Knarston Creek Falls, Nanaimo

Directions: This hike is slightly intense and about an hour-ish long. It’s to one of Nanaimo’s most magnificent waterfalls located rich Lantzville ravine, the beautiful multi tiered Knarston falls. The trailhead is not far off of the Island Highway in the most northern parts of the Nanaimo Area. Turn onto Superior Road and shortly after that right onto Normarel Dr, reaching the end of Normarel Dr look for the power lines, beneath pull outs worn into the side of the road. Park here and get out your pack, a water source being an essential as the hike is steep. The trail used well, being very popular among people and their dogs; it is officially an on-leash area, but the practice can be uncommon, so be aware if your pooch is timid or protective.

Trail: I’d rate this trail as a moderately difficult, somewhat intense hike with quite a gain of elevation in a short time and an optional more skilled climb at the end. It is around 4 km out and back. To start the hike, head to the trail on the right of the power lines with signs for Copley Ridge. The trail to the Falls is well-marked by signs leading you from start to finish. Although logging presence is heavy, the forest is scarcely strewn with Old Growth conifers and some illusive gigantic arbutus.

Follow the carved wooden signs “to Falls” along this trail shortly after passing “The Beast” a large Old-Growth Douglas Fir, turn right onto the Wildebeest Trail Network. Follow the Wildebeest for a while until you come up to the signs for P&R railroad (to Falls) don’t go up to the railroad keep following the trail past the sign, until you shortly reach a series of switchbacks, from here the trail gets very steep up to the falls. Once at the top of your accent, it is a short way to the lush green ravine dubbed as “The Grotto”, sit at the bench, take in your surroundings, relax and listen the stream of Knarsten Creek make its way down the mountainside.

If you’re ready for another more arduous climb, a chance to scramble along degraded footholds, using roots and rocks to pull yourself-up, get up and boogie towards the bridge. Staying on this side of the stream, there is a small trail which follows alongside the cascades, growing in height, and bringing you up to the base of the uppermost falls and eventually an above view of the forest.

Grant’s Mine: Lantzville, previously know as Grant’s Mine, like much of Vancouver Island, steeped in a deep history of coal mining. Shortly before the 1920s, a man named Jack Grant developed a coal mining operation in the area, formerly recognized as a Nanoose farming community. Soon enough, by the 1920s, an American mining company bought out Grant, and the name Lantzville was born, commemorating a director of the company named Fraser Lantz. The company was fairly unsuccessful and by the mid-20s, most of the mining in the area had shut down.