Brandywine Falls is an excellent pitstop on a journey up to Whistler for the view from above alone. The crashing falls come shooting out of a large basin carved out of rock. But, for those who are up for more of an adventure, the view is actually much better from below.
Getting to the base of the Brandywine Falls Hike is not that difficult, but does require skirting a fence and scrambling down some slippery rocks… Make sure you’re wearing appropriate shoes!
The route to the base is quite easy to follow, as many have done it before. Simply keep walking down the Brandywine Falls lookout path, but keep going once the main trail ends. You will see a small trail going into the woods, past the last fence. Follow that.
This trail will take you through a forest, down a sketchy rope clamber (not too difficult unless you’re terrified of heights), across a rock field, and along a spongy moss floor.
The descent and extra walk is 100% worth it, as the views from the base of the waterfall are absolutely amazing.
The hike down to the waterfall is not too hard, but dogs and kids may have trouble with the rope portion. Stick to the trail as best you can and there should be no problem. It should take around 1-2 hours depending on how long you stay to ogle the falls.
Bonus: This history behind this epic falls is entertaining, as no one is completely sure how the falls got its name. One urban legend is that two surveyors (Jack Nelson and Bob Mollison) made a wager for a bottle of brandy about who could estimate more accurately the height of the falls. Long story short, someone won the bottle of brandy and instead of naming the falls JackBob, they went with Brandywine.
Note: there is a sign prohibiting entry to the trail and there have been reports of bear activity nearby, so you are entirely to blame if you want to make the trek to the bottom of this beautiful waterfall. 🙂
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