With almost a half-million visitors annually, Shannon Falls Provincial Park is one of the most popular picnic spots along the entire Sea to Sky corridor. Located on the east side of Hwy 99 just south of Stawamus Chief Mountain, extensive picnic grounds surround the base of BC's third-highest waterfall (1,105 feet/335 m). In summer months the parking lot is full by noon, with half of the visitors arriving by tour bus. Picnic tables are located beside Shannon Creek and in the Loggers Sports Field nearby.
A boardwalk leads to a viewing platform near the base of the roaring falls. From here you can gaze up the smooth sides of the granite walls over which the falls foam and tumble. At low flow, the falls does little more than veil the rockface. In feistier seasons, when the falls gives off an almighty roar, its spray will drench you if you get too close. Some people (the cold shower types) don't mind and follow a rough trail that leads from the viewing platform to the base of the falls.
Often the best time to picnic here is on the first warm days of spring and the last ones of fall, when water levels in the falls are running strong and the number of visitors is lower than mid summer.
Stawamus Chief Mountain is a strenuous, 4- to 7-mile (7- to 11-km) return hike, depending on which of three summit routes you choose. There are several approaches to the base of this mass of granite. For the first, leave your car in the lot beside Shannon Falls Provincial Park's Logger's Sports Area. Look for the orange and red markers affixed to a large cedar tree by the Federation of BC Mountain Clubs at the north end of the sports area, which point the way. Travel time to the base of the Chief is 15 minutes on this 0.6-mile (1-km), well-maintained trail, which features several good viewpoints and close encounters with the cool, smooth rock face where the trail runs beside it.
An alternative approach allows you to drive to the base of the Chief itself at the interpretive viewing area on Hwy 99 just north of Shannon Falls. Take the dirt road that leads up the embankment in the middle of the viewpoint (it's not as badly eroded as the others). It links up with a section of the old highway that runs north and south as it hugs the base of the Chief. When you stand next to the Chief here, you look up and up at a wall of smooth granite. It's awe-inspiring. You can see why this monolith has become internationally famous among climbers and has graced more than its share of magazine covers.
To reach the trailhead, turn south onto the old road above the viewpoint, continuing on to its end. Hiking from here to the Chief's south summit is a 2-mile (3.5-km) ascent and takes about 90 minutes; add another hour if you choose the longer Centre and North summit route (3.5 miles/5.5 km one way). Both routes share a common beginning, then divide above Oleson Creek. (Note: The trail from Shannon Falls joins this approach at Oleson Creek, a short distance uphill.) Altogether there is a 1,980-foot (600-m) elevation gain on this hike; you will be climbing almost constantly until the top. This trail is the most popular with hikers (upwards of 50,000 a year), but it is only one of several possible routes on the Chief.
Even if you don't plan to hike, be sure to stop at the Stawamus Chief Mountain viewpoint on Hwy 99 in Squamish, a short distance north of Shannon Falls Provincial Park. An interpretive display will acquaint you with the mountain and some of the history of the region. Get out your binoculars and scan for climbers high up on the sides of the Chief.
Shannon Falls Provincial Park is located 2 miles (3 km) south of Squamish and 16 miles (25 km) north of Horseshoe Bay on Vancouver's North Shore.
Stawamus Chief Mountain is a strenuous, 4- to 7-mile (7- to 11-km) return hike, depending on which of three summit routes you choose. There are several approaches to the base of this mass of granite. For the first, leave your car in the lot beside Shannon Falls Provincial Park's Logger's Sports Area. Look for the orange and red markers affixed to a large cedar tree by the Federation of BC Mountain Clubs at the north end of the sports area, which point the way. Travel time to the base of the Chief is 15 minutes on this 0.6-mile (1-km), well-maintained trail, which features several good viewpoints and close encounters with the cool, smooth rock face where the trail runs beside it.
An alternative approach allows you to drive to the base of the Chief itself at the interpretive viewing area on Hwy 99 just north of Shannon Falls. Take the dirt road that leads up the embankment in the middle of the viewpoint (it's not as badly eroded as the others). It links up with a section of the old highway that runs north and south as it hugs the base of the Chief. When you stand next to the Chief here, you look up and up at a wall of smooth granite. It's awe-inspiring. You can see why this monolith has become internationally famous among climbers and has graced more than its share of magazine covers.
To reach the trailhead, turn south onto the old road above the viewpoint, continuing on to its end. Hiking from here to the Chief's south summit is a 2-mile (3.5-km) ascent and takes about 90 minutes; add another hour if you choose the longer Centre and North summit route (3.5 miles/5.5 km one way). Both routes share a common beginning, then divide above Oleson Creek. (Note: The trail from Shannon Falls joins this approach at Oleson Creek, a short distance uphill.) Altogether there is a 1,980-foot (600-m) elevation gain on this hike; you will be climbing almost constantly until the top. This trail is the most popular with hikers (upwards of 50,000 a year), but it is only one of several possible routes on the Chief.
Even if you don't plan to hike, be sure to stop at the Stawamus Chief Mountain viewpoint on Hwy 99 in Squamish, a short distance north of Shannon Falls Provincial Park. An interpretive display will acquaint you with the mountain and some of the history of the region. Get out your binoculars and scan for climbers high up on the sides of the Chief.
Shannon Falls Provincial Park is located 2 miles (3 km) south of Squamish and 16 miles (25 km) north of Horseshoe Bay on Vancouver's North Shore.
Dropping from 335 metres (1,105 ft) above it's base, Shannon Falls is an impressive sight rising above Howe Sound. As the 3rd tallest falls in BC, its incredibly easy access make Shannon Falls by far the most popular picnicking spot and visitor attraction in the Sea to Sky Corridor - not to be missed.
A well-maintained trail and boardwalk network allow you to explore the base area of the falls, surrounded by towering trees, old growth stumps, and a permanent mist from the roaring falls. For the best experience, visit in the spring or fall, when visitor numbers are lower and the high water levels from snow-melt and rain make for a raging, thunderous falls.
From the Falls, a popular and steep 7 - 10km round-trip hike leads up and over to the top of the Stawamus Chief, yeilding breathtaking views of Squamish, Howe Sound, and surrounding peaks.
Shannon Falls is one of Squamish's Sweetspots.
How to Get Here
Adjacent to the Stawamus Chief, Shannon Falls is located immediately south of town. Situated on the East side of Highway 99, it's hard to miss on your right, just before entering Squamish from the South. The Park facility includes a large parking lot for vehicles of all sizes, bathrooms, an information centre, and picknick areas.
photos ~Shannon falls~
2009.09.03
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