Sometimes even the teeniest waterfalls are fun to visit! While we were staying in Port Alberni, I asked some of the locals about their favourite local waterfalls. Two people mentioned that they loved this Provincial Park. Stamp Falls had not shown up on my various searches of road trip sights, as you need to drive 14km out of the way. However the rushing white waters and easy to visit salmon-filled river was a really pleasant mini adventure near Port Alberni.

We enjoyed visiting in the springtime to see the crazily bright green foliage and rushing waters. However I would really like to come back in the autumn to see the salmon run (and maybe see bears fishing at the falls!)

Stamp River Provincial Park Map

Stamp Falls – the basics

Distance: 2km-ish
Cumulative Elevation gain: 50m
Time: 30–50 mins (we recorded 27 mins moving time)
What to bring: The 10 Essentials
Facilities: There are loos at the campground
Dogs: Great for dogs, but you should keep them on a lead
How hard is it? Super easy. Great for kids as long as they stay away from the rushing waters.
Extra Notes: Do not swim above Stamp Falls. There are loads of fabulous swimming spots nearby, so don’t risk swimming or floating here.

Stamp Falls Trail – Getting started

From Highway #4 in downtown Port Alberni you need to turn off onto Beaver Creek Road. It is 14km from the turnoff, on a mostly straight road through the countryside. Follow signs to reach the Provincial Park. Drive past the campground to the day-use parking area. Then follow the trail south along Stamp River.

You’ll see fantastic views of Stamp River through the trees. The water is quite wide and shallow above the falls, but it is very fast flowing with what looks like rapids. It’s amazing that hundreds of thousands of salmon fight their way up this river each year!

Stamp River Fish Ladder

Fish ladders are really cool bits of engineering to reduce the flow of the river and help spawning salmon climb their way up waterfalls or other barriers. The original fish ladder here was built by hand in 1927. Read about the history of the fish ladder here; It’s really impressive. It was replaced in 1955; And the newer ladder has a fish counter and a video feed, so you can watch the fish as they swim through.

The salmon congregate at the base of Stamp Falls getting ready to either jump up the waterfall or swim up the fish ladder to reach their spawning beds further upstream. Look for Sockeye salmon in August, and Coho and Chinook from late September to early December.

Learn about the salmon

The trail has quite a few information boards to teach everyone about the salmon. This river system is one of BC’s top Salmon migration routes where hundreds of thousands of fish battle through, attempting to reach their spawning beds further up the river and in Great Central Lake.

• Sockeye: Average return: 237,500. Average size: 2.5kg. Dates: June to early Sept.
• Coho: Average return: 62,500. Average size: 3kg. Dates: mid-Aug to Dec.
• Chinook: Average return: 54,500. Average size 9kg. Dates: mid-Sept to mid-Nov.
• Steelhead: Average return: 2,500. Average size 3kg. Dates: All year.

We visited in May, when hundreds of thousands of smolt (millions in the case of coho) head downstream through this white water. Hopefully the river is slightly calmer when the salmon swim upstream in the summer and autumn. Bears like to hang around near the falls in autumn to grab fishes as they leap past. I’d love to see that!

Salmon Pool

This is the salmon waiting room. The fish rest in this pool before attempting to leap up Stamp Falls or swim up the fish ladder. They get lifted up to the surface by the turbulence of the river, so this is a good spot to view them. When salmon pass through here they normally won’t have their spawning colours yet, so it’s hard to identify each species.

The trail continues beyond the falls for another 200m, where there is a lovely view south. There is also a loop trail back via the campground. We did this walk as an out-and-back rather than a loop as it is so nice to walk along the river.

Fishing in Stamp River

You can go fishing in Stamp River Park Provincial Park, but not 200m above or 500m below Stamp River Falls from June 15 to November 15. Watch out for boundary markers on trees along the river. Regulations change regularly along this river so check regulations before you fish and ensure you have the appropriate license.

Stamp River Campground

If you fancy staying in this gorgeous area, there is a campground with 23 sites. Half of them back right on to the river, so you can listen to the waters as you sleep. In summer and autumn, there will be lots of fish, so you’ll have a good chance of spotting eagles and bears.

• Reservable frontcountry sites: 18
• Vehicle-accessible sites: 23
• Cost: $18 per party per night in summer, or $11 per night in the off season (in 2024 that was until March 31)

Stamp Falls and Stamp River Provincial Park are a little bit off the main tourist trail if you are on a road trip to Tofino. However the waterfall was really fun to visit. It is a small drop, but it feels extra impressive in person because the river has so much power (and is so loud!) It also looks like a lovely area to camp, or to visit during a salmon run. I am really glad we made the extra effort to visit this lovely location.