Ammonite Falls

This was a fun easy hike even for my five and a half year old daughter. These falls are named for the fossils of ammonites that are found in the sedimentary rock behind the falling water. We sadly couldn’t get close enough for a good look.

To get to Ammonite Falls in Nanaimo you head out Jingle Pot Road and turn off on Killpatrick Road. You take your first right onto Jameson Road. Follow this road until the end where there is a yellow gate and park.

Here we are getting read to go:

Walk past the yellow gate and through the University tree farm. Cam and Lily were making plans the whole time about how to build the best zip line in this sloped forest. I admit it would be the perfect location for that.

When you get to a Y in the road you stay right avoiding a steep uphill left. Right will take you through a cut block and then an unmanaged forest where the road narrows to single track. Shortly you’ll see the sign leading you on the path to the falls.

It was so beautiful in here. You’ll head down and then the trail flattens out some. You can hear Benson Creek moving somewhere nearby. There is another fork in the path when you get to a blue “No Littering” sign and you’ll want to head left. This will bring you to a perfect flat and open lunch spot where you can peek at the creek pools and have a camp fire if you chose.

To get to the falls you continue down the trail which gets narrow and steep quickly. Someone has gone to the effort of attaching a horizontal rope and then two vertical knotted ropes to help on the slippery and steep ledge and slope down.

I couldn’t believe how big the falls actually were. In the photo below compare the falls to my med/large sized dog Oscar.

We tried to cross over the creek but the many boulders were all covered with a slippery slick. Poor Leif was chilled through with the cool air and lack of movement being only in the backpack. We had to wrap him up in Cam’s vest for the way back.

Heading back up the steep muddy slope was easier than coming down. Lily was able to do it on her own. Notice in the picture that she’s getting tall enough that all her pants don’t come past her ankles.

What a great time we had. We saw so many cool things. Bracken Ferns, big Alder Trees planted by the University, mature Fir Trees, big Maple Trees, Red Squirrels…

Lily had no trouble heading back up the trail although she was a bit tired by the time we got home. I’m looking forward to going back one day.