Englishman River Falls Provincial Park features two waterfalls set within a lovely, calming forest near Parksville on Vancouver Island, BC. The upper falls are not like any other waterfall I’ve seen in BC; There is a super narrow canyon carved out by this waterfall that makes it look like the earth is swallowing the waterfall whole! Then, in addition to the amazing upper falls, there is a second waterfall as well as a nice-looking swimming area if you visit on a hot day. The location makes this a great addition to any road trip to Port Alberni or Tofino.

Englishman Rivers Falls sits on the traditional territory of the Snaw-Naw First Nation.

Englishman River Falls – the basics

Distance: 1.8 km
Cumulative Elevation gain: 50m
Time: 30 mins (we recorded 29 mins moving time on strava)
What to bring: The 10 Essentials. Plus swimming things if you’d like to swim in the river.
Facilities: There are flushing loos, drinking water and a picnic area at the trailhead. There is also a provincial campground nearby.
Dogs: Great for dogs, but you should keep them on a lead
How hard is it? Easy. Short and very easy to follow.

Englishman River Falls trail map

Getting Started

Englishman River Falls Provincial Park is 14km (less than 20 mins) from Parksville. Take highway 4A to Errington Rd, then turn left and follow that road for just under 9km. Find the parking area here (on google maps)

The foot bridge over the upper falls is only about 200m from the parking area, so you don’t need much effort to see this waterfall!

The waterfall looked cool from the side, but as you walk over the footbridge you get an incredible view straight down into the canyon. It’s loud and impressive!

Waterfall details:

The river spreads out at the top of a deep narrow canyon and then flows into a void. The canyon itself is so narrow that it is hard to accurately measure the height of the drop for this waterfall, but it looks amazing. The slot canyon is at a right angle (90°) so it redirects the river around a corner. This means the waterfall cascades over the side of the canyon rather than at the head. It looks like the falls are poured into the earth.

Upper Englishman River Falls
Waterfall Type: Plunge into a chasm
Total Height: 24m-ish (80ft)
Stream: Englishman River

Lower Englishman River Falls
Waterfall Type: Plunging punchbowl, blocked by a giant boulder.
Total Height: 8m (25ft)

Once you have crossed the bridge, you can walk around to the side of the upper falls. The views are partially obscured by trees, but still fabulous.

The Englishman River

This is looking in the opposite direction from the bridge. You can really see the blue colour of the glacial waters once the river calms below the falls. The source this river is up on Mount Arrowsmith, the highest summit on the southern half of Vancouver Island.

Once you have had a good look at the falls, you can continue on a short loop back to the car park. The trail goes into the forest running parallel to the canyon, so it is a gentle descent down to the next waterfall.

The Lower Englishman River Falls is at the north side of the Canyon. When we visited you could hear it, but we couldn’t quite see it as there is a huge boulder blocking the waterfall. When the river is high, the falls flow over that boulder.

Swimming area

North of both of the waterfalls there is an area where the water is relatively calm where locals (and campers) come to swim. Only swim on a VERY hot day if you are used to super cold water. You need to be very careful swimming in the river as there are no lifeguards.

Picnics and Camping

In addition to the lovely hiking trail, there is a campsite and day-use area within Englishman River Falls Provincial Park. There is even a water tap and covered picnic area if you visit on a rainy day. If you fancy staying in this gorgeous area, there is a large campground.

• Available sites: Reservable vehicle accessible sites: 72. Plus 32 FCFS sites.
• Cost: $23 per party per night in summer,
• Dates: Open from May 1 to September 30. No camping in winter.

Englishman River Falls was one of my best surprises on Vancouver Island. I must have seen a photo and saved it onto google maps a while ago…but I did not do much more research, so I didn’t not know what to expect. This has to be one of the most magnificent waterfalls on Vancouver Island.