This route features waterfalls, canyons and river views close to Highway 52 between Tumbler Ridge and Dawson Creek.
The Quality Mouth and Canyon Trail leads to the lower reaches of Quality Creek and its impressive canyon, waterfall and swimming hole.
Caution: beware falling rocks! it’s advisable to use a rope to enter the canyon.
trailhead: 5 km from tumbler ridge.
return distanCe: 5 km.
The Quality Falls trail leads to two picturesque waterfalls on Quality Creek.
trailhead: 9 km from tumbler ridge.
return distanCe: 2.5 km.
On the Tepee Falls Trail the previously placid Tepee Creek leaps off a cliff into a majestic canyon; the trail leads to a number of view-sites of the upper and lower falls from the canyon rim.
Caution: there are enormous unbarricaded drop-offs – please heed all safety signs.
trailhead: 35 km from tumbler ridge.
return distanCe: 6 km.
Also on this route is the 6 km long interpretive Murray Canyon Overlook Trail, leading to spectacular views of the river and its canyon.
trailhead: 30 km from tumbler ridge.
Quality Canyon, Quality Falls, Tepee FallsTumbler ridge area
RATING:
Strenuous
RATING:
Easy / Moderate
RATING:
Easy
Route:
1
40
31
32
44
36
37
38
39
35
41
2628
18
42
43
11
13
9
3
4 5
67
17
23
14
19
16
202122
15
Forgetmenot Mtn
Mt Barton
Windfall Creek Rd
Cowmoose Mtn
Tumbler Ridge
Sukunka FallsProvincial Park
Gwillim Lake
Muskeg Lake
Muskeg Creek One Island Lake
BlackhawkLake
BearholeLake
Wapiti Lake
Wapiti River
Red Deer Creek
Wapiti River
Onion Lake
Stony Lake
Kirkland Lake
Lower Blue Lake
Upper Blue Lake
Limestone Lake
Monkman Lake
Moose Lake
Holmes Lake
Hook Lake
Gwill
im R
iver
Murray River
West Kinkatin
aw River
Kinkatinaw River
Kink
atin
aw R
iver
Kinkatinaw River
Murray River
Murray River
Murray River
Parsnip River
Monkm
an Creek
Kinuseo Creek
Wolverine River
Bullmoose Creek
Flatbed Creek
Elephant Creek
Bullmoose
Cre
ek
Puggins Mtn FSR
Smokehouse Rd
Hourglass RdHourglass Rd
Moose Lake FSR
Wolverine FSR
Murray River FSR
Bulley Creek FSR
Bullmoose M
ine Rd
Core Lodge Rd
WapitiFSR
Red Deer FSR
Noel Rd
Bearhole Lake Rd
Monkman Pass Memorial Trail Driving Route
Monkman Pass Memorial Trail Driving Route
Monkman Pass Memorial Trail Driving Route
Hiding Creek FSR
Stony Creek Rd
Lone Mtn
Thunder Mtn
Warn Peak
Bone Mtn
Mt Waptik
Weather Peak
Mt Bulley
Mt Gauthier
Castle Mtn
The Shark’s Fin
Mt Myhon
Pyramid Peak
Roman Mtn
Quintette Mtn
Mt Babcock
RedwillowFSR
PDR 286
Suku
nka
FSR
Suku
nka
FSR
Highway Rd
Windfall Creek
Sukunka River
Suku
nka
Rive
r
Bearhole Lake Protected Area
One Island Lake Provincial Park
Monkman Provincial Park
Wapiti LakeProvincial Park
52E52E
Mt Bennett
Mt Meikle
Mt Suprenant
Bullmoose Mtn
Mt Spieker
Mt ReesorMt Crum
Pinnacle Peak
Mt Chamberlain
Mt Collier
Monkman Pass Memorial Trail
Hiking Trail
Imperial Creek FSR
29
52
Gwillim Lake Provincial Park
10 km
Scale
7c
7b
7a
8
6
5b
5a
4a
4b
3a 3b
2a
1c
1b1a
5e 5c
5d
1a Quality Canyon1b Quality Falls1c Tepee Falls2a Bergeron Falls 3a Flatbed Falls3b Flatbed Pools4a Babcock Falls4b Boulder Gardens5a Nesbitt’s Knee Falls5b Barbour Falls
5c Canary Falls5d The Stone Corral5e Kinuseo Falls6 The Monkman
Cascades7a Wapiti Falls7b Red Deer Falls7c Belcourt Falls8 Murray River
45 km to Chetwynd 85 km to Dawson Creek
LegendMain paved hwy
Secondary Paved hwy
Secondary unpaved hwy
Unpaved forest service roads
Hiking trails
Cover image: Tourism BC/Albert Normandin • Remainder of images: Charles and Daniel Helm
RATING:
Easy
For further information, please contact:
Tumbler Ridge Visitor Centre250-242-3123
Visit the Wolverine Nordic and Mountain Society website for trail brochures and photo galleries: www.pris.bc.ca/wnms
*Visit the Tumbler Ridge website www.tumblerridge.cafor information on tourism in the region.
