Hiking Norvan Falls in North Vancouver
Contents
Norvan Falls Hike Information
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 16Km
Elevation Gain: 300m
Highest Elevation: 450m
Average Gradient: 3.75%
Effort/Reward Ratio: Low / Low
Time Needed:
– Slow: 6 – 7 Hours
– Moderate: 5 – 6 Hours
– Fast: 4 – 5 Hours
Dogs Permitted?: Yes
Season: Year-Round
4×4 / High Clearance Required? No
Scrambling / Exposure: None
Norvan Falls Trail
Trailhead Coordinates: 49°21’35.1″N 123°01’39.7″W
Norvan Falls Overview
Norvan Falls is a waterfall located in Lynn Headwaters Regional Park in North Vancouver. It’s one of the more popular waterfall options near the city and a busy year-round hike, attracting a variety of people, be it hikers, trail runners, dog walkers and even families with children.
While this is a fairly long hike at 16km (AllTrails incorrectly says 14km), much of the trail is flat and the average gradient is a meager 3.75%. As such, Norvan Falls is pretty accessible for most ability levels. Much of the trail meanders next to Lynn Creek, before climbing gradually into the woods and following Norvan Creek until the falls themselves.
While Norvan Falls is a popular summer option, personally I wouldn’t dedicate a valuable sunny summer day to this hike since there really aren’t many views at all except for the falls themselves. This is an ideal hike for the shoulder season, or even a rainy day hike when there are few other options.
I’ve hiked Norvan Falls a few times now in various conditions, and this report covers a winter approach the day after Metro Vancouver received a couple of inches of snow. This gave a true winter wonderland vibe to the whole hike and I have to say, this was my favourite time to go. Unfortunately snow at this elevation isn’t frequent, but if you can time it for snow, I strongly advise it!
In terms of views the falls themselves are obviously the main draw, however the hike beside Lynn Creek is pleasant in itself.
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Is Norvan Falls worthwhile?
Norvan Falls is a worthwhile hike under the right circumstances. As noted, I wouldn’t dedicate a glorious summer day to this hike as there aren’t a lot of views, but I would definitely suggest it as a rainy day or even cloudy day option. It’s also good if you’re just looking for somewhere to walk the dog to a nice viewpoint or even if you’re just feeling like some fresh air and a nice (long) stroll next to a creek. It’s not going to win any awards for having the best views and the falls themselves are just okay. Overall, it’s worth it under the right conditions but don’t go into this expecting to be knocked off your feet.
How difficult is the hike to Norvan Falls?
Some people might be surprised I’ve labeled this as an easy hike given it is 16km long. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, distance isn’t typically what makes a hike difficult, gradient is. At a 3.75% average gradient and just 300m elevation gain, this is one of the least steep hikes on this site at the time of writing. At no point anywhere along this trail was I ever out of breath, nor did I see anyone else even resembling tired. As such, it’s an easy hike, just a long easy hike.
Technically speaking it’s also pretty straightforward. Much of the hike is on well groomed trails with the latter section climbing into the forest over rocks and roots, but it’s still simple. If you want to get to the close up viewpoint of the falls you will need to be prepared to climb down some rocks and cross over Norvan Creek by hopping over the rocks on the creek. This is a little tricky and many opt to just view the falls from afar.
Norvan Falls Route Information
The hike begins at the northernmost parking lot of Lynn Headwaters Regional Park, passing by the caretakers building and bathrooms, before crossing a bridge over Lynn Creek. This area in itself is pretty nice, with picnic tables, water fountains and access to the creek itself.
On the other side of the bridge you’ll join the Lower Lynn Loop trail, which begins as a wide, well groomed trail. This follows Lynn Creek and is mostly flat or at least very little elevation and remains so for several kilometers. The trail hugs Lynn Creek the entire time, offering multiple viewpoints along the way, with some benches to stop and appreciate the views.
At times you will cross a few bridges between the alder, which was fairly nice in the snow as the alder gave some colour to an otherwise white paradise.
At the 2km mark the trail will split, going right will continue on the Lynn Loop trail and continuing straight will begin the Cedar Mill trail, which is what you want to take. Soon you will pass by the Cedar Mill site, where a mill once stood to process the logged trees of Lynn Valley back in the 1920’s. There are some artifacts around the trail but honestly, i could barely see anything of note and I certainly wouldn’t go here expecting to see anything of interest.
Continuing on, the trail remains much the same. At times it narrows and becomes a bit more rough and ready, but for the most part it’s still flat and continues to hug Lynn Creek, crossing multiple bridges on the way. I didn’t count but I suspect you’ll be crossing a good 20+ bridges on this hike.
At around the 4km mark you’ll break out into an opening with a search and rescue cache (a big barrel) on stilts. At the top of this opening the Cedar Mill trail ends and you’ll want to go left on the Headwaters trail. This is where the climb, if you can even call it that, begins.
From here on out the trail becomes much more rugged, generally lots of rocks, roots and slipperiness galore. You might run into instances where streams run down the trail of if it’s cold, ice forms on a lot of the trail. For me it was a bit of a death trap as a thin layer of snow atop a hard icy crust is a recipe for falling. I slipped many times but never fell, thankfully.
Anyway, the trail now leads away from Lynn Creek as you climb into the forest. You’ll continue your game of “count the bridges” as you cross many more creeks. While the gradient increases, it’s still pretty negligible and you’re unlikely to get very tired. The terrain now is mostly forested and makes for a nice forest stroll, though there’ not a lot else to see.
At around the 7km mark (on AllTrails) you’ll pass by a trail going right towards Coliseum Mountain, before reaching Norvan Creek. You’ll see a bridge over the creek to your left which leads into the backcountry of Lynn Headwaters, but you’ll be going right up towards the falls.
In just a few hundred meters you’ll reach the falls viewpoint, which isn’t the best view. Most people opt to make it down the embankment into the creek for clearer photos of the falls. This was precarious in snow but still manageable, though I did don microspikes. The more adventurous will cross the creek to the other side, where you can actually sit on a log right beneath the falls and get a photo there.
Honestly, the falls themselves are just okay and depend on the time of year you go. Many people are hardly blown away by them, they take a quick snap and head back to the car. Given the unique snowy and icy conditions I tried to get a good photo of the falls but I suck at falls photos as I don’t have the right lens for it. Ah well.
After finishing up at the falls you simply head back the way you came. If you want to add a bit more to the hike you can always knock off Lynn Loop on the way back, this adds a bit of elevation as well.
When should I hike Norvan Falls?
Norvan Falls is a year-round hike, which for me typically means saving it for shoulder season or winter. There’s no real reason to do this hike on a prime summer day since there are few views. If you can save it for a snowy day like me then by all means do so, it makes the views much nicer.
Top Tip
The main parking lot at Lynn Headwaters fills up very quickly as it is only about 20 stalls. There are overflow parking lots further back which will mean a bit of a further walk, but it’s not unheard of for the parking to be closed entirely if it’s completely full (can happen on a sunny summer weekend). So, get there early! It’s also nicer to have the falls to yourself if you set off before everyone else.
