Nairn Falls

Nairn Falls Provincial Park is found about 3km south of Pemberton and 24km north of Whistler along Highway 99. An easy 1.5km trail leads to the falls.Nairn Falls is the principal waterfall of the Green River and one of the most popular waterfalls in the Whistler area. The falls occur where the glacially fed waters of the Green River intersect an outcrop of metamorphosed bedrock which it has carved a series of potholes into, forming a chain of pool-drop style waterfalls in a narrow twisting canyon. The falls are broken into two largely distinct parts by a trough carved into a level part of the outcropping. The upper tier drops 59 feet in the narrowest part of the canyon and depending on the volume of water present in the river, can appear as one vertical plunge or as a series of smaller drops into successive potholes. The lower drop falls for 58 feet down an inclined ledge in a much more visible fashion. Situated immediately below the upper tier of the falls is a partially submerged natural arch across the river. During all but the highest flows, the river flows beneath this arch in such a way that the top of the arch is visible above the water level but there is no gap between the river and the bottom, so it appears as if the river flows into a wall and stops. During high discharge periods the arch is completely submerged. Nairn Falls is often cited as dropping 60 meters (200 feet), however our survey of the site in June of 2009 proved the height to be just over half that figure. The basis for the 60 meter figure is unknown, but more than likely rooted in past surveying of the falls for hydroelectric development.