One of my favourite things about Vancouver Island is the seemingly endless amount of incredible waterfalls, often located within the most beautiful of surroundings. If you plan on heading out chasing waterfalls, Nanaimo is the perfect place to start. I can’t think of anywhere on the island that has so many easily accessible waterfalls right nearby. In fact, five of these picturesque waterfalls are located right within the city itself! Of the others, none is more than a half hour drive away. While some of these waterfalls take slightly more effort to reach than others, the difficulty level ranges from nothing more than a short walk to an easy hike (with one exception of a steep downhill with some short bushwhacking). Like all Vancouver Island waterfalls, the best time to visit us winter and spring. After rain these waterfalls are at their most powerful, but if visiting during drier parts of the year some of them dry up considerably.
Continue reading this blog post for everything you need to know to experience these 8 incredible waterfalls within half an hour from Nanaimo for yourself, including distance, elevation gain, how to get there, the best time to visit, and lots of photos of my experience.
Not located in Nanaimo? Check out my list of awesome waterfalls near Victoria!
Tips for Visiting Nanaimo Waterfalls
When in the outdoors it’s important to avoid harmful practices such as disturbing plants or rock-stacking, or removing any natural object from flowers to rocks, as it’s important to leave the environment as natural as possible for the animals and for fellow hikers to enjoy in perpetuity. As many flowers as there are, there are few enough that if we all took one, then there wouldn’t be any left. Take only photos, leave only footprints.
I also highly recommend reading up on Leave No Trace principles before heading anywhere into the outdoors in general. Following these important principles basically means doing your best to leave beautiful places like these Nanaimo waterfalls as good (if not better) than you found them, both for their preservation and for the enjoyment of other visitors.
When to Visit Waterfalls Near Nanaimo
Most waterfalls on Vancouver Island are primarily fed by rainwater, fortunately for local waterfall chasers Nanaimo is located in one one of the rainiest and wettest regions in all of Canada. During the months of winter when the rest of Canada is blanketed in snow, Nanaimo rains and rains and rains. For this reason winter and early spring are the best seasons to visit waterfalls in the region. Visitors to Nanaimo in the summer can expect to find many of the waterfalls listed here significantly diminished, with many waterfalls drying up almost completely during the drier summer and early autumn months.
Best Nanaimo Waterfalls
Lower Shooting Star Falls
Distance from Downtown Nanaimo: 23 km
Walking Time: 20 mins
A thirty minute drive from downtown Nanaimo, Lower Shooting Star Falls really is a hidden gem, and one of the best waterfalls you can visit in the area. Not only that, it is by far the easiest waterfall to get to on this list, requiring nothing more than a ten minute walk along along a flat easy trail. The trailhead is located just off of the highway at the Nanoose Bay rest stop, and follows closely alongside a small creek. The forest atmosphete of this walk is one of my absolute favourites, with looming trees reaching up and creating an insulating canopy above. Despite being as close to the highway as it is, it immediately feels like you’ve been transported somewhere much more remote and pristine.
Shooting Star Falls
Distance from Downtown Nanaimo: 23 km
Walking Time: 20 mins
Shooting Star Falls, and it’s upper companion (keep scrolling down) are intuitively on the same creek as Lower Shooting Star Falls. Unlike the lower falls however, Shooting Star Falls is accessed by parking upstream and walking down towards the falls. It’s a very short walk through some absolutely beautiful forest, but the trail is a little hard to follow in places and it gets somewhat steep.
Upper Shooting Star Falls
Distance from Downtown Nanaimo: 23 km
Walking Time: 30 mins
Upper Shooting Star Falls is slightly easier to approach than Shooting Star Falls, as it skips the steep section of the trail. this beautiful waterfall near Nanaimo is the third waterfall on the creek, and possibly my favourite.
