I’ve been to Shannon Falls Provincial Park twice now, and will probably stop many more times.  My first visit was with my friend Sue during our March 2016 camping adventure at Alice Lake Provincial Park. The weather was cold, windy and rainy that day, so we gave the picnic area a miss and traipsed directly along the short 350m path from the parking lot to the river, where the falls, swollen with melting snow and winter rain, exploded down from a height of 335m, splaying out like an enormous wedding gown.

I visited Shannon Falls again in July with my husband, while on our way to Nairn Provincial Park.  This time we did stop for a delicious picnic lunch.  The picnic tables included barbecue holders, and pit and flush toilets were available.   The packed gravel trail to the viewpoint is suitable for wheelchairs, except for one small incline where assistance may be needed, according to a wheelchair traveler and his companion we spoke with while enjoying the view.

The weather was warmer and drier than my last visit, and the narrow volume of cascading water attested to that. As I stood at the viewpoint, I thought about Say-noth-ka, a mythical, monstrous, two-headed sea serpent said to live in Howe Sound back at the beginning of time.  According to Squamish First Nation mythology, Say-noth-ka would wind his way up and down the mountain looking for food, and gradually carved out the trench and spillway that forms the falls and river. I could picture the sea serpent writhing along the mountain, wearing down the rock.  Without the spring runoff, the rocks and spillway were more defined, and I could see curves in the great boulders where Say-noth-ka carved its imprint. The falls were still powerful, but more solid and impenetrable.

That impenetrable rock is what brings rock climbers to Shannon Falls every year.  Back at the parking lot, Bob and I  watched climbers make the arduous journey up the bare slab of vertical rock.  Rock climbing is a sport I know very little about, but I have a lot of respect for the participants; physically fit, adventurous, and, hopefully, well-prepared.  If you want to find out more about rock climbing at Shannon Falls, this website will help. https://www.mountainproject.com/v/shannon-falls/105918380

Shannon Falls is adjacent to the Sea-to-Sky Gondola, a trip that adventurers of all ages will enjoy.  Trails and hikes for all levels, from a 45-minute family hiking adventure with a guide,  to backcountry trails for the serious and fit hiker.  Free walking tours and climbing activities can finish at the wonderful alpine lodge for  a drink and a meal.  https://www.seatoskygondola.com/   Winter activities include snowshoeing and walking along the trails.  The lodge is open all year.

History

The Squamish First Nation have inhabited this  area for more years than are recorded.  In spite of that, several commercial enterprises have also occupied this popular recreation area.  Mr. Shannon, the park’s namesake, was owner from 1890 to 1900,  and used the mud at the bottom of the falls for his clay brick factory. Brittania Mines took over the property in 1900, and in the 1930’s, a relief camp was set up for the road crew building Hwy 99, now known as the “Sea-to-Sky Hwy”.  Carling O’Keefe bought the site in 1976 and used the pure mountain water for brewing beer, then donated the land to BC Parks in 1982.

Eventually all of the old-growth forest was logged and re-planted, and the area is, once again, cool, lush and green.  But as Bob and I walked along the trail we recognized the tell-tale signs of spring board notches cleaved into old-growth stumps, a reminder of what this forest was like back in time, when creatures like Say-noth-ka roamed free.

To discover more about the area around Shannon Falls Provincial Park, please click on my posts below.

Alice Lake Provincial Park

Victoria to Jasper Park Loop Itinerary

Here is my growing list of the parks visited as I continue my quest to visit all 648 BC Parks!!

https://648bcparks.ca/my-bucket-list-parks-i-have-visited/(opens in a new tab)