Comments

B. McGinn from North Vancouver writes:

Trail is well marked with standard bright trail markers posted on trees. They are red. Trail is not difficult to navigate due to the markers and the sound of rushing water.

Hiking boots are recommended to prevent twisting an ankle as there are many large tree roots and rocks in the trail. Cel phone coverage is spotty (works some places but not others).

Posted: April 5, 2021 01:36:16 PM PST

Bijan S from North Vancouver writes:

Took this trail from the parking lot off Westport. To Whyte lake and back again was ~ 2 hours, though this included me going around the lake. The first sections of this trail were the steepest (the dirt road then the trail itself), but then it levelled out somewhat. This was late July so there was no snow left and just a few muddy sections; lots of rocks and roots. When you reach the lake there is a small dock, and from that side and the other some people were swimming in the lake (although DWV had a sign up stating it was not designated for swimming). No major viewpoints on this trail, just lots of forest.
My only complaint is that the trail signs could have been better at some of the junctions, and it wouldn't kill them to put a map at the trailhead as well.

Posted: July 30, 2020 05:51:33 PM PST

Thad&Petra from Vancouver writes:

We really enjoyed this beautiful hike and definitely recommend it to anyone. Very easy, although a little slippery on roots and rocks at times. Easy breezy: At the wooden bridge, stay on Left/West side of creek, or go over bridge for a steeper climb up Right/East side of creek. The orange day-glow tree markers are hard to miss... Following them up the Left/West side brings you to a nice view of the waterfall. Continue up to gravel road, go right approx. 100m to paved road, and right again over service vehicle bridge. But first, at the blue bell-shaped metal post markers, make a quick 3-min detour down to the creek to see the waterfall and crashed rusty car on other side of the creek. Keep an ear out for birds, a nose out for bears and an eye out for Sasquatch. If you see Sasquatch, *take photos*! Cross service vehicle bridge to Right/West side of creek, and follow this road Right a short distance (100-200m?), past the yellow metal gate... past power station on left... past power facility buildings etc on right. The road begins to descend steeply while curving to the left... Continue a short distance downhill until you see the (currently) unmarked but well-worn and easily recognizable trail on your Right. This trail is hard to miss if you're looking for it, but perhaps easy to overlook if you're not. Once on this trail, you'll immediately come to a small metal gate and the orange day-glow tree markers re-appear. The trail quickly forks with orange markers pointing in both directions. The right-hand direction presumably goes upwards towards the car crash(??) and the left goes downhill along the East side of creek... taking you back to the wooden bridge and parking lot.

Posted: April 5, 2020 05:12:59 PM PST

Owen from South Surrey writes:

This hike is amazing in every sense. Perfect hike for beginners and people looking to get into nature without straining themselves too hard. Look out for the crashed car from many years ago squished against the trees on the edge of a cliff.

Posted: December 13, 2019 09:41:15 PM PST

Rachel from Vancouver writes:

This trail is NOT well marked. We went to do this hike as it was listed as easy, and not very long, and even read some of the reviews about how to navigate the trail. There are so many trails going multiple ways, it was difficult to figure out where the actual trail was. We went up the left side of the trail, an finally made it to a road, then turned around and went down. Then we went over the bridge and went to the top and reached the road on that side. It was a frustrating hike, wouldn't recommend it.

Posted: June 25, 2019 09:25:41 AM PST

Melissa from North Vancouver writes:

Beautiful trail! Loved it, and so worth the hike for the stunning view of the waterfall.
However I feel that this trail is closer to an intermediate level than easy. The trail has lots of rocks and roots sticking up which made the footing hard in places.
Also follow the orange trail makers, and when you come to the chain link fence with the warning sign, keep going! You’re almost there!

