Granite Falls by boat: the waterfall run up Indian Arm

Granite Falls drops off the east shore of Indian Arm, about two thirds of the way from Deep Cove to the head of the fjord. You hear it before you see it. After a wet spring the whole rock face runs white.

How long it takes

Allow 35 to 45 minutes each way from Cates Park at a relaxed cruise. That makes Granite Falls a full-day trip. You can squeeze it into a half day, but you’ll spend most of your four hours driving.

On the way

You pass Twin Islands, cabins on the west shore that you can only reach by water, and BC Hydro’s Buntzen powerhouses on the east shore, where water from Buntzen Lake comes down the mountain to make electricity.

At the falls

The park floats only take boats under 5.5 metres, so our 25-foot pontoon can’t tie up there. Drift or idle off the falls and take your photos from the water, or anchor off the beach at the mouth of the falls on a calm day and swim or paddle ashore. Keep clear of the churned-up water at the base, where the current can push the boat around.

The head of the arm

Ten more minutes north brings you to the Wigwam Inn, a 1910 lodge that the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club now runs as a members’ outstation. It’s private, so enjoy it from the water. The Indian River delta beyond it shoals fast. Turn around before the water turns brown.

Watch the afternoon wind

On summer afternoons the wind often blows up Indian Arm from the south. You get a tailwind on the way north and a bumpier ride home. Start early, eat lunch at the falls and turn for home by mid-afternoon if the chop starts building.

Pack for it

• Lunch and more water than you think you need
• Warm layers, because the head of the arm sits in shade by late afternoon
• A dry bag for phones at the falls

Book a full day and make Granite Falls your turnaround.