Ammonite Falls
Distance from Downtown Nanaimo: 14 km
Walking Time: 1 HR
A local favourite, it’s impossible to talk about Nanaimo waterfalls without bringing up Ammonite Falls. It’s definitely the most popular waterfall on this list for tourists and for locals – deservedly so. Located in Benson Creek Regional Park just fifteen minutes from downtown Nanaimo, the hike to Ammonite Falls is the longest on this list. Is the one hour hike worth it? Definitely. New staircases and viewing platforms newly built this year make the waterfall easier to access than ever, and the forest walk to get there is gorgeous. Reaching the base of the falls previously involved some difficulty – requiring down-climbing a degraded muddy slope with the help of ropes, but with the upgraded trail, as long as you’re not scared of stairs – the entire thing is a walk in the park.
Northfield Falls
Distance from Downtown Nanaimo: 4 km
Walking Time: 5 Mins
Are you allergic to hard work? Looking to get to a waterfall as quick and painlessly as possible? Northfield Falls in Beach Estates Park might be one to check off your list since everything about this waterfall is easy. It’s so accessible in fact, that it’s just across the street from Save-On-Foods. That’s right – you can combine visiting this waterfall with a grocery run. From the trailhead, stairs lead a short distance down to the base of this waterfall. It can get pretty dry in summer though, so I suggest visiting after rain as I did if you’re after that same dramatic flow of water.
Lower Millstone River Falls
Distance from Downtown Nanaimo: 2 km
Walking Time: 30 mins
Lower Millstone River Falls in Bowen Park is another one of those hidden gems of beauty surrounded by urban sprawl that Nanaimo is so full of. This beautiful solid curtain of water (and it’s upper neighbour – see below) are accessed by a short almost-completely-level walk along a nice riverside path. It’s a super accessible waterfall that allows you to get right up close to the spray of water. Make sure to visit when water is high, as like many other waterfalls on this list, it tends to dry up during the summer months.
Upper Millstone River Falls
Distance from Downtown Nanaimo: 2 km
Walking Time: 30 mins
Upper Millstone Falls is located just a few minutes past Lower Millstone Falls, and if you’re visiting one it’s worth visiting them both. Upper Millstone Falls is unique in that the river splits into two parallel streams reuniting just before the drop, creating a beautiful mossy island in the center.
Granny Falls
Distance from Downtown Nanaimo: 3 km
Walking Time: 20 mins
Granny Falls is the best-well-known waterfall located within Nanaimo itself, and is one of locals’ most beloved spots. The short ten minute trail through Colliery Dam Park is surprisingly diverse – leading over a cute wooden bridge, up and down platforms and stairs, and through a dark culvert. Plus, it’s only a five minute drive from downtown Nanaimo. It’s also located only a few minutes away from my favourite waterfall on the list. (Keep on reading.) There are tons of reasons to love this waterfall.
Harewood Creek Falls
Distance from Downtown Nanaimo: 3 km
Walking Time: 30 mins
Harewood Creek Falls is truly one of Nanaimo’s best-kept secrets. The short walk to this hidden waterfall starts just five minutes from downtown Nanaimo in Colliery Dam Park and leads down a steep hill. After reaching the base there is some bushwhacking and a log bridge crossing of the creek required to reach the falls themselves, making Harewood Creek Falls the most challenging waterfall to reach on this list. We visited this waterfall on a rainy day when the steep hill was slick and muddy, but if visiting when it is drier I imagine this waterfall would be much easier to get to. Not everyone would enjoy the short approach to Harewood Creek Falls, but those who make it will be well-rewarded with my personal favourite waterfall on this list.
Stocking Creek Falls
Distance from Downtown Nanaimo: 29 km
Walking Time: 1 HR
Stocking Creek Falls is a charming waterfall located in Stocking Creek Park, a half hour drive south of Nanaimo. The trail leads alongside Stocking Creek through idyllic rainforest for no more than half an hour – the trail made easy by wooden platforms and bridges. This is another overlooked waterfall in the region that is absolutely stunning.