Posted: June 22, 2019 01:50:34 PM PST

Eric from Toronto writes:

Very flat easy hike - took about 30 min one way. As others have pointed out do not cross the wooden bridge at the fork - stay left and the trail will be easy up the waterfall. For a closer view of the waterfall and the car wreck, follow the trail up to the service road, then walk up the service road about 100m until you reach a couple blue poles. Follow that trail down and you will see the car wreck across the cliff

Posted: October 17, 2018 09:25:51 PM PST

Roberta from North Vancouver writes:

I went this trail few weeks ago in July. Short and beautiful trail. A good place to go with dogs.

Posted: August 7, 2018 11:41:04 AM PST

WestVanHiker from Vancouver writes:

Good short hike to three waterfalls and there is markers on trees. There is two upper waterfalls. This website mentions one which is the largest. There is another waterfall near the upper road and bridge. The trail goes up to the road where there is some blue bollards near bridge. There is a rough unmarked trail to a twin falls. You can return by other side of river by crossing the road bridge. Trail on east side of river is not well marked.

Posted: April 30, 2018 10:44:04 AM PST

Ciara from North Shore writes:

Really nice short hike and great for dog walking! There are TWO sides to this trail, which is why I think some people are saying it is an easy and clear trail, while others say the opposite.
When you start from the parking lot the trail it is very easy and clear. You will come to a point where you can continue slightly left (West side of the river) along the trail or cross a wooden bridge. If you stay on the path and do not cross the bridge it will be easy to follow orange markers. The trail remains wide and quite easy, it likely will take an hour or so to complete out and back style.

If you cross the bridge and take the East side of the river there are markers for a short distance to a fork and then the trail gets much more difficult and is not well marked. If you go right at this fork you will meet up with a rocky path that resembles a creek. This will head up to a fence with a gate and connect to the service road in only a couple of minutes. If you head left at the fork you will parallel the river on a slippery (most of the year) and narrow trail. This is the trail some commenters refer to as being sketchy and on the edge of a cliff. It is more difficult than the West of the river trail, and I would watch little ones on this trail. This is also the route that leads you to the old car wreck. Shortly after the car wreck you reach the service road and a large, wooden bridge. You can do the trail as a loop, connecting the West and East trails with the service road.

This is a very pretty and green trail; however it needs better signage and a trail map, as I think most people assume they should cross the wooden bridge near the start of the trail leading to confusion!

Posted: March 10, 2018 04:37:51 PM PST

Janis from Vancouver writes:

Great off-leash trail with our dog. For most of the trail, it was very easy to follow the orange diamonds. After reading the comments on this site, it seemed like the suggested trail here was a bit hard to follow. So we used the map from Outdoor Vancouver's site (https://www.outdoorvancouver.ca/cypress-falls-hike-west-vancouver/) It was easy to follow the orange diamonds for the most part. However, near the upper falls, it got a bit confusing. We found the power line road that Outdoor Vancouver suggests but then the trail we took back into the forest was a little sketchy - it was quite steep and a narrow trail. It didn't offer that great of a view of the upper falls either. Next time, I'll just stick with the orange diamonds.

Posted: December 21, 2017 11:29:07 AM PST

Tarek El-Ghazaly from Waterloo writes:

I've only done two trails in Vancouver, but this one was a favorite. It was an unusually dry week so the falls weren't as luscious as I'd hoped, but otherwise, the trail is extremely therapeutic. Comfortable dirt/twigs-laden paths. It's uphill but only in abrupt intervals, so you get to enjoy walking on a flat surface probably 70% of the time. The thing is, it's a little easy to get lost without a good guide. I was lucky to have two experienced hikers within earshot to know when I've drifted the wrong way. Otherwise, loved it more than Lynn Canyon which I found to be too tidy and way too crowded, not to mention the wood-laden paths that aren't as comfortable as walking on dirt.

