Hiking at Burnett Falls Park
Hidden gem near Sechelt, BC
OK, "hike" is made a bit… aggressive. Burnett Falls Park was more of a short walk with a bit of an incline than it was an actual hike. But that didn't make it any less enjoyable.
This waterfall is a bit of a hidden gem here on the Sunshine Coast. The trail and viewpoint was dedicated just a few years ago in February 2013 and finding good, detailed info on the park is hard to come by. But we're nothing if not brave so we decided to take what knowledge we'd managed to assemble and ventured out into the vast British Columbia wilderness.
Our venturing of the vastness concluded approximately 25 minutes later when we found a sign that read "Burnett Falls" next to another sign that said "Burnett Road" and parked beside a sign that declared "Burnett Falls Park." My knowledge of the outdoors is limited but I suspected that we'd discovered what we were looking for.
It was a cool, damp, rainy December morning so the skies were overcast but it we were largely sheltered from the weather once we followed the trail into the nearby trees. The well groomed path twists and dips its way along a small creek as you work your way up towards the promised waterfall. As you can see in the video, the walk is quite short (think hundreds of meters instead of kilometers) and there was a a bit of an incline in a couple of spots but nothing extreme. There's a picnic table just past the parking lot and a lookout with a bench about half-way to the waterfall so you'll have a couple of opportunities to stop and catch your breath if needed.
The park itself is lush and green with well groomed trails.
The main viewpoint provides a beautiful view of Burnett Falls. While Burnett Falls won't be mistaken for Niagara Falls, it's still a truly rewarding sight - the sound of the falling water is lovely and the greenery surrounding the falls and the pool at the bottom is very soothing. There's a bench at this viewpoint as so you can take a break and have a sip of water before you head back down to the parking lot.
On our way back down, we found a small trail that leads down to Burnett Creek ( or is it Burnett Falls Creek?). This path is a little more of an adventure than the main trail - the ground is a little uneven and there are branches and roots and assorted other outdoorsy things that could trip you up so be sure to watch your step. The creek is a more peaceful than the crashing of the falls but was fun to explore.
The creek that's fed by Burnett Falls.
After the creek detour, it was a short walk back to the car and then a drive into Sechelt for a late lunch before heading home.
If you're looking for a challenging hike over difficult terrain that takes hours (or even days) to complete, this ain't it. But if you're looking for an accessible waterfall and a short walk in the woods, Burnett Falls Park ticks those boxes. We'd recommend these falls to others and are looking forward to going back to explore some more on a sunnier day.
Directions to Burnett Falls Park from Sechelt
From the intersection of the Sunshine Coast Highway and Wharf Avenue in Sechelt, go north on Wharf Ave.
Take Wharf Avenue to East Porpoise Bay Road. Go east (right) on East Porpoise Bay Road.
East Porpoise Bay Road turns into Sechelt Inlet Road. Keep going.
Turn east (right) off Sechelt Inlet Road onto Burnett Road.
Follow Burnett Road until it dead-ends. There's a small parking lot next to the Burnett Falls Park sign.