Nairn Falls – Whistler Waterfalls

Nairn Falls – Whistler Waterfalls

Nairn Falls - beautiful Waterfall near WhistlerNairn Falls is yet another amazing waterfall, just 29km North of Whistler. You do need to go on a mini hike to reach the Nairn Falls viewpoints. However the walk is pretty easy so the effort-to-view ratio is fantastic. I am pretty sure this waterfall would always be interesting; But in springtime, when the snow from the surrounding mountains starts to melt, it is truly dramatic.

We stopped here on our road trip from Lillooet back to Vancouver. Marc and I have driven past Nairn Falls Provincial Park before (on the way to the gorgeous Joffre Lakes) but we’d never hiked over to visit the actual waterfall. I am sooo glad we finally stopped to see it.

Nairn Falls Trail Map

Nairn Falls – the basics

Distance: 3 km (there and back)
Elevation gain
: minimal
Time: 1 hour
What to bring:
Make sure you have plenty of water as it can get hot, even on the shady trail.
Facilities:
There is a car park with a pit toilets and a camp site (you need to book in advance.)
Dogs:
Dog friendly – keep them on a leash
How hard is it?
Super easy. There were a few toddlers and grannies on the trail at the same time as us.

Nairn Falls – getting started

You don’t need to worry about getting lost for this one. There is one path heading from the car park towards the waterfall. You’ll have the Green River on your left the entire time. The trail itself is really relaxing as you walk under the canopy of beautiful trees.

Nairn Falls rock formations

There is a little bit of elevation gain as you get closer to Nairn Falls. You need to clamber up an outcrop of rocks at the end of the trail. Once you reach the steep-ish section, you’ll know you’ve made it!

First waterfall viewpoint

The main viewpoint for Nairn falls has a metal boardwalk to keep you safe as you look down into the churning canyon full of frothy white water. We spent a while here as the river is pretty amazing!

I had to lean over the rails to take this photo. There is a pretty impressive rush of water after the first waterfall.

Second waterfall viewpoint

Once you’ve taken all this in, don’t head back just yet – there is an even more impressive view around the corner. This one is easy to miss, as there is a fence between the first viewpoint and this second. However, if you head to the bottom right corner of the fence, there is a gate which leads to a second area with an even more impressive view.

Isn’t it blooming amaaaazing!? My photos don’t really do it justice, but this waterfall was truly roaring as it cascaded down the cliff. We came back a couple of days later, after the sun had melted more snow, and it was even more impressive!

It was a pretty warm day, so after seeing the waterfall, we walked down to the river below (there is an easy path down, close to the car park.) Even 1.5 km away from the falls, the water was moving very quickly. I dipped my fingers into the river, so can confirm that it is freezing!

Nairn falls is a great waterfall to visit if you are staying near Whistler. It would also work really well as a stop off on the way (or way back) from Joffre Lakes. We came back to camp here, so I can confirm it is a great spot for camping too.

Nairn Falls - take a short walk to a gorgeous waterfall near Whistler Nairn Falls - a fabulous waterfall between Whistler and Pemberton Nairn Falls - beautiful Waterfall near Whistler

30 thoughts on “Nairn Falls – Whistler Waterfalls

  1. I love short, quick hikes like this one in Whistler because they’re perfect for my kiddos. I’d love to take them on this hike—the waterfall is such a great payoff!

    1. It would be amaaaazing for kiddos. You’d just have to watch them near the waterfall – at least there is a fence, so it is pretty safe.

  2. Another beautiful spot. I can’t help but wonder thought – are the mosquitoes bothersome? It looks like prime habitat for mosquitoes.

    Patricia Rickrode
    w/a Jansen Schmidt

    1. I bet they might be bothersome sometimes. We didn’t find many at all when we first visited (it’s at a low elevation, where there are fewer) BUT I did get bitten once or twice when we camped there.

  3. Nairn Falls looks stunning! We have been talking about visiting Whister for awhile, so I’ll keep this pretty hike in mind. It looks like you have gorgeous weather that day too!

    1. Oooh nice! Are you thinking of visiting in the summertime, or waiting for the snow and skiing? Whistler is gorgeous either way!!

    1. You might find that it is a bit short, BUT if that is the case, you can always find a second mini walk to do afterwards. 😉

  4. Still loving your Whistler posts. We drove past Nairn but couldn’t stop unfortunately, wish we had made time now as it looks wonderful in your photos. Nice one.

  5. Wow, Nairn Falls look amazing and the walk to get to the waterfall looks so beautiful! We love to visit waterfalls wherever we go so this definitely looks like one we would hike to! You got such great weather too 🙂

  6. I can hear the roar of the water from these photos. That walk looks great – so accessible for everyone.

  7. Wow amazing! I think that of all out the walks I’ve read about on your super informative blog this Nairn Falls walk is one of my top favourites! I’m so jealous of you that you live in such a beautiful country! Can’t wait to return to Canada one day again. In the meantime I’ll keep returning to your blog for new information and inspiration 🙂

  8. What a pretty hike. I tell everyone that even after living abroad for 7 years and traveling to 40+ different countries, the Pacific Northwest during the summer is the most beautiful place in the world.

  9. This is beautiful! I am adding to my list of waterfalls explored and this looks like a great one! It looks like it would be the perfect hike to take my daughter on to!

  10. Wow, the rock formations here really are my favorite part! And you’re right, it looks like there was quite a bit of water and a lot of turbulence! Did you guys have a lot of rain in the days before you went up to visit? Luckily it was beautiful and sunny and you got some amazing shots!

  11. I cant believe I missed this one! I don’t mind a bit of work for a view, but almost no work for that view is pretty irresistible to me. Unfortunately, my friends that were in Vancouver have moved to Ontario, so I’m not sure I’ll be visiting Van again anytime soon.

  12. It’s so cool seeing how the water carved out all those rocks!! This place really is a good reminder of the power of nature. Another beautiful hike to add to the bucket list

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