Posted: November 1, 2017 07:16:51 AM PST

Eric from Richmond writes:

Hiked on Oct. 8th - This is definitely one of our least impressive waterfalls.
If I rate Kennedy Falls as a 10, Cypress Falls would be a 1 or 2.
The trail does have some nice swings in elevation which is nice to see on an easy rated trail.
There have been several pro and con comments on the signage.
The red tags on the trees are excellent: however, the trail lacks all of the directional sign posts at each junction that you will find on all other trails. In fact, there is not one sign post. This can make it very easy to miss the loop on the way back and it can also make it easy to accidentally cross Cypress Creek which will take you to Eagle Lake Road. Best to either print a map or load one on your phone.

Posted: October 9, 2017 11:37:27 PM PST

Deb from Vancouver writes:

Great short hike. I was wondering if it would be hard to navigate but it was very very well marked. Lovely forest sections. Nice spots for a picnic bythe river. Gorgeous falls - and all very close to Vancouver. Good afternoon out.

Posted: September 24, 2017 09:53:27 PM PST

Craig from California writes:

Did this hike today with my wife, 9 year old son and 4 year old daughter. Easy hike with some incline....I was compelled to comment as we were concerned about the trail and if it was marked well. We had zero issues following the trail (very easy to follow) and to make things easier for future hikers, as stated below, stay west of the river and you will be fine.

Posted: August 13, 2017 07:14:32 PM PST

S from North Van writes:

I wouldn't classify this hike as easy necessarily... It starts off easy to follow and maintained trail, but once you get to the wood bridge it's a mess...Unmarked trails that seem to split everywhere, decaying wood steps, steep terrain. Seems popular with dog walkers however

Posted: June 25, 2017 01:19:35 PM PST

Chris from Surrey writes:

This trail is ridiculously slippery this time of year and it wasn't even anything spectacular. The nearby Kennedy Falls trail while longer is much better in my opinion. With that said I want to go back at a different time of the year before I make my mind up about it. It is a nice area for a short moderate hike. 3 stars for me.

Posted: December 23, 2016 01:26:16 PM PST

Jocelyn from Vancouver writes:

Trail is not marked at all and seems a bit treacherous around the upper falls (e.g. walking along the edge of a cliff), but the falls are gorgeous. It's a nice option for a short hike. I wouldn't call it an "easy" hike, although maybe that's because we wandered off the official trail.

Posted: April 25, 2016 02:30:16 PM PST

Judy from Burnaby writes:

If you stay nearby and to the west of the creek then it's pretty hard to get lost. We went feb 20th and there were a number of waterfalls to see. It was a very scenic route! But be careful not to get too close to the edge of the cliffs, good shoes are helpful.

Posted: February 20, 2016 04:55:22 PM PST

Dan N from Vancouver writes:

Hiked Sat, Feb 6 2016

Weather was good, ground was pretty solid. No snow even north past the falls.

Like many others mention, trail is not marked.
Would definitely recommend having some sort of map or guide loaded up on your phone when trying to find the falls top view.

If you hike up past the falls you'll get to a crossroads where if you follow the service road up a bit and then hike off that you can get to a pretty nice viewpoint.

Posted: February 11, 2016 04:02:45 AM PST

Kristen Rivers from North Vancouver writes:

Cypress Falls is a wonderful hike if you have a dog. Otherwise, the trail itself is very poorly marked. We ended up taking a wrong turn and ended up doing a much harder hike.

Posted: August 4, 2015 04:26:26 PM PST

Espy from Vancouver writes:

Loved it! Not crowded like most hikes around Vancouver, was nice not to have to share hike with tons of people. Was just myself and my boyfriend. It can be a bit confusing to navigate but we found the map helped a lot. We ended up hanging out in a pool at the upper falls, was amazing!

Posted: July 5, 2015 06:23:27 PM PST

Philip from Vancouver writes:

Really poorly marked trail! Stay away from the east side of the river! We accidentally went to the east side of the river and followed a really difficult trail with uneven terrain, slippery ground with almost no view of the river. Even after we eventually made it back to the trail described here, the waterfall is really nothing compared with many other waterfalls on the north shore (e.g. Brothers creek, Big Cedar and Kennedy falls).

