Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park and Cameron Lake

If you are looking for a beautiful park with easy walking trails and spectacular scenery, Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park is for you!

Quick Park Facts

• Features: Waterfalls, footbridges, forested trails, campground and lake swimming
• Park Size: 440 hectares
• Trails: 6 km trail system
• Suitability: A few of the facilities within the park are wheelchair accessible
• Bike Trails: No
• Camping: Two campgrounds available
• Washrooms: Both Flush and Pit toilets are available
• Pets: As this is a Provincial Park, dogs must remain on a leash at all times

Little Qualicum Falls is a provincial park located on central Vancouver Island near Qualicum Beach. The park encompasses a forested area straddling Little Qualicum River, as well as the entire southern shore of Cameron Lake.

The park was established in 1940 to protect and preserve an old-growth Douglas fir forest, as well as the area around the river and waterfalls.

The Trails & Waterfalls

There is 6 km of walking trails throughout the park, leaving from the campgrounds as well as Little Qualicum Falls day-use area. The trails meander through old-growth and second-growth forests along the Little Qualicum River.

For an easy 3km walk, leave from the day-use area and follow the loop trail to view the lower and upper waterfalls. Lookout points are located along the trail and offer spectacular views of the river and the waterfalls.

The loop trail takes approximately 1 hour to complete, depending on ability.

There are some stairs and rocks to climb, so completing the full loop isn’t doable with a wheelchair or stroller.

Camping

As mentioned above, camping is available at Qualicum Falls Provincial Park. The park has a total of 96 no-service campsites suitable for both tenting and RV’s. Reservations are taken from mid-May through to the end of August. The campground is also open during April, September and October, however, all spots are on a first-come-first-serve basis during this off-season.

Cameron Lake

Cameron Lake is a 10-minute drive from the Little Qualicum Falls Day-Use area and offers a spectacular place to swim. As the surrounding mountains create a bit of a wind tunnel, this lake is also a great spot to windsurf or sailboard.

The clear water attracts freshwater scuba diving, and the lake is one of the only in BC known for brown trout.

Picnic tables and pit toilets are available off the small parking area at the south end of the lake.

There are a few myths about Cameron Lake that you can choose to believe or not:

• Some say that the lake is bottomless (Impossible!)
• Others say there are underground tunnels connecting it to Horne Lake (Possible!)
• Over the years, there have been several reports of a mysterious, very large snake-like creature swimming in the lake. This creature is nicknamed Cammie. (You never know!)

Location

Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park (campground and day-use area) is located 19 km west of Parksville on Hwy 4 (Alberni Hwy).

There are several signs along the highway to let you know how far you have to drive, as well as a large sign at the entrance to the park.

Cameron Lake is located 10-minutes further along Hwy 4.

For a brief snippet of what you might expect to see while at Little Qualicum Falls, check out the following video. Please note that the footage in the video was taken in February when the Qualicum River was quite high, which accounts for the roaring rapids.

Have you been to Little Qualicum Falls? Tell me your thoughts in the comments below.

To save this article for future use, please pin this image on Pinterest: