Blog
Wells Gray
May 20, 2023 to May 21, 2023I knew about Helmcken falls and wanted to stop there on the way. But I didn't know much about the park it was in, Wells Gray. For car access in this park it is a 65km road, and then you turn around and drive back out. Along the way there are some spectacular waterfalls you can either stop at viewing platforms for, or there are short hikes. For my visit I only saw 4 of them, but they sure left an impact!
The night before heading into the park to explore I stayed at the Raft Rim campground, a free campsite right near the edge of a beautiful cliff.
Day 1 started with getting up early to drive to the viewing platform for Helmcken Falls before any crowds started. The view from the viewing platform was amazing! After that I went to the trail head for the hike that took you right to the rim of the waterfall.
I drove to the end of the road to check out the campgrounds (which had this fun boardwalk that wasn't connected to shore). There was also a cafe out there so I decided to stop by... it way maybe one of the more awkward experiences I've had trying to find out what food they had and to order, but I got my overpriced sandwich! so there! :D
I drove a little bit of the way back and stayed at the campground near Dawson falls, still gorgeous, but a little less overwhelming after seeing Helmcken that day :)
The next day I headed out to see some more waterfalls and start heading north again, but along the way I drove up the winding road to the Green Mountain viewing platform. There was a geocache there that was more elaborate then other ones I had found.
Todays main waterfall was Moul falls, a short hike in to this waterfall, that was significantly shorter than Helmcken, but probably my favourite waterfall because you can get so close.
I spent quite a bit ouf time standing and just being in the presence of this one. And also marveling in the butterflies that were flying right into the spray.
One unique thing about Moul is that you can walk behind the waterfall to the other side which is a sort of overhanging cave. The spray behind the waterfall was pretty intense and my raincoat did absolutely nothing, I was instantly soaked.
With the spray it was pretty hard to get photos as the lense got covered in water, but I still tried!
Thats it, time to hike back, after wringing out my socks and dumping the water out of my boots I started back.
Last stop was another waterfall from a viewing platform, it was a pretty spectacular one in a canyon.
And thats it for Wells Gray, time to continue north!