Shannon Falls Provincial Park
49°40′ N 123°09′ WWaterfall
Shannon Falls Provincial Park suits anyone on the Sea to Sky Highway who wants a big waterfall for a short walk, because BC Parks puts the 335 m falls at the end of an easy 350 m trail that starts 2 km south of Squamish on Highway 99. Entry is free all year, and in winter the stair treads ice up and only the pit toilets stay open.
Photo Stewart Butterfield from San Francisco, USA · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Field card · Sight · No. 026 · checked 17 Oct 2026
Leave nothing on show in the car at these lots.
Access
The 350 m trail to the viewing platforms is rated easy by BC Parks and runs over wooden walkways that turn slick in the wet. BC Parks publishes separate accessibility information for the park.
Shannon Falls tumbles 335 m from the slopes of Mount Habrich and Mount Sky Pilot, and BC Parks ranks it the third-highest waterfall in British Columbia after Della Falls and Hunlen Falls. The trail follows Shannon Creek through cedar and hemlock forest to viewing platforms at the foot of the falls. BC Parks calls wading in the creek or climbing on its rocks and logs extremely dangerous, and it asks everyone to stay on the trail.
The falls stand in the territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), and BC Parks says the area holds significant spiritual value for the Nation. The name comes from a landowner who dug clay here for bricks between 1890 and 1900. Carling O'Keefe bought the land in 1976 for its water and gave it to BC Parks in 1982. Along the trail you can still pick out springboard notches cut into old stumps by loggers about 90 years ago.
The Sea to Sky Gondola's base sits next door, and OpenStreetMap maps a path called the Shannon Falls Connector between the two, so one stop covers both. BC Parks warns that the parking lots are extremely vulnerable to break-ins and that it tows cars parked outside the marked spaces. Dogs stay on a leash and out of the park buildings, and fires aren't allowed in the day-use area.
Worth knowing
- Leave nothing on show in the car, because BC Parks calls these lots extremely vulnerable to break-ins.
- Without a car, ride the Squamish Connector to the Sea to Sky Gondola and walk over on the Shannon Falls Connector path. The winter shuttle back to Vancouver leaves the gondola lot at 3 pm on weekdays and at 3 pm and 4:40 pm at weekends.
- Bring your own water in winter, since BC Parks runs the drinking fountain only in the summer season.
- Wear shoes with grip in winter, when BC Parks warns the trail and stair treads get slippery.
Quick answers about Shannon Falls Provincial Park
Is Shannon Falls free?
Yes. BC Parks charges no day-use fee at Shannon Falls Provincial Park and lists no parking fee.
How long is the walk to Shannon Falls?
The walk to Shannon Falls is an easy 350 m along Shannon Creek to the viewing platforms, BC Parks says.
Is Shannon Falls open in winter?
Yes. Shannon Falls Provincial Park stays open in winter with reduced services, and BC Parks leaves the gate open around the clock from 16 October to 14 March unless snow blocks access. The flush toilets close from Thanksgiving to about 15 March.
How high is Shannon Falls?
Shannon Falls drops 335 m beside Highway 99, which BC Parks says makes it the third-highest waterfall in British Columbia.
What are the opening hours of Shannon Falls Provincial Park?
Shannon Falls Provincial Park keeps these hours: Daily 00:00–24:00.
When is the best time to visit Shannon Falls Provincial Park?
Shannon Falls Provincial Park: After heavy rain, BC Parks warns, Shannon Creek can surge suddenly and carry debris, so keep to the boardwalk then. In winter the trail and stair treads get slippery, and BC Parks asks you to watch for falling ice.
Can you get to Shannon Falls Provincial Park by bike?
Bikes may use the park roads and trails, and BC Parks keeps e-bikes to the roads.
Within 12 km
Places to eat and drink nearby
Within 12 km
Places to stay nearby
Within 12 km
