Trail Name: McDiarmid Falls
Distance: 6 km (6.5 kms if done in conjunction with Moul Falls)
Time: 1.5 hour (2 hours if done in conjunction with Moul Falls)
Difficulty: Hard
Cell Service: No
Trail Conditions: Half of the trail is an old road, so fairly flat and wide. Then the trail veers off into the forest and descends to the valley bottom. The last short part of the trail is hardly a trail. It is steep, rocky, and quite difficult.
Highlights: A hidden waterfall in Wells Gray that very few ever visit!
To get there: From Kamloops, take Hwy 5 North towards Clearwater. Continue straight along the highway for 120km. Once you reach the roundabout in Clearwater, take the third exit towards Clearwater Valley Rd. / Wells Grey Provincial Park. Follow this road for about 20km. The trailhead parking lot will be on your left and is very well signed and hard to miss. See it on Google Maps here.
This trail is from the same parking area as Moul Falls. The trailhead is to the right of the parking lot. You’ll pass through a gate, and make sure to close it as there are lots of cows in the area! The trail is linear, so you will be returning this same way. The trail starts off pretty flat and wide for the first 2kms. At the 2km mark, you will see a sign pointing you in the right direction to Moul Falls. From here, the trail becomes narrower and an increasing decline down towards the falls. Keep an eye out on your right for a wooden bridge over the creek. If you reach the viewing platform above Moul falls, you’ve gone too far!
Follow the signs towards McDiarmid Falls. The trail is fairly easy until the very end. Once you reach the creek, you should see a sign pointing towards McDiarmid and back up to Moul Falls. Follow the narrow trail up the creek towards the falls. The trail here is very narrow, and on loose gravel making it quite the scramble. Please be careful!
This trail is great if you’ve never checked out McDiarmid falls before, or if you’re looking for a longer, more challenging hike to do in conjunction with Moul Falls! However, please keep in mind that the end of the trail is quite difficult and I would not recommend bringing children or those unsteady on their feet. While this trail may be suitable for dogs, the end would make me very nervous about bringing my dog, especially in the spring. This trail was absolutely gorgeous in the fall!
