Kanaka Creek Cliff Falls

The Cliff Falls area of Kanaka Creek in Maple Ridge offers an easy set of hiking trails, from the picnic area near the waterfalls to the Bell-Irving Hatchery. The park is a great location for families to spend a day in the outdoors during the summer.

From the sports field, walk along next to the fence and follow the trail as it descends into the forest. Walk straight through the 4-way trail intersection and continue, crossing a wooden bridge at the bottom. The trail widens into the Cliff Falls picnic area, with access to lots of picnic tables and a view of Cliff Falls to the right.

Continue your hike by pass through the picnic area and crossing another bridge with views of the rapids below. Follow the gravel trail up a short hill until you reach a junction and go left along the Canyon Trail. The trail meanders through the forest with the sound of Kanaka Creek below.

At a junction with a trail on your left, continue straight along the Canyon Trail as this will be the route we return to loop back to the starting point. The trail eventually descends and continues right next to a much calmer creek before reaching a road. Carefully cross the road and walk through the gravel parking area and follow the trail on the far end to the hatchery.

The Bell-Irving Hatchery has salmon on site 12 months of the year, including Coho, Chum, and Pink Salmon at different times of the year. The hatchery is generally open on weekends from 1pm - 3pm and provides educational information on the preservation of the salmon population in Kanaka Creek.

To return to where you started your hike, walk back towards the gravel parking lot and cross the road, following the Canyon Trail. Walk up the steep incline and along the path until you reach a junction with a trail on your right. Go right, taking a new route, as it descends into the canyon and crossing Kanaka Creek over a metal bridge. Continue your hike up the steep slope on the other side of the canyon and along the dirt trail until you reach a wide gravel road.

To return to the picnic area, go left down the gravel road and within a short distance, the familiar picnic tables become visible. To return to the parking lot or to take a longer route back to the picnic area, look for the trail on the other side of the wide gravel road (it's marked as straight ahead but is actually about 10 meters to the right). Walk along this trail, through the calming forest until you reach a wooden bridge wide enough to ride horses across. Continue following the path until you reach a 4-way trail junction. To return to the picnic area, go left and to return to the parking lot, go right up the hill and past the sport field.