Spahats Creek Falls in August 2010

Spahats Creek Falls is an impressive waterfall in Wells Gray Provincial Park.  Though not as tall as Helmcken Falls or as wide as Dawson Falls, it keeps up with its relatives. Spahat Creek has eroded a significant portion of the rock above the crest of the falls. It then plunges over 200 feet to the bottom of the gorge below. It’s a geologically impressive place. Even more impressive are the trees growing on the side of the canyon.

Photographing the falls can be rather difficult. I’m a traveler who doesn’t always have the ability to show up at a waterfall only in the morning or in the evening (at least not without sacrificing time). Those are the best times of the day to photograph Spahats Falls, so you’ll likely have to deal with the sun. If you can get the right angle, you’ll be able to limit the effects of the sun. You’ll also have to walk along the paths at the edges of the cliffs to get various shots. You might be able to get the whole falls, but the sunlight was too intense at that specific angle.

Directions:

1. From Clearwater, head north on Clearwater Valley Road for 10 km (6 miles).
2. On the left, there will be the parking area for Spahats Creek Falls.  It’s pretty clearly marked.  Park here and head to the falls, a short distance away.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Height: 240′
Length of Hike: 0.3 miles round-trip

Where in the World is Spahats Creek Falls?