One of our outings for last weekend was a short hike to Nairn Falls located 20 minutes north of Whistler in the Nairn Falls Provincial Park.
The falls are a mere 60 metres in height, in comparison with nearby Shannon Falls at 335 m, but they are geographically quite interesting as you may be able see in the photograph above if you click to enlarge. But I'll tell you a little bit about them anyway.
The Green River carries sand and gravel which erodes away the bedrock over time and where it moves in a circular motion it carves potholes which sometimes join together underground leaving a bridge of rock, with the water swelling to the surface farther along. All these features are here at Nairn Falls and it is a most spectacular place, with the water roiling along with great force and a lot of noise.
Here the river has turned the corner through the potholes and drops away again, churning along with great force and sending spray flying in all directions.
When we first came here years ago, there was not much in the way of a guard rail but over the years the rocks overlooking the site have been completely fenced off. Not the place to fall into the river here I think.
A most spectacular place and of great interest geologically speaking. Of course the whole region is volcanic in origin which is what makes it so beautiful.
The hike from the parking lot to the falls is a mere 1.5 km but not so easy as that might suggest. It follows the bank of the Green River but goes up hill and down dale through the thick trees which line it all the way. The banks are very steep and the river runs very fast and is also quite cold, as they warn you on the signs. There is a final upward climb to the top of the rocks overlooking the view point to the falls.
The falls are a spiritual site to the local Lil’wat Nation. Part of the trail to the falls is the traditional route used by the Lil’wat people to access the falls and Mount Currie.
A view from near the parking lot, at the beginning of the trail where you can see the river continuing on its way from Green Lake which I showed you in this post. It now flows a little more sedately here which is just as well since there are 94 campsites who would like to have more peace and quiet than you find by the falls themselves.
The falls are a spiritual site to the local Lil’wat Nation. Part of the trail to the falls is the traditional route used by the Lil’wat people to access the falls and Mount Currie.
A view from near the parking lot, at the beginning of the trail where you can see the river continuing on its way from Green Lake which I showed you in this post. It now flows a little more sedately here which is just as well since there are 94 campsites who would like to have more peace and quiet than you find by the falls themselves.
After that effort, it's time for a drink at the nineteenth hole of the Big Sky Golf and Country Club, * just north of Whistler and one of the many world class golf courses in the area.
The outside vine covered pergola is a very pleasant spot to sit and watch the golfers putting on the 18th green. Something I have never seen before is the continuous very fine spraying of water all around the patio which makes it a very refreshing place to sit on a very warm day. You can see the little clouds of spray at the top of the left hand support pillar.A perfect finish to a lovely day out and about near Whistler.
* Thanks to an anonymous commenter, I have changed this to the correct golf club which I had in error as Pemberton Golf and Country Club.
