We spent a few wintery days in Fernie this year and one of the things we did was the Fairy Creek Falls hike. This is a popular hike year round but after a fresh dumping of snow on a bluebird day it really was magical. Another great thing about completing this hike in winter is that we had the trail all to ourselves!
This beautiful trail weaves through forest with glimpses of the running creek before coming to a picturesque waterfall at the end. There was way too much snow when we were there but there is also a bench looking towards the falls which would be a perfect spot to enjoy a picnic.
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The Fairy Creek Falls Hike
Distance: 2.3km one way
Elevation: 115m gain
The Fairy Creek Falls hike starts from right beside the Visitor Information centre, there is a clear trailhead sign including a trail map for the more extensive trail system which is accessible in summer.
The trail starts by running through the forest, gaining some elevation as it climbs up beside the highway, it then turns away from the highway, where it intersects with a trail which runs out towards the highway, this would be a great entrance if you decided to walk to the trail from town.
It meanders along beside the creek from here, shortly after there is an opening in the forest which is home to an abandoned building before heading back into the forest. There are many gorgeous views of the creek along the Fairy Creek Falls hike and when the trees open up you get glimpses of the surrounding peaks, which when we visited were completely white and shining bright in the winter sunshine.
There are a number of cute interpretive signs packed with family friendly information about the trail, the ecosystem and living with nature, which is just one of the reasons this is a popular family friendly hike year round.
The Fairy Creek Falls hike gains elevation slowly as it rather undulates through the forest, mostly running alongside the creek. At the end of a small climb there is a sign warning that you are about to head into avalanche terrain, from here the avalanche risk isn’t huge, however know your limits and judge the day. It was clear some people had turned around at this point.
If you decide to continue on you’ll cross some snow slopes although they aren’t huge and have trees a few metres up from the trail. This is a short section of trail before you enter some trees and pop out at a bench and a cute fairy house which doubles as a trail donation box. From here you get a gorgeous view of the Fairy Creek Falls.
Just after the bench there was a second avalanche warning sign and we stopped here. Just past this is a large avalanche gully which we didn’t feel comfortable crossing, considering the avalanche risk was currently rated as high and there was a large amount of fresh snow in the gully and it didn’t look like it had slid yet that winter. At other points in the winter it may be safe to pass this point and reach the base of the falls.
Take a moment here in the sun to enjoy the waterfall and listen to the creek flowing. Since it had been a fairly mild winter the falls were still clearly flowing with some ice present on the sides.
In winter this is the turnaround point on the Fairy Creek Falls hike, however in summer it is possible to continue on along the trail to the upper falls and loop around to take in some higher elevation viewpoints.
There are many trail junctions along the Fairy Creek Falls hike but they are all really clearly signposted so it isn’t hard to find the right trail. During summer there are a number of mountain biking trails in the area along with hiking trails and these all sort of seem to cross each other. You can check out other Fernie winter trails on their trail map. This has trails around Fairy Creek Falls as well as all over town.
Where is The Fairy Creek Falls Hike
The Fairy Creek Falls Hike is located just off of Highway 3, park at the Visitor Information centre and the trailhead is right beside the building.
From downtown Fernie it is approximately 3 kilometres to the Fairy Creek Falls trailhead, it is easy to drive or walk from town, depending on your preference. After periods of heavy snow it can take time to clear the sidewalks so I’d recommend driving in this instance.
What You Might Need To Complete The Hike
When we completed the Fairy Creek Falls hike it had recently snowed a lot in Fernie and we were some of the first people on the trail, thankfully we didn’t have to break trail but it may have been easier going if we had snowshoes on.
On warmer days it’s likely this popular trail could get quite icy, so you may be better off with ice cleats or my favorite, Yaktrax in order to navigate the trail safely.
I wore my favorite hiking boots, the La Sportiva Raptor 2 boots, these were perfect on a fairly mild winter day. These kept my feet both warm and dry as well as being super comfortable.
Due to the depth of the snow we wore gaiters and these were ideal to stop snow getting in the top of our hiking boots and they helped keep out legs warm and dry without having to wear weighty snowpants.
Places To Stay Nearby
There is accommodation to suit a range of budgets in Fernie. One of the closest hotels to the Fairy Creek Falls hike is the higher end Best Western Plus Fernie Mountain Lodge.
For a more reasonably priced spot, we stayed at the locally owned Park Place Lodge which had super comfortable beds and a hot pool and swimming pool as well as an included hot breakfast buffet.
