In fact, the first time we saw it at mid-morning, it was totally foggy so we actually left to visit Dawson Falls before coming back.
After an hour or so, Helmcken Falls finally started to show itself albeit grudgingly (as evidenced by the partially-foggy photo you see at the top of this page).
The walk to the falls was practically negligible as it was perhaps less than five minutes from the official car park.
Sometimes, tour buses would drop off their folks at a pullout, which was even closer to the picnic area and viewing deck than the general parking area.
To my knowledge, there was no official way to get closer to the bottom of Helmcken Falls.
However, we did notice a signpost on the drive to the overlook indicating a Helmcken Rim Trail.
Since we didn’t do it, we can’t really say where it would go and whether it would provide a different yet worthwhile viewing experience altogether.
Authorities
Helmcken Falls resides in Wells-Gray Provincial Park near Clearwater in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is administered by BC Parks. For information or inquiries as well as current conditions, visit their website.
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Helmcken Falls May 21, 2021 4:37 am - This massive waterfall is one of my favorites in British Columbia. During the winter, an ice cone forms at the bottom, which makes for a spectacular scene. I'm always surprised by how powerful this waterfall is, and the gorge in the area is stunning. There isn't really much of a hike here. Just a few… ...Read MoreNearest Waterfalls
