Muskeg Falls

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Late making plans for the August long weekend meant that my usual go-to spots were off the table. I don't usually go away for holiday weekends since my comfort zones in the National Parks are usually too busy. But this time, a couple of friends and I headed to Grande Cache (about an hour's drive north of Hinton) for a wonderful weekend of camping and a bit of hiking.

When we got to town, it was extremely hot. So we started with a short hike to a waterfall. Muskeg Falls is 16km south of town, on the east side of the highway. The trailhead is in a small rest stop parking area, easy to miss. The hike itself is short, starting in the trees. If you are a forest lover like me, it is a perfect start to the weekend.



Beautiful, but don't forget your fly dope. The mosquitoes here are vicious. I got devoured over the weekend. All worth it. 




The trail starts pretty easy, although lots of roots to provide tripping hazards. Lots of green, lots of mossy trees, wild berries. Pretty much a perfect forest.




The trail reaches a fork. The left path takes a steep descent down to the river, not to the bottom of the waterfall as we learned. This section is very steep, and may involve some sliding down on one's rear end. It's not very long, but does involve careful foot placement, both going down and back up.



The river is pretty, but not the goal. So back up the steep section (very slowly if you are me, always slow on the steep sections and melting in 30+ heat). And back up to the main trail. 


The main trail comes up to a great lookout point. It is a dramatic (probably glacially carved) look down at the river, and a beautiful spot to stop and appreciate. A little more challenging to capture in a picture.



After this, the trail does split into a steeper trail down to the lower part of the falls, and the less steep one that goes to the top of the falls. Having already done a steep section, I prefer just going to the upper part, ending up by the river at the top of the waterfall.
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There is still a bit of downhill to reach the river that feeds the falls, but not too steep. Then there are some very interesting rocks that my geologist father would enjoy. The rocks also make a great spot to sit down, cool off, snack, and take some photos.






After some relaxation, back up, sweat up some steep sections, fend off more mosquitoes through the forest, and back to the car. Then off to the campground for more the weekend. Overall, the trail is pretty short, depending which sections you take, but is quite steep, which provides some challenge and good exercise. It isn't necessarily the most exciting hike for thrill-seekers, but if you love forests and rivers, I highly recommend stopping by on your way to town. All in all, a great start to the weekend.


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