Boundary Falls – Boundary Country
Boundary Falls is the name of a town and a waterfall that cascades through an impressive gorge along surrounded by sweet-smelling ponderosa pine trees. This region has an interesting history of mining. You’ll be able to see some hints of the previous industrial uses of this now-wild waterfall, like cribbing clinging to the cliffs. This fabulous waterfall is surprisingly easy to reach from the Crowsnest Highway (Highway 3). So this is a perfect mini adventure for you to stretch your legs during a road trip through Boundary Country in BC, Canada.
Boundary Falls Map
I used the map below to find the waterfall, but we followed a slightly different trail. You can see my strava recording of the loop we took.
Boundary Falls – the basics
Distance: 0.5km-1.2km
Elevation Gain: 60m
Time: 20–30 mins
What to bring:
You don’t need much – just make sure you have grippy shoes as it can be dusty and slippery.
Facilities: Nothing at all. If you need the loo, visit Boundary Creek Provincial Park.
Dogs: Dog friendly. Keep dogs leashed if they like to get close to the edge of cliffs.
How hard is it? Easy-ish. It’s a short trail, but it is rugged with steep cliffs, so be careful.
How to find the waterfall at Boundary Falls
This is one of the many sights I found my looking along our road trip route on Highway 3. I spotted it on the BRMB Roadmap for BC Thompson Okanagan. However as the scale is not small enough to make it obvious, here is the spot on google maps. Look out for a green ‘stop of interest’ sign about 5 mins after you leave Midway.
Sunset Smelter
The “stop of interest” is a sign that talks about the smelter that used to be located here. Miners made claims near here, searching for silver, gold and then copper. The smelter was built just upriver from the waterfall and used in the early 20th century until 1908. All that is left is the foundations, a small pile of slag, and the green sign. You can read more about the mining history of the area here.
Although the area has an interesting history of mining, very little of the industrial past remains. The views these days feels wild, and gorgeous.
We followed a path along the narrow canyon along Boundary Creek. There are a few smaller waterfalls along the way.
Once you get up close, Boundary Falls is amazing. There are a couple of viewpoints; One right above the waterfall and another further around with a better view.
Looking down from above Boundary Falls, this is the view down. You can’t quite get a feeling for how big the drop is…
You can still see the cribbing on the cliffs. I am not sure if this is the remains of the aerial tramlines, or the pipeline and power plant.
Boundary Falls views
The waterfall plunges down 12m in one big drop. There is an area of cliffs that juts out above the waterfall. Just be really careful if you climb out here. It is dusty and slippery.
It’s a great spot considering how close it is to the highway. Plus it doesn’t seem to be popular so we had the whole area to ourselves.
Boundary Creek Provincial Park
2.6km down the road from the waterfall, you’ll find Boundary Creek Provincial Park Campground. This is a small campground with 16 sites. It is all first come first served, and costs $18 per night. We checked it out in August (at the weekend) and there were only a couple of campsites claimed in the early afternoon.
Boundary Falls is a great stop-off for any Boundary Country road trip. I was surprised that it was not more busy, as the waterfall is so easy to reach and impressive. The area is warm, beautiful and crammed full of history.
13 thoughts on “Boundary Falls – Boundary Country”
Wow how stunning. Everything about this hike sounds amazing, especially the waterfall
I wish I’d known about this walk last time I was in the area! I definitely couldn’t have used a break from all that driving!
Which places did you stop at Carly? We ended up finding quite a few cool little stop-offs along Highway 3. It is such a fabulous road trip isn’t it!?
You can find the best places by just looking at what looks interesting on a roadmap!
It’s great isn’t it!? I love going through the back country map books along our routes to look for cool sights/waterfalls.
You always find the most stunning hidden gems. I’m pleasantly surprised Boundary Falls waterfall is not very popular considering the accessibility and beauty. I would love to explore this area of solitude.
This whole Boundary area was pretty quiet (even on a weekend in August!) It might be because it is such a long drive to any highly populated area. It’s a warm, beeeeautiful region with loads to see, but not many tourists.
Looks like another lovely hike. I love the mention of the old smelter too – makes me wonder what the place used to look like!
It must have been so different with more people living here, and way more heavy industry!
Wild and beautiful is such a perfect description. I love the mining history too. Looks like a very cool place.
Thanks Mel! It’s always interesting to find such rugged places so close to a highway.
That’s a nice little waterfall! I was out that way a few years ago for work and really enjoyed seeing the area – Greenwood is a cute little city (officially BC’s smallest city). I drove right past this waterfall oblivious to its existence…
It’s a really nice area isn’t it!? I don’t think this one is famous… I only found it after pouring over the BCMB map, looking along our route.