We also came across the abandoned vehicle on the east side trail, and were wondering whether it fell down there from the road up above.

One nice thing about the this trail is a wooden bridge shortly after you start. The temperature there is substantially lower than anywhere else in the city during hot summer days (like today). We spent lots of time there playing with water and enjoying the cool wind.

Posted: June 25, 2015 09:05:22 PM PST

C. Smith from North Vancouver writes:

Worst trail on the North Shore. Not marked, Dog Crap Bags eveywhere. Don't waste your time!!

Posted: May 12, 2015 05:09:27 PM PST

sunshowers from Vancouver writes:

The trails in this park are terribly marked, so our experience was quite different from that in the main writeup.

Once you get a bit past the wooden bridge over the first small waterfall, the trail kind of goes all over the place. There are lots of fallen trees over the trail, at times obscuring the path. Often, the trail narrows to nearly nothing and looks like a dead end. At one point we found ourselves at a fork. One direction looked like a wide path, leading up the hill. The other was a very narrow path leading through ferns and bushes. We picked the wider path, as it seemed more traveled, and it ended up leading to nothing. At another point, the trail we were following led to a very steep scramble up a dirt slope. It was too steep to come back down, so we kept going up and ended up on a gravel road. From there we kept walking up the hill until we got to another bridge where you could see the big waterfall.

Getting closer to the big waterfall was a bit risky. There's a rocky portion that you can actually cross, directly above the waterfall, but climbing over the slippery, muddy rock covered in wet leaves and moss was scary. The trail back down the river from that point was also quite steep and narrow. There were parts where the loose dirt trail was no more than a foot wide, with a near vertical drop to the river.

I'm not sure what path we took, but casual hikers or those with small children should beware that it's easy to end up in hazardous terrain should you lose the trail in this park. It's not all "easy" hiking.

Posted: May 4, 2015 12:42:58 PM PST

AK from Vancouver writes:

Just walked west of side trail from south start @ parking up to Hydro road.
Proceeded uphill on Hydro road until we saw mother bear and 2 with larger cubs feeding alongside road within 20 feet.
Turned back and hiked east side of trail down.
Watch for old wire along east trail.
Spectacular scenery!

Posted: April 26, 2015 03:23:46 PM PST

pseudocanuck from Vancouver writes:

To say this trail is badly marked would be a lie - it basically isn't marked at all. I got lost several times but ultimately I found my prize! Just listen for the sound of rushing water in your search for both falls but otherwise I highly recommend just getting lost in your own adventure here. There are a lot of trails in the forest. Took me 46 mins to do the whole loop not including stops for photos. The maps drawn by an earlier poster (www.findfamilyfun.com) was ultimately the best guide however I wasn't sure if I was supposed to go beyond what looks like a parking lot/gate on the service road so I ended up backtracking and going down the hillside closer to the creek again. Still managed to weave my way through to see the huge old trees though. Lovely hike to do on a rainy Monday.

Posted: April 13, 2015 04:19:53 PM PST

James from B-town writes:

We and my lady did this trail early this afternoon and we found it a GREAT change of pace from the summits we've been doing. It was really fun just to explore and follow the creek up a at a leisure pace.

I came here to see if someone else had written about the abandoned car near the wood bridge. But no one seems to have seen it, or found it noteworthy. Does anyone know anything about how that old car came to get there?

Posted: March 28, 2015 09:46:07 PM PST

Carolyn from Bowen Island writes:

I was wondering if the nelson creek forest service road continues from the cypress falls area all the way to horshoe bay and is it rideable in all places?

