Helmcken Falls

Helmcken Falls is a 141-meter (463-foot) waterfall on the Murtle River in British Columbia, Canada, located inside Wells Gray Provincial Park. One of the objectives for the establishment of Wells Gray Provincial Park in 1939 was to safeguard Helmcken Falls. Helmcken Falls is Canada's fourth tallest waterfall in terms of total straight descent without a pause. Hunlen Falls at Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park, and Della Falls in Strathcona Provincial Park, all in British Columbia, have higher Canadian waterfalls.

Upstream from Helmcken Falls, the Murtle River has six more waterfalls. The Mushbowl, Dawson Falls, Majerus Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Meadow Falls, and McDougall Falls are the others. Only Helmcken, The Mushbowl, and Dawson are accessible by road. Trails go to Majerus, Horseshoe, and McDougall Falls. Meadow Falls is difficult to see unless you fly over it. Tumbling water has gradually formed a large canyon at the base of the falls, and frozen spray creates an icy wonderland along the edges in the winter. A platform for getting that perfect shot is easily accessible by road.

Helmcken Falls is most popular with tourists throughout the summer. In exceptionally cold snowy winters, the ice cone at the base typically reaches to 50 m tall, and occasionally much higher. It has been spotted reaching halfway up the falls on occasion. From late January until the end of February is the greatest time to see the ice cone. The cone falls inward sometime in March, with some fragments observable in June. In the winter, the road is plowed and sanded, and volunteers maintain the trails. Snow tires are required, and tire chains are advised as a safety precaution. A network of cross-country ski trails begins near Dawson Falls, but no grooming has occurred since the winter of 2011-2012.

Location: Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada