Hiking Nairn Falls in Pemberton
Contents
Nairn Falls Hike Information
Difficulty: Very Easy
Distance: 3.50Km
Elevation Gain: 105m
Highest Elevation: 307m
Average Gradient: 6.00%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Low / Moderate
Time Needed:
– Slow: 2 – 3 Hours
– Moderate: 1 – 2 Hours
– Fast: 1 Hour
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Nairn Falls Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 50°17’48.7″N 122°49’12.2″W
Nairn Falls Overview
Nairn Falls is a waterfall located 20 minutes north of Whistler on the outskirts of Pemberton. Set in a provincial park, Nairn Falls is a very popular stop on the Sea to Sky Highway, with lots of vehicles choosing to visit as they pass through. Thanks to its short drive from Whistler, this is also a popular destination for tourists in the area.
To reach Nairn Falls visitors must hike along a narrow trail adjacent to Green River. The trail traverses across a few steep embankments on the route to the falls, so hikers will want to take care with their footing. There are a few viewpoints along the way and there are also opportunities to drop down to the riverbank, where children and dogs will often be seen enjoying the refreshing waters. The upper falls are quite scenic, albeit a little challenging to fully appreciate as they are deep in a canyon. There is a second viewing section of the lower section of the falls, which are arguably more scenic.
Nairn Falls is a year-round hike, though in the winter it will usually be snowed over, with microspikes and potentially even snowshoes required to reach the falls. This is also a pet friendly trail that is 2WD accessible thanks to its paved parking lot, which is also usually plowed in the winter.
As well as this short hike, Nairn Falls Provincial Park is also home to more than 90 campsites that are reservable through BC Parks.
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Is Nairn Falls worthwhile?
At just 3.5km this is a fairly low commitment hike, which is a large reason why it is very popular, anybody can do it. Due to its modest stats I’d be hard pressed to suggest a day trip to Pemberton just to see Nairn Falls though (unless you’re starting from Whistler of course), so this is more of a “passing through” hike that I would do if you’re in the area anyway. It only takes an hour or two and is more of a forest stroll than a challenging hike, and the falls themselves are decent enough to warrant a quick stop but aren’t going to blow you away like some other falls might. There are better waterfalls much closer to the Lower Mainland than Nairn Falls.
How difficult is the hike to Nairn Falls?
This is a very easy hike by and large. The average gradient is a modest 6% and the hike is only 3.5km or so, and can be completed in an hour at a decent pace. At no point is the trail that steep, though it does undulate a little and unfortunately most of the climb is on the return leg.
Technically the hike is mostly simple, though the trail is narrow and traverses fairly high above the river. You’ll want to take care with your footing, especially if you are going with snow or ice on the ground.
Nairn Falls Route Information
The trailhead for Nairn Falls is from a parking lot directly off the Sea to Sky Highway 20 minutes north of Whistler. I will say this, the exit ramp (if you can call it that) to this parking lot is nonexistent, it’s basically a right angle turn directly off the highway. You are going to have to slow down considerably on the highway to ensure you don’t overshoot, which I find is poor planning, but you’ve been warned.
There is usually a decent amount of parking, but Nairn Falls can be popular so I’m not 100% sure if you’ll get a spot immediately if you arrive at peak time. The trail is short though, so you shouldn’t be waiting too long for someone to leave if so.
From the parking lot you will see signposts to Nairn Falls, with the trail passing by a couple of pit toilets and picnic tables before reaching a fence, with Green River below. Once you reach this fence the trail will follow it briefly before the fence ceases and the trail continues in the forest.
The trail will now descend gradually as you continue to traverse high above the river, though the further you progress the more you will descend towards the river itself. After around 1km you will reach the low point of the hike, and this is where you will see one or two offshoot trails leading down to the riverbank itself. There is one area where you can access the rocky shore and frolic in the river to your heart’s content.
Back on the trail you’ll now begin to climb back up and away from the river, and at one point you might start to wonder where on earth the waterfall is as you’ll lose sight of the water entirely. Don’t fret, this is where you know you are close, as the trail will continue to climb gradually towards a viewing platform.
The main viewing platform will provide a view of the upper falls and the canyon succeeding it. It’s very difficult to get a photo of this waterfall as it is deep in the canyon, in all honesty the lower falls are likely more impressive. To reach these you’ll want to follow the fence down and through a narrow gap until you reach a point in the fence high above the lower falls. This is not a viewing platform and is a small space, so it can often be occupied with people taking photos, so just wait a little if so. Once you find the spot you’ll have a nice view of the lower falls, which are much clearer than the upper. In snow/ice the views from here are impressive as the spray from the falls will have created an abundance of icicles on the opposite cliff face. There will likely also be a lot of logs at the base of these falls from all the debris that have traveled down the river.
Once you finish up at the falls you can simply head back to the trailhead the same way you came. Unfortunately the return leg is a bit more challenging as you have to climb uphill a little to return, but it’s still very straightforward even for novice hikers.
When should I hike Nairn Falls?
Nairn Falls is a year-round hike that I would save for whenever you’re in the Whistler/Pemberton area. Personally I wouldn’t take a trip all this way just to see the falls, but if you combine it with other activities it’s definitely worth a quick stop. You don’t really need good weather either as there aren’t really any views along the way, the whole hike is in the forest.
If you decide to go in winter do note you will likely need microspikes and potentially snowshoes if the snow is deep.
Top Tip
I found hiking poles particularly useful on this hike as it helps you balance when the narrow trail traverses high above the river.
While the scenery is beautiful in snow, the hike is also quite annoying in snow. The trail is too narrow to allow snowshoes to fit comfortably, but the snow is deep enough that you’ll sink in without them. It’ll be a lot slower of an outing in snow
