ELEVATION: 350-400 meters (approx) DISTANCE: (13-14 km round-trip to three-tiered waterfall) Another lovely hike for the books. This weekend Wes and I headed to an area neither of us has visited before. We made our way south of Calgary and turned off at Okotoks. Then we headed west through Black Diamond and Turner Valley. From here, it's a matter of following Sheep River Road (Hwy. 546) right through Sheep River Provincial Park.
The trail head for this particular hike is at the very end of the road: Junction Creek Day Use Area. Head through the picnic area down to Sheep River. This next part is tricky. In order to access the main trail, you will need to cross Sheep River. This isn't always possible, depending on the time of year, so I would recommend doing this hike from mid-late summer. You should be able to see a trail on the opposite side of the river. We noticed a yellow provincial park boundary sign which is a great marker when you are looking to cross. After crossing you will follow a wide trail (old logging road) heading south for about 4 kms. At around three km's you will notice a portion of the trail that is covered is sawdust; remains from the old saw mill site. At 4 km's you will reach a junction. The trail to the right heads up to Junction Lake. The trail heading left will take you past a small 3 log high cabin to a small creek. This is a perfect spot for a break. The creek has lots of pools which are perfect for taking a dip in. From here, cross the river and continue along the trail for another 2.5 km's. This portion of the trail takes you along Junction Creek. The trail stays on the right side of this river bank. It can be easy to lose the trail here, so keep your eyes open for pink ribbon and/or the trail heading back into the trees. Next, you climb for some time until finally reaching a small creek which is home to these beautiful falls. You will know you are in the right spot when you see some small unofficial campsites and fire rings. You will first come across a small two tier waterfall. If you plan to continue hiking the main trail (which continues south for another 4 km's) this is where you would cross the river and continue on the trail. If your destination is the three-tier waterfall don't cross the creek and continue following the trail on the right side. After a couple of minutes, you will arrive at the beautiful three-tiered waterfall. If you are brave enough you can take a swim in the freezing cold water. The trail also continues to the top of the waterfall if you want another viewpoint. It looks like the trail went even further, but we didn't check this part out. Wes and I wanted to hike a bit further on the main trail, so we headed back down the creek and crossed near the small two-tiered waterfall. After about 1 km you will reach another small creek with another interesting swim hole. We were planning on taking a swim here but the water was way too cold. We decided to make this pool our turn around point. In total, the hike took us about 6 hours with numerous breaks. The trail itself is quite flat (until you reach the last stretch to the waterfalls). This is a shared trail, so be on the lookout for mountain bikers, horses and hunters. Happy Trails!
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Of all the paths you take in life make sure a few of them are dirt. John Muir Archives
September 2017
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