Sea to Sky Waterfalls
Five cascades. One extraordinary highway.
The Sea to Sky Corridor
Where every turn reveals something extraordinary
From the moment you leave Vancouver and begin the climb along Highway 99, the Sea to Sky corridor begins to show its hand. Ancient granite walls, the shimmering expanse of Howe Sound, old-growth cedar groves, and cutting through all of it, a succession of waterfalls that rank among the most spectacular in British Columbia. Below is your guide to every one worth stopping for.
Squamish, BC
Shannon Falls
Rising 335 metres above Highway 99, just south of the Squamish Chief, Shannon Falls is unmissable: the third highest waterfall in all of British Columbia, and one of the most storied.
The Squamish First Nations tell of Say-noth-ka, a massive two-headed serpent who lived in Howe Sound. According to legend, this ancient creature would slither from the ocean up into the mountains, always following the same route until his enormous, twisting body had worn a grooved spillway into the mountainside itself, the channel through which Shannon Falls now plunges.
Shannon Falls Provincial Park offers fine picnic spots and trails interwoven through lush old-growth forest, with notched stumps remaining as quiet evidence of the valley's logging past.
11km South of Whistler
Brandywine Falls
The name has a memorable origin story. Two railway surveyors, making a wager over who could better estimate the height of this 70-metre plunge, staked a bottle of brandy on the outcome. The loser paid up, both men polished off the bottle on the spot, and the falls have carried the name ever since.
From the observation deck, Brandywine delivers something genuinely hypnotic: the further the water falls from the upper lip, the slower it appears to move. It spreads wide, almost seems to stall, then shatters into the canyon below. It is worth seeing more than once.
Look for the blue signs on Highway 99, 11km south of Whistler. The trailhead walk takes around ten minutes. For the committed, the Sea to Sky Trail runs 20 kilometres one-way from Function Junction all the way to the falls.
Callaghan Valley
Alexander Falls
The least-visited of Whistler's main waterfalls, despite being just a short detour off the beaten path, Alexander Falls rewards those who seek it out. A stunning 43-metre tiered cascade on Madeley Creek, set deep in the Callaghan Valley, it has a quieter, more remote character than the highway-adjacent falls to the south.
Turn west about 10 kilometres south of Whistler toward Whistler Olympic Park and look for the sign and trail approximately one kilometre before the lodge. This gives you the top-down view. In winter, the falls are also accessible by snowshoe from Callaghan Country when snow conditions allow.
The parking area is small and the viewing area is not maintained in winter. Plan ahead, and plan a washroom stop before you arrive, as facilities at the falls are limited.
Whistler Westside Road
Rainbow Falls
Rainbow Falls barely qualifies as a waterfall in the traditional sense. It is more a river finding its way through a narrow boulder field, spreading and tumbling rather than plunging. But it is beautiful, and the real draw here is what comes next: the Rainbow Lake trail continuing up into some of Whistler's finest alpine terrain.
Located just half a kilometre into the forest off Whistler's Westside Road, the falls make an ideal morning escape from the Village. Follow the Rainbow Lake trail to the Water Treatment Centre, take the fork that goes straight (not toward the lake), and within a minute you will hear the water.
Higher up, Rainbow Lake itself is one of Whistler's most beloved full-day hikes. Budget the whole day. It is entirely worth it.
En Route to Pemberton
Nairn Falls
The northernmost waterfall on the Sea to Sky journey, Nairn Falls is also the most viscerally powerful. Where Brandywine descends in a composed, elegant curtain, Nairn tumbles and twists and roars through a narrow canyon, a churning maze of water pouring between pools and eddies, constantly in motion and never quite predictable.
Officially measured at 60 metres, the falls have long carried rumours of underwater caverns capable of holding flotsam for months, possibly years. True or not, Nairn feels like a place that operates on its own terms. The trail follows the Green River for just over a kilometre before delivering you directly alongside the torrent.
Nairn Falls exemplifies the majestic, untameable chaos of water and gravity. Stay on the trail. Do not fall in.
At a Glance
All Five Falls Compared
Before You Go
Practical Tips for Waterfall Chasers
Late spring through early summer (May to July) offers peak flow after snowmelt. Most falls are dramatic year-round, though Brandywine and Nairn parking lots close in winter months.
All falls are accessible via Highway 99. Shannon and Brandywine are the easiest, with large parking lots directly off the highway. Alexander Falls requires a 10km detour into the Callaghan Valley.
Using Whistler as your base puts all five falls within an hour's drive. Explore them at your own pace over a few days rather than rushing them all into one trip.