Ammonite Falls, The Best Waterfall in Nanaimo, BC
Ammonite Falls is a great hike in Nanaimo that you can do in all seasons. I have done this hike several times and it is always great to get to the end to see how big or small the falls will be. If you do this hike in the summer there will only be a small trickling of water. Although it is still pretty, I find it best to do the hike in the winter or after a strong rain when the waterfall is at its peak. I just did this hike and the waterfall was roaring, it was very beautiful. If you are looking for directions to Ammonite Falls scroll down below.
Ammonite Falls Hike Info
- 5kms round trip
- easy
- approximately 200m elevation
- 2 hours
The falls are located in the Benson Creek Falls Regional Park and the main trial is off of Jameson Road. The hike is through a spectacular Douglas fir forest with trees that reach to the sky.
There are small fossils that lie in the in the creek bed due to the sedimentary layers of the rock in the riverbed, thus the name Ammonite Falls. If you feel adventurous definitely try to find one for yourself. These tiny fossils can include snails and other shelled creatures from the millions of years ago.
Walking Directions
When you start off on the hike, you will go down a logging road off of Jameson and pass a yellow gate. You will then walk down a thick forested area.
After a little walk you will then see an Ammonite falls sign on your right and you will cross over a wider road and go to your left. There will then be a second sign on your right and you will proceed down that path. You will cross over a small bridge and then you will keep going all the way down to the falls. The trail really is very well marked and much easier to find nowadays.
You can definitely take children and pets on this hike, There are park signs throughout and if you ever get confused there are orange markers to lead you the right way.
There is a huge viewing platform and stairs that was built in 2022, so it is very accessible.
For a longer hike, you can also start at the parking lot for Benson Creek Falls. This way is a bit steeper and longer!
Roped area down to the creekAmmonite Falls Driving Directions
Driving north on the island highway (towards Nanaimo from Victoria) turn left onto Jingle Pot Rd. Then, take a right off Jingle Pot onto Kilpatrick Rd. Once on Kilpatrick take your first right which is Jameson Rd, and continue until the end. The trail starts at the end of Jameson Rd. There are signs for a little parking lot just before the trailhead. There are several other ways to get to the falls, but this is the easiest. The other access point is off of Doumont Rd. If you googlemap Ammonite Falls it will bring you to the access point I have written about. You can see the map pin at the bottom of this page.
