Quick Facts:
- AllTrails link: Lower Gold Creek Falls Trail, 5.5km, 92m elevation gain
- Difficulty: easy and mostly stroller friendly
- Traffic: very heavy, many dogs, mostly leashed
- Facilities: outhouse at the trailhead parking lot
- View: nice views Evans Peak from the middle view point, and cool little waterfall at the end
- Overall score: 7/10
Lower Falls Trail in Golden Ears Provincial Park is very popular because it’s very easy and the views are pretty great. The parking lot, although not small, doesn’t quite hold up to the popularity. In recent years, BC Parks has started a free day-pass program to limit the number of visitors to Golden Ears and control the demand on local roads.
In May 2021, we had a very wet camping trip in the rain and attempted to hike the Lower Falls Trail. There’s a small connecting trail from the campground to the trailhead, but it’s somewhat unmaintained and blocked by fallen trees.
We got as far as the midway view point on Gold Creek before the rain soaked through our pants and we turned back.
At the end of our recent Solo (Plus) camping trip, our good friends Tom and Alison joined us and we tackled this uber popular trail again.
The parking lot was totally full, but thankfully there were enough people finishing their hikes so we didn’t have to wait too long.
Unlike the rainy experience, the weather this time was perfect. The kids were busy exploring, so our progress was slow. It took us 30 mins to hike 1 km and get to the Gold Creek view point.
The trail followed a very gentle grade, and it’s wide and surfaced with gravel. It’s quite doable with a sturdy stroller. The last 100m to the falls was slightly steeper so could be a bit more challenging.
A connecting trail links the Lower Falls Trail to East Canyon Trail, but it’s much rougher. A guidebook warned against looking for the upper falls given the hazards of hiking the unmaintained trails.
The water level of Gold Creek and the waterfall were low. Some other hikers described how strong the waterfall was during spring snow melt, sending water sprays that would soak anyone standing on the viewing platform.
After a quick break, we headed down and finished the easy hike. 5.5km with no climbing was a breeze for Big Bro. I was confident enough to not even bring a carrier as backup.