This is one of my 12 Vancouver Island bucket list hikes for 2019. Checkout the full list here.
Fast Facts
Access: Trans Canada Trail (The Great Trail) near Ladysmith
Distance: 6.5 kilometres-ish
Difficulty: Easy, from the Great Trail to the falls is a bit of a grind, but a quick one
Located just outside of Ladysmith, Christie Falls is a moderate hike for waterfall chasers. The hike (starting from Arroyo Road) is roughly 6.5 kilometres, most of which is hiked along the Trans Canada Trail.
When approaching the trailhead, there is a gate and a lot of no trespassing signs (a lot) — you’ll want to park on the outside of these warnings. The signs refer to the main logging road, to the right is a smaller orange gate and an even smaller Trans Canada Trail sign — this is the path you want to take.
At roughly three kilometres you’ll come across the Bush Creek Hatchery, follow the signage on the left to take you up the single track trail to the waterfalls.
Christie Falls actually consists of three separate falls. The first two are directly alongside the trail. The last of the falls (and arguably the best one) requires a creek crossing. Luckily, there's a fallen tree with a rope beside it and some shingles for grip to guide you across the creek. It isn’t as treacherous as it sounds but still is probably not the best for small kids or dogs (Dino wouldn’t do it). Across the tree and up a semi-steep embankment is the last of the falls.
You can double back on the single track trail, or continue its loop it to a small cabin. This route will bring you back to the Trans Canada Trail in the direction of where you’ve parked. It’s a nice little roundtrip hike or trail run, best done in the wetter waterfall season.
There seems to be a number of access points to the trail which can get a bit confusing. I took a couple different routes to try and find the best way in, and I think Arroyo Road is the way to go.
Looking for some more Vancouver Island hikes? Check these out: