One of the most impressive (and easy to reach) waterfalls on Vancouver Island is Elk Falls near Campbell River. This is a gorgeous location surrounded by old growth forest. You’ll be able to visit three waterfalls in one trip, but the main Elk Falls is the star of the show with a suspension bridge that crosses about 30m above the canyon, giving you the best possible view of the falls. This is a great option for families, or for anyone that does not want to walk far, as you can skip the loop and just visit the suspension bridge to see the biggest waterfall in about 30 minutes.

Elk Falls – the basics

Distance: 2.1 km for just the viewing platform. 3.7 km if you do the loop to all three waterfalls.
Cumulative Elevation gain: 50m-60m
Time: 30 mins – 1 hour
What to bring: You don’t need to bring much for this. Water and a camera. There are some nice spots for picnics if you bring food.
Facilities: There are loos at the parking area as well as several picnic benches between Elk Falls and Deer Falls. There is also a provincial campground nearby.
Dogs: Great for dogs, but you must keep them on a lead
How hard is it? Easy. Short and very easy to follow.

Waterfall details:

These fabulous waterfall are glacier fed, (via Cambell lake and John Hart Lake) so they all keep flowing even in the middle of summer. Since 1948 most of the Campbell River has been diverted for hydroelectric power generation, so these falls are a lot smaller than they used to be BUT Elk Falls especially is still really impressive!

Elk Falls
Waterfall Type: Plunge
Total Height: 27m (89ft)
Stream: Campbell River

Deer Falls
Waterfall Type: Plunging Punchbowl
Total Height: 1m-1.5m (3-5ft)

Moose Falls
Waterfall Type: Steep Tiered Cascades
Total Height: 12m (40ft) – Biggest drop is 6m (20ft)

Elk Falls – Getting Started

From Campbell River, drive up the Gold River Highway past the Quinsam campground, until you reach Elk Falls Park Road on your right. There are signs for Elk Falls and the large parking lot (links to google maps). From there, follow the signs into the trees via the Millennium trail. You’ll go over a bridge past building works to replace the water pipeline, and then back into the forest, heading downhill towards the falls.

The trail is wide, flat and easy to follow as you go downhill. There are even a few benches to rest on along the way if you come with people that cannot walk far. You’ll get a first view of the top of Elk Falls (before the big drop into the Canyon.) From there, there are metal steps down to the viewing platform and suspension bridge.

Elk Falls Suspension Bridge

There is a suspension bridge that allows you to walk over the Campbell River and peek down into the canyon. This was built in 2015, on the 75th anniversary of Elk Falls Provincial Park, and is the highest suspension bridge on Vancouver Island, 64m above the river. I LOVE this kind of bridge – you can see through the gaps and it wobbles as you walk on it. But you might want to avoid this part if you are afraid of heights.

One of the best views is rom the viewing platform, down below the suspension bridge. I love the way the sunlight shines through the waterfall when you view it from here.

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Continue on to more waterfalls?

Most people seemed to visit this main area of Elk Falls and then head back. But you can keep walking to some alternative viewpoints of the falls, plus another 2 waterfalls! Just follow the signs to the right as the path curls around, following the curve of the Campbell River.

You’ll go past some absolutely massive Douglas Fir trees before reaching some really good side-on view points of the Canyon and Elk Falls.

There is also a path down to the rocky area just above Elk Falls. We saw people walking right up to peer over the falls. I didn’t attempt that as I know it makes Marc really nervous. There are a few more rapids just above the falls, so it’s a cool area to wander around and explore.

Deer Falls

Slightly further (300m) along the trail is the next waterfall, Deer Falls.

This is probably the least impressive of the three as it only drops for about a meter. Still, I liked getting up close to see the waters rushing through.

Moose Falls

Walk another 300m further and you’ll be able to see Moose Falls. You can’t get quite as close to this one (and there is a lot of building work going on behind it) It’ll be nice when they are completed the upgrades to the hydroelectric power station, so this will go back to looking wild.

To get back to the parking area, continue in the same direction, as the trail loops back through the forest and joins up with the Millennium trail that you started on.

Hiking and camping

There is more to Elk Falls Provincial Park that these waterfalls! It is a great place for further hikes and camping. My next few posts will be about the Quinsam Campground within the park, more hikes and of course, tasty food options in Campbell River.

Want to visit more waterfalls?

If you’re looking for other fantastic waterfalls on Vancouver Island (and around BC), there are lots more! I’ve been making a map to include the ones we have visited. Green means there is no walk. Light blue involves an easy walk and dark blue is an intermediate walk. The three in the photos above are Little Qualicum Falls, Englishman River Falls and Weiner Falls.

We loved visiting Elk Falls. The main waterfall is easy to reach and I love that you can cross the canyon on the suspension bridge for a full view. The other waterfalls are a lot smaller, but still fun to see as you explore the forest. Click on the pins below to save them for later.