A gorgeous waterfall down a very short trail. Nice in all seasons.
Difficulty: Easy A1
Elevation gained: negligible
Key Elevations:
Distance: 500m
Time: 5 minutes
Season: All year around
Map: 82F/5 Castlegar
Drive:
From Nelson. Drive Hwy 3A west to Castlegar and just before the bridge across the Kootenay River, take the exit right towards Robson and Syringa Creek Provincial Park. After 3.3km, turn right onto Broadwater Rd and proceed toward Robson. Left goes to the major bridge across the Columbia. Zero odometer.
From Castlegar. Go through downtown Castlegar, cross the Columbia River and turn left onto Broadwater Road in Robson. Zero odometer.
0.0km Broadwater Road, Robson
11.8km. Pass Hugh Keenleyside Dam (completed 1968)
20.3km. Just before the yellow gates of Syringa Creek Provincial Park, turn right onto the gravel Deer Park Forest Service Road. Follow this narrow, good 2-wheel drive gravel road for approximately 4.8 km to the parking area. There are one-lane-only sections with traffic possibly coming the other way. Logging trucks also use the road and must be given lots of room and the right-of-way. Watch for falling rock as the road climbs up and around the rock cliff.
24.8km. Parking area on right.
Trail: You will hear the falls almost as soon as you step onto the trail. Within 5 minutes, you will be at the foot of the falls in a box canyon. Tulip Creek Falls cascades over a rock ledge and down a chute into a pool, before tumbling down the boulder-strewn creek bed into Lower Arrow Lake. The falls are dramatic in any season. In the spring, the water thunders through the chute, sending up a cloud of mist. As the amount of water decreases, the emerald green mosses and delicate colours in the rock cliffs become more noticeable. In winter, the falls create an ever-changing ice sculpture, edged with lacy ice curtains.
If you are lucky, you may see bighorn sheep and whitetail deer along the road to the falls.
Follow the creek down to the lake.
Boat Access: From the Syringa Creek PP boat launch, travel upstream about 5km to the first well-protected bay. A large boat house and a crescent beach are the identifying features. A short walk up the access road takes you to the trailhead.