Shannon Falls

Squamish / Whistler / Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

About Shannon Falls

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Shannon Falls was one of the tallest waterfalls in British Columbia at 335m tall (said to be the third tallest in the province behind Della Falls and Hunlen Falls).

It was certainly one of the highlights of the Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler.

Shannon_Falls_027_08012017 - Shannon Falls
Shannon Falls

Being that this was right off of the highway, it was also one of the more popular attractions.

It not only had a pair of lookouts to take in this towering falls, but it also had a few “play” areas where people found calm spots on Shannon Creek to cool off.

Julie and Tahia managed to take advantage of one of these spots, which gives you an idea of how people of all ages could enjoy this place.

There was even a pretty sizable restroom facility as well as a welcome center, which further attested to the pretty high volume of visitation.

Shannon Falls gets its best lighting in the afternoon (though that’s also the time when this place would be most crowded).

Some Shannon Falls Heritage

Shannon_Falls_008_08012017 - Context of the Welcome Center and Shannon Falls looming in the background
Context of the Welcome Center and Shannon Falls looming in the background

Since Shannon Falls Provincial Park was just south of the town of Squamish, we learned that the area was steeped in First Nations history as well as legends.

Squamish was the municipality center bearing the same name of the local indigenous Squamish First Nation people.

One such legend stated that a two-headed sea serpent from the nearby Howe Sound was responsible for the creation of the falls by making several trips slithering up and down the mountainside.

The resulting slithering action left the water channel upon which Shannon Creek made its dramatic tumble.

Geologically speaking, Shannon Falls was a result of a receding glacier that left both the Howe Sound as well as a hanging valley high up above the U-shaped profile of the Squamish Valley.

Shannon_Falls_009_08012017 - A large picnic area near the restroom facility for Shannon Falls
A large picnic area near the restroom facility for Shannon Falls

The waterfall got its name from the person who owned the falls and the surrounding area around 1890-1900.

Experiencing Shannon Falls

Our visit was pretty much a breeze as we merely walked on a well-developed path leading past a big restroom facility fronted by several picnic tables.

Then, the path bent to the left past a welcome center and up a gently inclining paved trail.

Already, we could see the Shannon Falls from here, but the trail kept going alongside Shannon Creek just as the trail became more like a wide graded path.

Shannon_Falls_064_08012017 - Lots of people chilling out along the banks of Shannon Creek to cool off in its waters
Lots of people chilling out along the banks of Shannon Creek to cool off in its waters

Some spots along the creek had quite a few people enjoying being in and around the creek while others were scrambling to get to the base of the falls quite a bit further from the trail.

When the trail curved to the left then to the right, we encountered a junction.

This trail joined up with the Sea to Sky Gondola path as well as a steeper trail leading up several steps flanked by tall trees, and the rightmost path leading to the busy main lookout.

By this point, we had walked about a mere 300m from the closest parking lot (or 600m round trip).

Shannon_Falls_058_08012017 - Looking back at the trail continuing to climb up to the upper lookout for Shannon Falls
Looking back at the trail continuing to climb up to the upper lookout for Shannon Falls

After having our fill of this main lookout, I took some time to go up the steps as the trail climbed another 300m to a second lookout.

This trail was well-shaded thanks to the canopy created by leaves and branches growing from tall trees flanking the pathway.

At the upper lookout, I managed to get closer and more angled views of the Shannon Falls.

I was even able to see a handful of people who made the scramble up from Shannon Creek to access the previously-unseen lower sections of the falls (due to foliage getting in the way of the lower views).

Shannon_Falls_053_08012017 - Looking up at Shannon Falls from the upper lookout with some people who managed to scramble closer to its base for a sense of scale
Looking up at Shannon Falls from the upper lookout with some people who managed to scramble closer to its base for a sense of scale

The hike to get up to this point was about 600m from the nearest parking area or 1.2km round trip.

Overall, we had spent about an hour away from the car though we could have easily taken less time than that since we loitered around and took our time enjoying the park.

Authorities

Shannon Falls resides in the Shannon Falls Provincial Park near Whistler in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is adminstered by BC Parks. For information or inquiries as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual members. See Membership Options.
Content is for members. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: whistler, squamish, lillooef, british columbia, sea to sky, waterfall, vancouver



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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
Read More About Johnny | A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls.