14. Canyon Falls

Category: Return

Distance: 1.4 km round trip; 1.9 km including upper trail

Height gain: −133 m

High point: 622 m

Time: 20–30 min. round trip

Difficulty: Easy

Seasons: Spring, summer, late fall

Trailhead coordinates: N49 48.282 W119 27.104

Directions to trailhead: In Kelowna, at the intersection of Highway 97 and Gordon Dr., drive south on Gordon for 3.7 km to Casorso Rd. Turn left on Casorso. At the second of two roundabouts get onto Swamp Rd. Go down Swamp Rd. for 2.1 km, and turn left onto DeHart Rd. About 750 m later, turn right onto Crawford Rd. Drive along Crawford for 1.5 km and turn right onto Westridge Dr. Turn right onto Canyon Ridge Dr. 1.7 km later, and then almost immediately turn right onto Canyon Falls Ct. You can park on the right side of the road.

This short, steep hike to Bellevue Creek falls confirms that beauty can be only moments away from your car, if you’re looking for it.

  1. The trailhead begins as a flat gravel path, but this is short-lived, as a sign at a fork in the path will point you down the canyon slope right away.
  2. Except for a couple of flat spots along the way, the remainder of the hike is downhill to the canyon bottom.
  3. At the time of writing, one section of eroded bank had been augmented with an aluminum ladder, making the last 10–15 m to the canyon floor a little easier.
  4. The waterfalls are off to the left (south), once you are in the canyon. There is much more exploring to do other than the falls. There is a swimming hole to the right (north) and some gravel islands for sunbathing.
  5. The Bellevue Creek falls are active year round. I have been here at the end of a long, dry summer, and an abundance of water was still flowing.
  6. Return the same way, trying to stay on the designated trails. This area has become damaged from erratic hiking which has caused some serious erosion to the natural ecosystem on the canyon walls.
  7. Once you are back up top, take the straight branch of the trail at the previously mentioned intersection instead of going down the canyon slope. This provides fantastic scenery, including sagebrush hills and glimpses into the canyon and creek as well as Okanagan Lake.

This is what you came for – the picturesque Canyon Falls.