Posted: March 1, 2015 08:13:21 PM PST

RT from Vancovuer writes:

I wouldn't classify this trail as easy. It is quite steep and the ground is very uneven with quite a few obstacles. I would recommend to take the route to the left when entering the private property through the opening in the fence, as the lower path is a bit dangerous to navigate. It would also be helpful to have a few signs here and there, as there is no obvious trail to follow. Other than that, the setting is very natural and you will get a good workout. I just wished the city would maintain is a bit better.

Posted: February 15, 2015 05:02:38 PM PST

Justin from Richmond writes:

I did this hike mid-week as it was classified as a short and easy hike.

Getting to the trail was quiet easy with GPS. There's a small parking lot just before the start of the trail. Before getting started, I would highly recommend reading the description of the trail before the start of your hike as the trail itself is quite poorly marked. It's fairly easy to stray off course.

Getting to the lower falls is quite a short hike. I never got to the upper falls as I was lost and the sun began to set.

I would hike Cypress Falls again now that I've read the description of the trail.

Posted: August 5, 2014 01:20:56 PM PST

Ross from North Shore writes:

Did this today with my 4 year old daughter - really nice hike and interesting enough considering its an 'out + back' route. Some amazing trees, lovely river views and some of the friendliest dogs (and owners!) we've come across.
Great family / beginner loop - just use the river as your navigational guide and don't worry about the lack of trail markers.

Posted: May 17, 2013 08:37:52 PM PST

Alexandria from Vancouver writes:

I'm curious to know how long it would take to walk to Eagle Lake from the Eagle Bluff Road. Is it even accessible by foot?

Posted: October 5, 2012 11:19:48 PM PST

Shaz from Vancouver writes:

Did this as a fall hike, and found it beautiful in there. Lots of interesting terrain, with some uphills which we really liked. Not hard to find your way around at all after reading some of the posts here if you keep the waterfall as your point

Posted: October 5, 2012 06:26:03 PM PST

richard from vancouver writes:

absolutely loved the hike. I actually enjoyed the unmarked trails. Made it an adventure, and made the trip longer and more worth while. We actually ended up looping through it twice in a row, having two completely separate paths.

Posted: August 22, 2012 12:26:07 AM PST

Dale from Vancouver writes:

I'm a novice hiker and thoroughly enjoyed this hike! I can't believe how close to the city we have magical hikes like this to enjoy. I found a new happy place along this hike!

Posted: June 26, 2012 07:26:28 PM PST

Douger from West Vancouver writes:

Beautiful and a bit dangerous in some spots. A few trails have been newly marked with pink tape. Easy to get yourself turned around up there, but as others have suggested, just keep the river within ear shot. Dog walkers frequent this area.

Posted: April 20, 2012 09:07:48 AM PST

Payam from Vancouver writes:

The trails are very poorly marked especially on the east bank (almost nonexistent actually) so mind your path to keep from going in circles. I came across a very basic map which I think is a better route to follow than the one described here.

http://www.findfamilyfun.com/cypressfalls.gif

Posted: April 17, 2012 08:57:39 PM PST

Susan C from Burnaby writes:

This was a very nice hike. (we are not experienced hikers)
Thanks to Alexandria for the map, it really helped.
We headed up on the east side of the river and down on the west side. The trails on the east side of the river were easy to follow and easily led us to the service road. This road led us to the upper falls and the trail was little steep but worth it. Interestingly there is an old car stuck in the trees on the east side of the upper falls. A couple told us that it was from a car accident in the 1960's. The trails on the west side of the river were harder to follow but its ok because you can orientate yourself with the river and there didn't feel any threat of getting lost (just head down!).
The trees and moss are amazing! Both waterfalls were great too.
We really enjoyed the hike.

Posted: August 1, 2011 10:10:50 AM PST

Chuck from Vancouver writes:

We did this hike on Victoria Day. I would agree the trail isn't particularly well marked but there always seems to be a path to follow which is somewhat obvious. While there are other paths it seems they always re-join. Keep river right to get to the falls and you won't have any trouble finding them.

