The once-thriving coal town of Morrissey, located near the junction of Morrissey Creek and the Elk River, has like many boom-towns mostly faded into obscurity. Once home to 25 company cottages, a four-room school, several service businesses, a sawmill, brewery, three-story hotel and a newspaper called the Morrissey Miner, now only the brick cove ovens remain, slowly being eaten up by the forest.
Though few physical reminders remain of the town and it’s history, it is still marked on many maps, as is the creek which bears its name, flowing down along its canyon from high in the unnamed and obscure mountains to the east. Upper Morrissey Creek Falls is one of a couple of named waterfalls along its route, though are plenty of smaller cascades as well. The waterfall, much like the town it still bears the name of, is fairly obscure, with even many locals not even having heard of it. Despite being just off of the road, Upper Morrissey Creek Falls sees nowhere as many visitors as the Fernie Classic Fairy Creek Falls, which likely has something to do with the tight and winding active logging road that must be driven down to access it. Still, for the adventurous few who are in the know and are comfortable driving the logging road, Upper Morrissey Creek Falls is a spectacular place to relax and watch the water cascade down.
Continue reading this blog post for everything you need to know to experience the Upper Morrissey Falls Falls Hike near Fernie for yourself, including distance, elevation gain, how to get there, the best time to visit, and lots of photos of my experience.
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.
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 Upper Morrissey Falls as good (if not better) than you found them, both for their preservation and for the enjoyment of other visitors.
Hiking & Safety Tips
- Prepare for the possibility of wildlife encounters. Bear spray is a must whenever travelling in bear country, as well as learning how to use it. Though your chance of an aggressive bear encounter is low, it is always better to be prepared with bear spray. Bear bells are proven to be an ineffective bear deterrent, and are actively discouraged by Parks Canada. The best way to let bears know you’re around is simply to use your voice. Make sure to keep a respectful distance from wildlife and never feed the animals. It may seem kind but it doesn’t just kill wildlife and put people in danger, it’s also in many cases illegal.
- Research current trail conditions and make sure you are well-informed about the route before you leave, and assess if it is within your capability. Be aware of what time it gets dark and check the weather forecast. Make sure to tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to return. Every year as more and more people try hiking for the first time, the number of rescues goes up. Being prepared is the best defense.
- Pack everything you need for a successful hike, including enough water and energy-rich snacks. Remember to pack out everything you pack in though – don’t expect to find a convenient garbage can halfway up the trail. Bring appropriate layers (remember you’ll warm up once you start hiking) and sun protection. Hiking poles may be helpful but are not required. In addition to not leaving any garbage on the trail yourself, I highly recommend bringing a garbage bag and collecting any trash that you do see on the trail. You’re guaranteed to make Upper Morrissey Falls a more enjoyable experience for the next person.
When to Visit Upper Morrissey Falls
Because Upper Morrissey Falls is approached via active logging roads, I highly suggest visiting during the evenings and on weekends to minimize the amount of logging trucks you’re likely to see.
Like many waterfalls in the Rockies, the best time of year to visit is in late Spring. Melting snow and recent rainfall mean that the water level is at its highest, and the waterfalls at their most dramatic. Later in the year waterfalls lose a lot of their power, with some drying up to not much more of a trickle. I visited Upper Morrissey Falls during the summer and it was still flowing pretty decently, but if visiting in the spring you can expect a lot more.
How to Get to Upper Morrissey Falls
The turnoff from the Crowsnest Highway is located 15 kms south of Fernie. From here, turn east onto Morrissey Road as it crosses the Elk River and train tracks, and then at the fork turn right onto Morrissey Forestry Service Road. Follow this active logging road for 11 kms, being mindful of all signs and making sure to get well out of the way of any logging trucks. Remember, you can brake a lot easier than they can.
Historically the road has been quite narrow and dangerous to share with traffic coming the other direction, but when I visited Upper Morrissey Falls in 2022 they were working on widening the road, so I imagine that much if not all of the road has been made slightly safer. Still, I suggest visiting Upper Morrissey Falls on weekends or in the evening to reduce the likelihood of sharing the road with logging trucks.
When I visited there was no clear landmark to identify the shoulder from where the waterfall trail starts, so I suggest relying on the google maps pin. Look for the widening of the road and either park there or drive up several minutes more to a wider pullout and walk back down.
Click here to open the exact location in Google Maps.
Visiting Upper Morrissey Falls
As you can see, there aren’t any real identifiable landmarks other than a slight widening of the road to signify the start of the trail down, so I suggest relying on the Google Maps pin to find the spot.
From the road the trail start sharply down the steep slope. I fell about a second after this photo, so be careful.
More evidence of the steep slope.
Approaching the base of Upper Morrissey Falls.
Beautiful Upper Morrissey Falls.
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 Upper Morrissey Falls near Fernie! Feel free to leave any questions in the comment section below or to contact me directly via social media.