Good morning Trail Seekers
A special treat for you this morning as I am heading out to one of the most beautiful falls that I have seen yet. I have been to these falls a couple times now and they never cease to amaze me every time I go. Its only a short little hike of about 1km but its well worth the drive to see these amazing falls.
Directions
Head north on Highway 97 north until you reach McLeod Lake. It’s approximately 136 km north of Prince George. Once you reach McLeod lake you will see a General store to your left.
Immediately after the store (about 50 – 100 meters) there is a road called Carp Lake Road. Turn left and follow Carp Lake Road for 22.9 km. To the right you will see a big pullout with a big sign marking War Falls.
Pull into this pullout and you can park here. This is where the trail head begins.
Notes about the drive
Carp Lake Road starts out paved then turns into a gravel road about 2.1 km in. This road is very well kept and only has a few areas that have washboard and potholes. If you have a car you will have absolutely no problems navigating this road. At 0.3 km into Carp Lake Road there is a one way bridge and another at 1 km. At 8.9 km the road narrows down to pretty much one lane. Be very aware of oncoming traffic. This road is a logging road and also has a lot of travel trailers and motorhomes traveling up and down as there is a provincial park campsite near the end at Carp Lake. At 18.5 km the road widens again so is easier to navigate but is still narrower than your average road.
The Trail
The trail starts just to the right of the information sign.
The trail is mostly downhill but starts with a slight incline at the beginning of the trail. When you go up the slight incline you will be walking along the top of the falls. These falls fall in three stages so once you reach the top there is a great view of the first tier of the falls. Where the fence 90 degrees is where you will get the best view.
Going along the trail which is very well groomed you will come to the first set of stairs.
There is a viewpoint of the second tier at the bottom of these stairs.
Then you head into the second set of stairs this one is longer than the first set.
There is a viewpoint of the second tier of the falls here. This viewpoint has a better view of the second tier of the falls.
Then you start on the slight downhill adventure away from the river into the forest.
As you walk down towards the bottom part of the falls through the forest you will get a glimpse of the main falls through the trees near the bottom.
As you round the last corner you will know you are at the end of the trail when you see the lookout platform that looks out towards the falls.
At this point enjoy the view from the lookout platform or take off your shoes and take a walk in the river.
The water in the river is very shallow and easy to navigate. But do beware that the rocks are very slippery as they have algae on them. Just a note though that close to the bottom of the main part of the falls it does get deep. To return just follow the trail up the way you came down. Have fun and enjoy the beautiful site and the mist from the waterfall. Happy exploring!!!
Trail Notes
This trail is not a long trail, it’s only 600 meters down to the falls.
The longest part is getting there. Once you turn onto Carp Lake Road its about 35 minutes from the highway to the trail head. It’s about 15 minutes down to the falls. This is definitely a hike that children can go on. They will enjoy playing in the shallow waters of the river. You can definitely wear whatever footwear you would like. I personally like wearing my sandals and have done the trail before in my flip-flops. Its definitely not a hard trail I think the hardest part is the trek up the stairs when you are finished. I do recommend though that if you have water shoes that you bring them for the river. The rocks are not only slippery but they are also sharp edged and not very comfortable when stepped on. If needed there is an outhouse at the beginning of the trail near the parking area. When you are finished at the falls make a great finish to the day, pack a lunch and head down the road for another 6 or so minutes to enjoy eating your lunch near the waters edge of Carp Lake.
