Hidden Spring Falls

Hidden Spring Falls in Goldstream Provincial Park is not the tallest or most majestic waterfall near Victoria, but given its easy access and short time commitment, (like all of the waterfalls in Goldstream) it’s a must-visit when driving through the park. Like all the Goldstream waterfalls, Hidden Spring Falls requires only a short walk from the highway to completely leave the sound of passing cars behind – replaced by the calming and tranquil sounds of nature. It’s for the wonderful forest ambience that Hidden Spring Falls is one of my favourite waterfalls near Victoria. Despite the trail being marked on official park maps, references to Hidden Spring Falls are few and far between, making this an excellent under-the-radar waterfall. The super short trail is not maintained to the same degree as other trails in the park, and is a bit rooty and rocky. Likely it would be quite muddy too if visiting when wet.

Continue reading this blog post for everything you need to know to experience Hidden Spring Falls in Goldstream Provincial Park near Victoria for yourself, including distance, elevation gain, how to get there, the best time to visit, and lots of photos of my experience, or check out my complete list of waterfalls near Victoria.

When hiking 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 recommend reading up on the BC Parks rules that must be followed when hiking in Goldstream Provincial Park.

If you haven’t heard of Leave No Trace principles, they’re also really essential to read up on before heading anywhere into the outdoors in general. Following these important principles basically means doing your best to leave beautiful places like Hidden Spring Falls as good (if not better) than you found them, both for their preservation and for the enjoyment of other visitors.

Read: Eight More Victoria Waterfalls

When to Visit Hidden Spring Falls

Like all waterfalls on Vancouver Island, the best time of year to visit Hidden Spring Falls is during the rainy months of October to April. During the peak of the rainy season on Vancouver Island, waterfalls can be guaranteed to be fat and gushing with water but a lack of rainfall in summer means that Hidden Spring Falls can dry up and be a bit underwhelming.

How to Get to Hidden Spring Falls Trailhead

The small parking area for Hidden Spring Falls is about twenty minutes from Victoria in Goldstream Provincial Park, but is only accessible from the southbound lane of the highway. The best way to get to the pulloff is by driving into Goldstream until you can turn right at the one intersection with the orange traffic light. (This is the same pulloff as for watching the salmon run and for MacFarlane Falls. Turn around here and go back down the highway south for a minute or two until you can pull off into the unmarked Hidden Spring Falls parking area,

Click here to open the exact trailhead location in Google Maps.

Walking to Hidden Spring Falls

The small parking area right off of the highway. Make sure not to miss it as there aren’t many places to turn around.

The highway quickly disappearing,

After passing a first path leading up to the right, turning down the second trail that separates after the large log in the foreground of his photo.

Ducking under a downed tree, just one of the couple of fun obstacles along the way.

No more than five minutes after starting the walk, Hidden Spring Falls comes into view. Some people have climbed up the hillside above the falls but there’s nothing more to see there and I wouldn’t recommend it.

---

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.

I hope you enjoyed this guide to Hidden Spring Falls in Goldstream Provincial Park near Victoria! Feel free to leave any questions in the comment section below or to contact me directly via social media.