Recommended Hiking Gear
Water is a must whenever I’m hiking, especially if the sun is going to be out. My favourite water filter I’ve used is the Katadyn BeFree 0.6L, which unlike other water filters I’ve used packs up really small and lightweight. For hikes where I know there won’t be any readily available water sources along the way, I make sure to bring my own. The Hydrapak Stow 1L bottle is my go-to, for the same reason that it’s made of a soft plastic that folds up and doesn’t take up any more extra space than necessary in my pack. Finally, Aquatabs are another great option for purifying water, with one tablet being suitable for one litre of water. I previously used the Grayl water filter while travelling internationally, and though I found its hard body more convenient for day to day use and easier to drink from, it has a little too much bulk for my fast-and-light style of hiking.
The secret to all my photos of gorgeous sunset and sunrise mountaintop views? A lot of hiking in the dark. And let me speak from personal experience when I say that the last thing that you want to happen when hiking is to be caught in the dark without a headlamp. I used the Black Diamond Spot 400 for years and it worked great – until I lost it on top of a mountain somewhere. The only downside to it was having to worry about the batteries dying, though there’s also a slightly more expensive version that has a rechargeable battery. Nowadays I’m using the Petzl Actik Core, which is a bit pricier than the more budget-friendly Black Diamond, but is also brighter, more comfortable (in my opinion), and has a hybrid power system that is rechargeable but can also take AAA batteries if needed.
You won’t see me using trekking poles on shorter hikes often – but on long hikes and backpacking trips, as well as certain scrambles, they are an absolute lifesaver. I’ve invested in a high quality ultra-lightweight pair of MSR DynaLock Ascent carbon poles which, while pricey, I don’t regret one bit. If you’re not entirely sure how much use you’re going to get out of a pair of trekking poles, the best budget-friendly option would be the Trekology Trek Z 2.0. Amazon does sell a lot of cheaper Made in China-style trekking poles for cheaper, but these usually are much much heavier and not worth buying.
All the best and most long-lasting cables and power banks I’ve ever owned have been Anker. I once had a phone cable from them that lasted me over three years of daily use! That’s why I keep an Anker PowerCore Essential 20K power bank on me. Like many people I use my phone for a lot of stuff when hiking (checking in with family, using online maps, taking photos, flying my drone) so I like to be prepared for that low battery warning by having a backup power source on me just in case.
The only socks I ever buy for myself are from Darn Tough, and I almost always make sure to wear them when hiking. After years of having no problems only wearing these comfortable and rugged socks for hikes, I accidentally wore a pair of no-name socks on a hike last year and ended up with blisters on both feet. Safe to say I’m back to sticking with the Darn Tough. And the best part? They have a lifetime guarantee, meaning that if they ever wear out you can send them back for a brand new pair. For hiking footwear I go between a pair of lightweight approach shoes for quick and dirty mountain ascents or anything involving scrambling and more heavy-duty boots for longer treks. I’ve worn a couple different versions of the lightweight but super durable Arc’teryx Konseal FL 2 approach shoes for a few years now and am very impressed with the durability. I also really like the thick toecap that keeps me protected every time I stumble into a root or large rock. For longer, tougher, or muddier treks I rely on my LOWA Camino EVO GTX, which I find insanely comfortable and made of very high quality.
I wear my Ar’teryx Gamma Lightweight Pants on every single hike I go on, and on many days when I’m not hiking. After several years of abuse they are still holding together extraordinarily well, with only a few small holes from where I’ve fallen down and some slight stains from being repeatedly coated with mud. They’re lightweight, breathable, and super comfortable. For lightweight and breathable hiking tops I’m a big fan of both the Patagonia Capilene Shirt and the MEC Core Shirt. My Arc’teryx Squamish Hoody shows up in a lot of my photos. It’s super lightweight and packable, and does a great job of cutting the wind while also being pretty breathable. I also have an Arc’teryx Atom Hoody and Arc’teryx Beta LT that I pull out for cooler or wetter conditions.