Vancouver Island Waterfalls

There’s something about finding a waterfall on a hike. They’re amazing to look at. They look great in photos. They make great lunch spots. They’re (sometimes) easy to find on a well-known trail.

We’ve been to a few waterfalls on Vancouver Island and will be visiting many more. Check out the tips for photographing waterfalls at the bottom of the page.

Hole in the Wall Trail
An old water pipeline has been removed leaving a massive hole in the rock. Water from the stream on the other side pours through the hole reconnecting to Roger’s Creek.
Stokes Creek Falls
A 1.4 kilometre hike to a large waterfall near Port Alberni BC.
Upper Banon Creek Falls
Banon Creek Falls is a well-known, easy to access waterfall off Chemainus River but this is not that waterfall. Most people haven’t seen this one: Upper Banon Creek Falls. Upper… Read More »Upper Banon Creek Falls
Christie Falls
Christie Falls is a beautiful Vancouver Island waterfall not far from Ladysmith, BC. The photos below are a day after heavy rain so the falls aren’t normally this large. Directions… Read More »Christie Falls
Hike in Nanaimo: Ammonite Falls from Doumont Road
Ammonite falls is a beautiful decent-sized waterfall right very close to the heart of Nanaimo. This route from Doumont is slightly more difficult than the route from Jameson Road. This… Read More »Hike in Nanaimo: Ammonite Falls from Doumont Road
Bonnell Creek Falls in Nanoose
My girlfriend and I wanted to go for an adventure of the hiking type on Valentine’s Day. More specifically, we wanted to go find a waterfall. My dad mentioned some… Read More »Bonnell Creek Falls in Nanoose

Map of Vancouver Island Waterfalls

Find any of these waterfalls and more on the Gaia Waterfalls map.

Tips for Photographing Waterfalls

Pack dry clothes

A change of clothes back at the car is great for waterfall trips. Even if you it’s a dry, sunny day. Sitting at the base of a waterfall is a very wet place to be. Even better bring a good waterproof jacket if you don’t want to get soaked in the first place.

Bring a tripod

To get the smooth, silky photos of waterfalls that look so good, you’ll need a tripod. Set the timer delay to 2 seconds or use a remote release so you don’t have to touch the camera while it’s taking a shot. Use a very slow shutter speed like 1 second or slower and you’ll get the smooth flowing water look.

Bring lens cloths

Everything gets wet photographing waterfalls, especially your camera. Bring many lens cloths so you can dry your lens in between shots. Either that or don’t sit in the spray from the falls, but what fun is that?

Watch your footing

Often waterfalls are in deep ravines or around the base of cliffs. They are in wet and slippery areas. Pay attention to where you are moving. No one needs to fall off a cliff for the ‘gram.