Explore 3 Waterfalls at Mill Creek Park in Kelowna
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Mill Creek Regional Park is a great family-friendly hike that has three waterfalls.
In the summer, the waterfalls are a welcome respite from the Okanagan heat. Pair the waterfalls with the many shade trees and Mill Creek is a great way to stay cool and have a fun adventure all year long.
The first waterfall is easy to get to and is a great place for a picnic or refreshing dip in the summer. The two other falls are harder to reach due to washed out and steep section but they’re always worth the extra effort. You could even go canyoning further up the canyon!
Mill Creek Trail Stats
| Difficulty | Easy to moderate |
| Length | 2.8 km |
| Duration | ~ 1 hour |
| Open Dates | Year-round |
| Highlights | Waterfalls, shade, family-friendly |
PS: If you want to chase more waterfalls, use this guide to find local Kelowna waterfalls!
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Get to Know Mill Creek Regional Park
Mill Creek Regional Park is a 15.3-hectare park near the Kelowna International Airport. The creek begins at Postill Lake, flows through the regional park, and snakes through Kelowna before emptying into Okanagan Lake.
Mill Creek Regional Park is easy to access. The parking lot is open during daylight hours and well maintained in the spring, summer, and fall. In the winter, the parking lot is closed, but you can still explore the winter wonderland.
There are three waterfalls at Mill Creek and hikers, dog walkers, and families enjoy coming here. You must keep your dog on their leash and, as usual, clean up after them. Bears are also known to be active in the park, so bring bear spray and practice bear safety.
Waterfall #1 at Mill Creek
The first waterfall at Mill Creek is about 1 km from the parking lot and the trail is manageable for all experience levels and strollers. There are a few different routes, but they all eventually meet back up so it doesn’t matter which you take. If you take the left route, you’ll encounter wooden stairs and a curved boardwalk.
After a short uphill climb, a downhill fork leads to the first waterfall. This is a great place to enjoy a picnic or quick dip in the water!
To find the second waterfall, backtrack to the fork and keep following the trail to the top of the first waterfall. From there, the trail keeps going.
Waterfall #2 at Mill Creek
Getting to the second waterfall is a little more difficult because the trail is sometimes flooded or missing. If that happens, you’ll have to take a detour (which is usually pretty obvious) and be very careful. Everything beyond this is no longer stroller friendly or easily accessible.
Except for that detour, the rest of the trail is easy and mainly flat. Large, moss-covered rocks line the creek and fallen trees form natural bridges across the water. The area is kept cool by the Black Cottonwood and cedar trees that grow along the creek.
The waterfall here is actually three small falls and as you approach, the roar of the falls greets you! You’ll likely have to navigate another small washed out section and jump over rocks as you walk towards the falls.
A small, damp cave sits to the left of the waterfalls but it’s not always accessible.
Waterfall #3 at Mill Creek
The trail to the final waterfall at Mill Creek is the most difficult. Even though the trail itself is fairly easy to follow, it’s narrow, rugged, and sometimes awkward.
At one point you’ll reach a barbed wire fence. There are two trails here and the best option it to take the uphill route. It’ll bring you high above the creek and along a well-worn path. You’ll eventually reach a rope which brings you down a steep, slick descent to the waterfall. If you take the lower trail, it’s a lot harder to reach the waterfall.
This is my favourite waterfall at Mill Creek Regional Park! The two-tiered waterfall cascades down the rock and looks like a natural water slide. You can walk right up to the middle of the waterfall and even though the rock is covered in water, it’s not slick.
The trail continues past the waterfall and to another man-made waterfall and small reservoir.
Not many people come this far, so enjoy the solitude if you’re lucky enough to have it.
Gear Suggestions
I always carry bear spray on my hikes. The wilderness is full of wild animals and it’s always more important to be over-prepared than under.
In BC, bears, cougars, and other large animals call the mountains home. While my bear spray helps me feel secure when I explore, it’s important to remember that there’s a lot more to bear safety than just carrying bear spray.
The trail isn’t overly difficult, so a good pair of runners or hiking sandals will work great.