Shannon Falls Trail

The Chief

Nov 5

A challenging trail above Shannon Falls: Sea to Summit Trail provides a serious workout for hardy hikers

The area above Shannon Falls, which was once remote, now draws a stampede of people who now only have to labour one way. For the way back, the 10-minute Sea to Sky Gondola ride provides a pleasant way to avoid descending the tortuous Sea to Summit trail.

The waterfall has been a prominent landmark over the centuries and is still a site of cultural value to the Squamish people. Kwek’uet’wxm refers to the legend of a large snake living in the granite cliffs.

The waterfall is an amazing sight on the side of the sheer granite cliffs, especially after a heavy rain, and it is the third highest waterfall in B.C. at a height of 335 metres.

Shannon Falls Provincial Park, established in 1984, is one of the most visited parks in the province due to its proximity to Vancouver and its closeness to the Sea to Sky Highway, from which you literally cannot miss seeing the falls. William Shannon bought the land for a brick works using the clay at the base of the falls. This brick works was in operation from 1894 to 1900, when it was sold to Britannia Mine, which held the land until 1976. The site was a workers’ camp during the Depression and during early construction of the first highway. The Carling-O’Keefe brewery then had the site until 1982 and used the fresh water for its beer. The company also had a forestry show park at the site, and most of the old logging equipment now in place along Loggers Lane came from this IWA-Carling show park. The site reverted to the B.C. government in 1983 and soon became the popular provincial park. From the park office, there are trails going north past the gondola to the Stawamus Chief and south to climbing routes. The parking lot is not supervised and has a history of theft from cars; do not leave anything valuable inside.

The Sea to Sky Gondola, completed in May 2014, has been popular from day one and continues to provide superb views, scenic trails and super food. There are a dozen trails from the Summit Lodge, and each is aimed at a specific demographic. The gondola’s trail app is the easiest way to navigate this area.

Spirit Loop (0.4 km) includes plaques detailing indigenous history. Wonderland Loop (1.5 km) is perfect for children. Panorama Loop (1.2 km) is for all ages to enjoy scenic views. Habrich Trail (17.6 km) is for hardy hikers. Sky Pilot Trail (8 km) is for mountaineers. Skyline Ridge Trail (12 km) is for distance hikers. Shannon Loop (6 km) is for gentile walkers. Neverland Loop (3.6 km) is for positioning climbers. Wrinkle Rock Trail (4.4 km) under the gondola line is for serious scramblers. Shannon Forest Service Road (8 km) on old logging roads is a long hike from the back side of the Chief. Sparky’s Spin is the latest trail due to open this week.

The Sea to Summit Trail (7.8 km) is for tough ramblers and draws comparison to the Grouse Grind in North Vancouver, but we have a more modern, friendlier lodge as impetus to finish our grind.

Anyone arriving at the Summit Lodge with a dog will have hiked up this trail because dogs can only ride down on the gondola – a fine way to keep the number of pets at a reasonably low level.

SEA TO SUMMIT TRAIL

Origin of name: From sea level to the Sea to Sky Gondola summit. The waterfall is named after William Shannon, who was born in Ireland in 1841 and died in 1928 in Vancouver. In 1894, he bought land on Darrell Bay. Native Squamish people knew this waterfall as Kwek’uet’xmw, and it was also named Fairy Falls in about 1856.

Trailhead: Parking lot at Shannon Falls Provincial Park.

Use: Hiking and snowshoeing.

Difficulty: Blue to black – it does provide a serious workout.

Elevation: 10 metres up to 918 metres.

Distance: to Lookout - 1 km

Etiquette: Ascending has right of way; step off the path to let people pass.

TRAIL REPORT