For a better view of the falls continue on to the service road and then head down the trail marked by the BC Hydro Blue poles. It is a little steeper and a little slick because of the mist from the falls but worth the view.

The hike really is quite short so we continued up the service road to the reservoir. You can't actually see it but there are some nice views. The road/path splits at one point where the TransCanada trail crosses. You can take either as they'll re-join a short distance later.

Posted: May 27, 2011 09:28:25 PM PST

Walley from Richmond writes:

There are some great views past the fence of the second set of falls just before the service road bridge. There is a tighter and steeper trail heading down towards a bit of a ledge with a great viewpoint of the second falls that is just off to your right after the fence (be cautious). There is a pole there as a marker as well. To get to the fence there is a very obvious main trail you can follow fairly easily. Either way if you follow the river upstream, keeping it to your right, it is very easy to get to the fence.

The right side of the falls contains less obvious trails and more difficult terrain and you will have to cross at some point so unless you are okay with getting a little wet and adventurous stick to the left.

Posted: May 21, 2011 12:09:18 PM PST

Shark from Vancouver writes:

Did the hike yesterday with a group of friends. We'd agree with the other posters that the trail is not easily marked.
However, with a little intuition you can still find your way around, and there are numerous other trails that will lead you through some amazing forest scenery. A plus for the more adventurous hikers are a few rope-assisted descents to the riverbed. Had a great time overall.

Posted: April 4, 2011 10:19:36 AM PST

Alexandria from Vancouver writes:

After some digging, this is a great map since the trail is not marked for the most part: http://www.findfamilyfun.com/cypressfalls.gif

Posted: January 24, 2011 09:46:04 PM PST

Alexandria from Vancouver writes:

I agree with the frequent sentiment of the trail not being well (safely!) labeled. Which organization is responsible for providing markers/blazes/tape...oh, just anything please?

Posted: January 24, 2011 09:02:24 PM PST

Carly from Vancouver writes:

My husband and I went on this hike this afternoon with out 6month old berner puppy. If you are looking for a trail or a path to hike, you will end up frustrated. In many places the trail seems to split into 3 or 4 possible directions, some of which just die off. We both hike in the backcountry and thus like trails that aren't over maintained but this was confusing. We disliked doubling back to choose the next, hopefully longer, adventure. This trail could benefit from either a map or pamphlet at the trailhead or a few small signs or markers along the way.

That said, the noise and view of the first falls is quite awesome. The second falls was a bit difficult to find, less water but a full view, worth the wandering. Overall, this was a great place to visit, explore and simply walk around in. With altered expectations we would definitely go back.

Posted: December 10, 2010 06:13:47 PM PST

annie boudreau from tracadie NB writes:

very nice hike!! the 2 second waterfall is amazing!

Posted: August 20, 2009 09:41:36 PM PST

Colin from North Vancouver writes:

Just did this early this morning. Wonderful hike, to get to the second falls after the bridge, stick close to the right hand side to get to the fence. It's a really nice hike a little challenging for those used to simple trails. It's cool near the water so be sure to wear layers :)

Posted: May 2, 2009 04:52:54 PM PST

Jason from North Vancouver writes:

A short hike but lovely, mossy forest hike in West Van. The first waterfall was only 5 minutes from the parking lot but the 2nd one was quite far up and we ended up loosing track of where the trail was several times. If you get to a fence, you've gone the right way and it's only a short hike beyond the fence.

Tried to find a view of the water from the other side of the bridge but didn't have any luck.

Posted: April 4, 2009 06:58:35 PM PST

Julie Smithson from North Vancouver writes:

The trees and the moss that covers them are so amazing. We are so fortunate to live near areas like Cypress Falls where trees grow big and healthy in their natural environment.

A short and easy hike but very scenic. A perfect weekend morning hike so you have the rest of the day free.

Posted: April 7, 2008 10:00:34 AM PST