*Alternatively, pick up a copy of Charles Helm’s book, Exploring Tumbler Ridge, with its detailed descriptions of many of these waterfalls. All profits are directed towards improving trails and tourism in the Tumbler Ridge area.
*All of these waterfalls are in bear country. Please pack out any garbage that you bring in to keep our bears wild and our trails safe.
*The Tumbler Ridge tourism theme is WaterFalls and dinosaurs. To enjoy the dinosaurs, check out the Tumbler Ridge Dinosaurs brochure, visit the Dinosaur Discovery Gallery in town, take a dinosaur footprint tour, or participate in the dinosaur-related educational programs!
From feeling the spray in one’s face below the great Kinuseo
Falls, to the remote grandeur of The Cascades, from gazing in
awe up at 100 metre high Bergeron Falls to swimming in the
pool below Babcock Falls or jumping off Flatbed Falls, from
roping down into majestic Quality Canyon to jet boating down
the Murray River Canyon to see its tributary falls, Tumbler
Ridge is the WATERFALL NODE OF THE NORTH.
Canada’s newest hiking and waterfall destination beckons
the visitor with falls that are world-class or quaint, high and/
or wide, massive or gentle, overpowering or picturesque. To
see all the falls described in this guide, allow yourself ten days.
To see all the falls in the Tumbler Ridge area, allow maybe
a month! Alternatively, take in a few in one visit, and come
back for more… and combine your Tumbler Ridge waterfall
adventure with the fascinating dinosaur-related activities that
further characterise Tumbler Ridge.
Tumbler Ridge is a friendly,
welcoming community in the
foothills of British Columbia’s
Rocky Mountains, with good
accommodations, an increasing
array of restaurants, and
outstanding recreation facilities.
A guide to eight waterfall routes in the
Tumbler Ridge area.
*30 waterfalls!
Welcome to Tumbler ridge www.tumblerridge.ca
tepee Falls Quality Canyon
MonkMan CasCades: Brooks Falls
Bergeson Falls
Nesbitt’s Knee Falls, Barbour Falls, Canary Falls, The Stone Corral, Kinuseo Falls contd.
Deep within Monkman Provincial Park lie nine consecutive waterfalls on Monkman Creek, which together form one of Canada’s great natural treasures. Seven of them are named and accessible by trails: Chambers Falls, McGinnis Falls, Monkman Falls, Shire Falls, Brooks Falls, Upper Moore Falls and Lower Moore Falls.
The access trail, part of the Monkman Pass Memorial Trail Driving Route, acts as a filter, so that only those with determination and fitness get to enjoy this unsurpassed destination with its backcountry campsites.
A few kilometres further along the trail is serene Monkman Lake, and for the intrepid, another day along the Memorial Trail takes hikers into the high country of the Monkman Tarns.
Caution: remote wilderness area.
trailhead: 66 km from tumbler ridge, at main campground in Monkman provincial park.
return distanCe: 44 km.
These three spectacular waterfalls are situated far to the south of Tumbler Ridge, and are accessed via industrial roads.
The trail to Wapiti Falls (return distance 14 km, moderately easy) gives access also to Wapiti Lake and Onion Lake, within Wapiti Provincial Park.
Red Deer Falls is reached via an old exploration road (return distance 20 km, moderate, suitable also for mountain biking).
Belcourt Falls (two falls in one) is still further to the south (return distance 6 km, easy).
These trails are not sign-posted. Detailed directions and maps are required before setting off into this remote but rewarding area.
Take a jet boat ride downstream from Tumbler Ridge down the Murray Canyon with one of the local operators, and then hike the short distances up the tributary canyons to impressive waterfalls like:• Quantum Falls (1 km) • Upper and Lower Quillon Falls (1 km)• Query Falls (0.5 km)• Bottom of Bergeron Falls (3 km)
A ride upstream from Tumbler Ridge to Kinuseo Falls is likewise a popular, exciting experience.
RATING:
Strenuous
Murray River by jet boat
Wapiti Falls, Red Deer Falls, Belcourt FallsThe Monkman Cascades
Route:
5Route:
6Route:
7
Route:
8
The Stone Corral Trail in Monkman Provincial Park is another “must-see.” The trail leads through a variety of outstanding rock scenery, karst features, caves, tarns and viewpoints.
