Directions: The parking for this hike is located in the Fairwinds community of Nanoose. From Highway-19 head up NW Bay Rd by the Petro-Canada and after the second bend, take your first left on to Powder Point Rd. Continue on Powder Point until you reach a gravel parking lot with signs for Enos Lake. For Enos falls it is just as important when you go compared to where you go, for if you visit during the dry season there are is no waterfall to view. The best season to visit if you’re intentions are to to see this small waterfall is late fall through to early spring.
Trail: The trail is fairly flat and features only uneven ground as your biggest obstacle, I’d say it is a pretty easy trail for most adventurers. Although being easy to traverse it definitely gets very muddy during the preferable seasons, so make sure to remember; wear your gumboots or a good pair of waterproof hikers. To start take the main trail until you reach a Y section around a Km up the trail. At this Y section take you’re left and continue on soon crossing back over the stream on a small bridge. Continue along this very muddy trail until you reach a medium sized decline to the lake side. By this point you should start to hear the waterfall burbling among the lush background, the first time I was here this sound started an immense excitement in me I will forever remember “WAIT, WHAT, THERES A WATERFALL HERE!?“. Once reaching the bottom of your decent you will see the small ravine where the stream had dropped off at the hills ridge, up this ravine is your waterfall, take it in, enjoy it!
More: The lake was named after an Azorean man, John Enos, who went from deckhand to servant, eventually to successful entrepreneur and the first European settler of Nanoose back in 1862, but that’s another story. Todays story is within the lake. Along with its varied collection of aquatic flora and fauna is the Enos Lake Sickelback who was named after the lake rather than the man. This Enos Lake Sickleback is a rapidly evolved species and a by product of reverse speciation. They also happen to be endangered and unique to only this lake. For this reason the water and surrounding shores are protected and activities like fishing or swimming are a big no no. If you want to learn more about this I’ve posted a link at the bottom to a CBC article about them.
Bonus: Through out this area is a roughly 7 Km network of trails on picturesque hills, around life filled lakes weaving through mixed decidious/coniferous forests and bordering marshy aspen groves in grassy wet forest openings. Instead of being a BC park it is a 235 ha watershed development owned by the BC Investment Management Corporation. So far the watershed area is largely undeveloped but there are plans for future development and I say leave it for the owls and the bushwhackers.
This area is tremendously beautiful and never disappoints. The lowlands are filled with a large diversity of flora, or the rocky hills filled with arbutus trees and mossy knolls dotted with Reindeer Lichen patches. Reindeer Lichen are really cool looking mini-white-tree-like algal fungal relationships that are resistant to cold weather and an important meal for caribou up north. These lichen are also easily killed off by pollutants which further proves the healthy air and soil quality in the area with both your eyes and that deep breathe in. In the spring and summer this area boasts a variety of wildflowers. In the winter a magical waterfall and a dramatic appearance. It is truly wonderful to visit all times of year.
Vanislewaterfalls 