Bridal Veil Falls
Markus getting misted at the base of Bridal Veil Falls
If you've been following The Markus Project, you'll know that we are fans of the low effort, high reward type hikes. Bridal Veil Falls is one of those beautiful waterfalls that’s worth a visit and seeing in person. The best part is that the waterfall is located just off of the highway (in fact, you can see it from the highway) and with a short 10-minute hike. Bridal Veil Falls is one of our favourite stops in British Columbia and since we were driving past the area, we made our first visit to the falls with our dog.
About Bridal Veil Falls
Markus walking along the 10 minute trail to Bridal Veil Falls
Length: 0.8km
Traffic: Moderate
Route Type: Out & Back
Located just past Chilliwack, British Columbia, Bridal Falls is mostly a highway services community with truck stops and restaurants easily accessible off to the side. The town gets its name from Bridal Veil Falls, which sits in a Provincial Park with a day-use area and an amazing waterfall at the end of a short hike. The waterfall used to draw tourists out and once included cabins that were promoted as a honeymoon spot - playing off the bridal falls name.
Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park has a short loop trail although most visitors just take the route straight to the falls and back. For all the times we've visited this park, we have always found a parking spot and there are quite a few. The trailhead is right by the parking lot where there are a few picnic tables and outhouses for those who want to spend the afternoon and of course, there is the main attraction of Bridal Veil Falls Provincial Park, which is a waterfall that sits at the end of a short 0.4km trail.
Markus crossing the bridge to Bridal Veil Falls
On the way up to Bridal Veil Falls, there is a bit of an incline of about 50m though it is generally pretty easy. The trail ends at a small platform/man-made structure and for all intents and purposes, the park will tell you that the trail ends here. A lot of park goers will enjoy the view of the falls from this point, but many will also make their way up beyond this platform to get closer to the waterfall.
We can't recommend you to go up this part of trail to get closer to the waterfall because it is quite steep and can be dangerous since the waterfall keeps parts of this area wet and slippery. That said, you will often see children and other dogs making the climb, so it is possible to do. Just take it cautiously and make sure you have the proper footwear and you should be okay.
Markus posing at the base of Bridal Veil Falls
We made our way up with our dog and as usual, going up is the easy part, but coming back down is the hard part. As you're coming back down, it's important to control your momentum so you can find your footing, but that can be difficult with a strong dog pulling you forward. Take it slowly and use good leash control to signal your dog when to wait and when to keep going. Since there isn't really a single path to go up this area, you will find people and their dogs scaling up their own way.
The view at the top is still one of our favourite places in British Columbia. For a short detour just off of the highway and a 15-20 minute hike from beginning to end, the waterfall absolutely makes it worth it. The falls gets its name because of how the water falls in tiers over a smooth rock face and creates a misty "veil-like" effect that is reminiscent of a bride's veil. It is a great place for photos and a stop that we recommend doing even if you're just driving by!
What we liked
The Bridal Veil Falls remains one of our favourite waterfalls in all of British Columbia.
The park is easily accessible from the highway and the trail itself is only 0.4km long and takes roughly 10 minutes to go one way with a mild incline.
What we didn't like
The top part of the falls beyond the man-made platform is quite steep and dangerous. It is doable, but do it slowly and only if you feel safe.
Our Recommendation for Reactive Dogs
The first part of the trail is quite easy to do and the paths are fairly wide. There were quite a few dogs on the trail (they were all on-leash), but they were easy to pass by and we didn't have issues with any of them.
The hardest part is the section beyond the platform because it's steep and slippery at parts. It's especially riskier since your dog will likely want to go faster than you're comfortable going and might propel you forward. Since this area is so steep and because there isn't a trail, hikers tend to be funnelled towards the same paths where the footing looks better. This means it's possible that dogs are funnelled towards the same areas.
Disclaimer
Markus is a reactive, but not aggressive dog. His instinct is to avoid other dogs and he may growl, bark or lunge if provoked, but will not attack. We normally do not have issues with leashed dogs when both sides are controlled, but we will be on guard when an oncoming dog is not leashed. There are varying levels to a dog’s reactivity and only you can decide if this park, trail or hotel is appropriate for your dog. Our visits generally will not include off-leash areas; most experiences shared on The Markus Project are within leashed or undefined areas.
Please remember that our past experience visiting a park, trail or hotel may not be the same as your experience at the same park, trail or hotel. We have no control of who visits the park and whether they adhere to park rules - like leashing their dogs on leash-required paths - or not. Please use your discretion with the information provided and with your personal knowledge of your dog’s reactivity when visiting these parks, trails or hotels.