Caution: steep sections and some unprotected drop-offs.
trailhead: 62 km from tumbler ridge, and 3 km before kinuseo Falls (shared with lake Joan trail).
distanCe: 4 km.
Kinuseo Falls is the big one! There is disabled access to the viewing platform at the lip of the falls, a trail past another viewpoint down to the Murray River some distance downstream from the falls, and a steep route down “The Chute” to the pool at the bottom of this superb waterfall.
trailhead: parking lot, 65 km from tumbler ridge.
distanCe: 0.5 -5 km.
easy to main viewpoints, strenuous option to base of falls.
RATING:
Strenuous
RATING:
Easy
Flatbed Falls is not high, but is close to town and boasts a great swimming hole.
Caution: no diving!
trailhead: 1 km from tumbler ridge.
return distanCe: 1 km.
The Flatbed Pools trail leads to three delightful pools on the creek, each with swimming possibilities: Top Pool, Overhanging Rock Pool and Cabin Pool. Cabin Pool is also the site of accessible dinosaur tracks.
trailhead: 1 km from tumbler ridge.
return distanCe: 4 km.
The unique, not-to-be-missed Boulder Gardens, with its excellent bouldering and climbing opportunities and magnificent rocky scenery forms the warm-up. This includes an optional bracing swim in Boulder Tarn.
Caution: the route involves some rock scrambling sections.
trailhead: access is via a 13 km unpaved road (shared with industrial traffic) which branches off the heritage highway 21 km from tumbler ridge. trailhead is then 2 km up a signposted side road.
distanCe oF CirCular route: 4 km.
Following this the trail to picturesque Babcock Falls seems easy. There is a refreshing pool when water levels are not too high. Lower Babcock Falls is a short distance downstream.
Caution: simple rock scrambling is needed to get down to the creek level at the falls, and to reach the lower falls.
trailhead: 14 km along an unpaved road (shared with industrial traffic), which branches off the heritage highway 21 km from tumbler ridge.
return distanCe: 2.5 km.
This daylong excursion up the Murray Forest Service Road (FSR) leads to five great destinations.
A short trail leads to views of the powerful Nesbitt’s Knee Falls on Waterfall Creek.
trailhead: 5 km along a side road, which leaves the Murray Fsr 35 km from tumbler ridge (12 km after the first bridge across the river).
return distanCe: 2.5 km.
easy, with strenuous route to bottom of falls for better views.
Fairly close by is the trail to scenic Barbour Falls, where the creek drops into an imposing canyon. There is a short side-trail down to a pool and smaller falls, some distance above the main falls.
Caution: unprotected drop-offs at the view sites.
trailhead: 3 km along a side road, which leaves the Murray Fsr 35 km from tumbler ridge (12 km after the first bridge across the river).
return distanCe: 2.5 km.
easy, with a moderate section down to the pool.
Lake Joan and Canary Falls lie in Monkman Provincial Park. The circular route that includes both features is best done in a counter-clockwise direction.
trailhead: 62 km from tumbler ridge, and 3 km before kinuseo Falls (shared with the stone Corral trail).
distanCe: 1 km to falls and back; 2 km for circular route that includes the lake.
Nesbitt’s Knee Falls, Barbour Falls, Canary Falls, The Stone Corral, Kinuseo Falls
Babcock Falls and the Boulder Gardens
Flatbed Falls and Flatbed Pools
RATING:
Moderate
RATING:
Moderate
RATING:
Easy / Moderate
RATING:
Strenuous RATING:
Easy
RATING:
Moderate / Streneous
RATING:
Easy
Bergeron Falls is the highest accessible waterfall in northern British Columbia.
Trail upgrades have created a sensational circular hike that enables access to the bottom of the falls via a slot canyon, along with many rim viewpoints.
There are side-trails to the smaller Vomer Falls and Dipper Falls, the Hidden Valley and Scalpel Ridge.
Caution: there are massive drop-offs – please heed all safety signs. simple rock scrambling may be needed to get through the slot canyon.
trailhead: at a gravel pit at the end of an 8 km unpaved road that branches off hwy 29, 8 km from tumbler ridge.
distanCe: Circular route including all side trails: 12 km. to the top of the falls and back: 9 km.
Bergeron Falls (& Vomer Falls, and Dipper Falls)
RATING:
Strenuous
Route:
2
Route:
3
Route:
4Route:
5
BaBCoCk Falls
BarBour Falls
FlatBed pools
Canary Falls
kinuseo Falls
MonkMan CasCades:
upper and loWer Moore Falls
(greg amos)
MonkMan CasCades: MonkMan Falls
Quillion Falls
red deer Falls
kinuseo Falls By Jet Boat