Distance
There are no protective barriers on the precipice at the viewpoint.
A distinct path on the left side (northwest) heads off the road and into the thick brush, toward the sound of rushing water. From the road, hike level about 20 m on a good trail to a junction.
The right fork is safer and you can stand on the flat bedrock edge of the cliff to look across the canyon and view the crashing water from the front. Follow the trail away from the falls for about 200 m and see a huge chunk of bedrock rising from the side of canyon. This rock provides a type of barrier but still offers a spectacular view of the cascade.
For a more hazardous but closer look, take the left fork at the junction and stand on the dry bedrock slabs that break away at the very rim of the falls with the water tumbling over the edge only 1 m away. Be extremely careful at the falls viewpoint, as the rocks may be slippery with a thin layer of algae.
Directions
Road: any vehicle
Access is rough but still suitable for a car. For detailed road directions see earlier in Chapter 2 for the St. Mary River, Dewar and Meachen Creek roads.
0 km: Junction between Meachen Creek Road and Hellroaring Creek Road.
8 km: Park at the 8 km sign along Meachen Creek Road in a wide pullout, just after the road makes a few tight blind curves, N93921-E53141, at 1080 m (3,540 ft.). The trailhead is unsigned.
Janice Strong
Janice Strong is an established professional outdoor photographer. Her images grace collections all over the world and appear in many respected publications. She is passionate about hiking and is also an avid snowshoer and skier, exploring the outdoors of the East Kootenay in southeastern BC year round.She openly shares her passion for the outdoors with others and has introduced hundreds of people to the joys of hiking. For a decade she led hikes for the City of Cranbrook – Parks and Recreation. With her guidance, many people have themselves become enthusiastic hikers.
Climbing mountains, finding new places and enjoying the experience of the journey have always been important to Janice. She cherishes the little things she sees along the trail, as well as the grand destinations.
When Janice is not writing, hiking or taking photographs, she is involved in various creative digital, website design or photographic projects for her clients. She and her husband, Jamie Levine, enjoy their rural property, near Cranbrook, BC.
