invme Place
Everywhere
All cities · Everywhere →
EN
ENEnglish RURussian FRFrench DEGerman ITItalian ESSpanish PTPortuguese PT-BRBrazilian Portuguese ES-MXLatin American Spanish FR-CACanadian French EN-GBBritish English UKUkrainian PLPolish JAJapanese NLDutch KOKorean SVSwedish DADanish NBNorwegian FIFinnish CSCzech HEHebrew ELGreek ZH-HANTTraditional Chinese HUHungarian RORomanian HRCroatian SKSlovak SLSlovenian ETEstonian LVLatvian LTLithuanian BGBulgarian TRTurkish

Helmcken Falls

Waterfalls ·Clearwater
4.81.9K
#8Waterfalls in Canada
  • Step-free access
Make a plan here
Directions Website Call Bookmark

Sign up free — See who's going and message them.

Is this your place? Get the badge for your website

About

Helmcken Falls is a 141 m waterfall on the Murtle River in Wells Gray Provincial Park near Clearwater, British Columbia.

More photos 11

1 / 11
Helmcken Falls — Helmcken Falls framed by evergreen forest and a rainbow Murray Foubister · CC BY-SA 2.0 · edited
Helmcken Falls — Helmcken Falls framed by evergreen forest and a rainbowHelmcken Falls — The waterfall dropping from an ochre cliff into rising mistHelmcken Falls — Helmcken Falls and its deep canyon seen from aboveHelmcken Falls — The waterfall pouring over the canyon rim into sprayHelmcken Falls — Close view of the falls against the shadowed canyon wallHelmcken Falls — Helmcken Falls viewed from a rocky slope above the canyonHelmcken Falls — The falls beyond a rocky river channel in the forestHelmcken Falls — Whitewater rushing through the rocky canyon below the fallsHelmcken Falls — Winter ice formations hanging from the cliff beside the fallsHelmcken Falls — Ice climber scaling frozen formations beside Helmcken FallsHelmcken Falls — Snow-covered forest and frozen terrain near Helmcken Falls

Why go

  • The falls plunge over the western escarpment of the Murtle Plateau.
  • The South Rim Trail gives a bird’s-eye view into the canyon on an 8 km return hike beside the Murtle River.

Don't miss

  • Rim-side viewing platformA short walk leads to a platform overlooking the falls and canyon.Beside the falls
  • Murtle and Clearwater rivers meetingA 30-minute walk west along the canyon rim reaches an overlook of the rivers joining below.West of the main viewpoint
  • Gattling GorgeThe Clearwater River narrows to about 20 m here; a trail from the main viewpoint has poor signs.Trail from the main viewpoint
  • The Mushbowl and Dawson FallsThese are among six more waterfalls upstream on the Murtle River.Upstream on the Murtle River

History

  1. 200,000 years agoNearby fissure eruptions sent lava into the Clearwater River valley, forming the Murtle Plateau.
  2. End of the last ice ageFloods carved Helmcken Canyon beneath the falls.
  3. 1850John Sebastian Helmcken arrived in Victoria and later worked as a Hudson’s Bay Company physician in British Columbia.
  4. 1871Helmcken helped bring British Columbia into Canadian Confederation.
  5. 1913Surveyor Robert Henry Lee reached the top of the falls on July 24. He proposed McBride Falls as the name, but Premier Richard McBride chose Helmcken Falls three weeks later.
Show all
  1. TodayProtecting the falls helped prompt the establishment of Wells Gray Provincial Park.

Tips for your visit

  • The access road is cleared and sanded in winter; snow tires are essential, and chains are recommended.
  • The surrounding park is partly forested and inhabited by bears.
  • Cross-country ski trails start near Dawson Falls; they have not been groomed since winter 2011–2012.

Know before you go

  • Open 24 hours daily.

How to get there

  • CarThe access point is 46.5 km up the Park road; a short paved side road leads to the falls.
  • On footThe 4 km Brink Trail runs from near Dawson Falls to the brink of the waterfall.

Shorts

Interesting facts3

1/3

  1. Helmcken Falls is Canada’s fourth-highest waterfall by uninterrupted vertical drop.

    Chutes Helmcken - Wikipedia

  2. John Sebastian Helmcken never saw the waterfall named in his honour.

    Helmcken Falls - Wikipedia

  3. The falls have hosted high-grade ice climbs graded W10 to W13, including Spray On, Wolverine, Interstellar Spice and Mission to Mars.

    Helmcken Falls - Wikipedia

Sources: Helmcken Falls - Wikipedia · Iconic Waterfalls | Wells Gray · Helmcken Falls - Wikipedia · Chutes Helmcken - Wikipedia · checked 1 Oct 2026

Where
Helmcken Falls Rd, Clearwater

Plan from here: Evening walk →

Questions and answers

Are the cross-country ski trails near Dawson Falls groomed?

The trails start near Dawson Falls, but have not been groomed since winter 2011–2012.

Is the Helmcken Falls viewing platform wheelchair-accessible?

Yes. A short walk leads to a wheelchair-accessible viewing platform.

What ice climbs are at Helmcken Falls?

Named climbs include Spray On, Wolverine, Interstellar Spice and Mission to Mars. Routes are graded W10 to W13.

How invme works
  1. See who's going — faces, not ticket counts.
  2. Write to someone who shares your interests — no swipes, no matches, no paywall.
  3. Pick the event or the place to meet at — and go together.
Join free

Reviews on invme

Sign in to review
Comment Share
Loading comments…