Wells Gray Provincial Park - Attractions

Attractions

The park is popular from mid-May through mid-October. Campgrounds are open and serviced from late May to mid-September. The park is open year-round, but in winter the Clearwater Valley Road is plowed only as far as Helmcken Falls. Following are the park's major attractions:

• Helmcken Falls is the park’s main tourist draw. The waterfall is Canada’s fourth highest with a vertical drop of 141 m (463 ft). There are several trails that lead to other viewpoints such as the brink and the bottom of the falls. In winter, an ice cone forms which grows halfway up the falls if it is very cold and snowy.
• Spahats Falls is a 60 m (197 ft) tall waterfall on Spahats Creek where it drops into the Granite Canyon of the Clearwater River.
• Trophy Mountains are on the south edge of Wells Gray Park and consist of nine summits. The meadows bloom in late June and again in late July to early August. There are many hiking trails and routes in the meadows and on the peaks.
• Third Canyon has sidewalks on both sides of the road bridge for safe viewing of two waterfalls on the upstream side and a 80 m (262 ft) deep gorge on the downstream side.
• Moul Falls on Grouse Creek is 35 m (115 ft) high. It is one of the park's most popular short hikes and it is the only waterfall that hikers can go behind.
• Green Mountain has a road to the top. A viewing tower provides a panorama of southern Wells Gray Park.
• Dawson Falls is on the Murtle River 5 km (3.1 mi) upstream from Helmcken Falls. It is 20 m (66 ft) high and 90 m (295 ft) wide.
• The Mushbowl is a narrow canyon downstream from Dawson Falls. The Clearwater Valley Road bridges the Murtle River here. Some of Wells Gray Park's oldest rocks are seen here.
• Ray Farm is an abandoned homestead. John Ray lived here from 1911 to 1947. He married Alice Ludtke in 1932 and they raised three children in the wilderness.
• Bailey's Chute is a low waterfall on the Clearwater River. In late summer and fall, salmon can be seen trying to jump the falls. A continuation of this trail goes to Marcus Falls, Myanth Falls and West Lake.
• Clearwater Lake is the end of the Clearwater Valley Road. Two large campgrounds are located here. Osprey Falls is a low waterfall that the lake empties over to become the Clearwater River. Boat tours, boat rentals and a public boat launching are available here and allow access deeper into Wells Gray Park via Clearwater Lake and Azure Lake.
• Murtle Lake is a wilderness lake in the southeast part of the park. See access section above.
• Canim Falls is in the far western end of the park, reached by Mahood Lake Road. The Canim River flows over a lava cliff that is 25 m (82 ft) high.
• Mahood Lake is reached from the west via Mahood Lake Road. A campground and beach are at the west end of the lake. The lake is 21 km (13.0 mi) long.