Valemount & Mount Robson / Full trip pack
Rearguard Falls
- Round trip
- 0.4 km
- Elevation gain
- 30 m Published route measurement
- Walking time
- About 30 minutes return
- Difficulty
- Unconfirmed Out and back
return, as published by YORA; other sources use different start/length conventions
Designated trail to fenced falls viewpoint.
1. Getting there and parking
From the Highway 5/16 junction at Tête Jaune Cache, drive east on Highway 16 for roughly 4–5 km to the signed Rearguard Falls parking on the south side of the highway. This is a roadside park access; it does not share the Mount Robson/Berg Lake trailhead.
park entrance vicinity. Source-published approximate distance from Prince George; not a current routed travel time.
2. Walking the route
Descend the short forest trail from the parking area to the boardwalk and fenced viewpoints beside the Fraser River. Watch the falls from the constructed viewing areas, then climb back by the same route. The initial slope is steeper than the short overall walk may suggest, so allow time for the uphill return and do not assume the presence of boardwalk means a level accessible approach. Keep behind barriers beside the fast river. Salmon can sometimes be seen attempting the falls in late summer, but viewing depends on the run and water conditions.
- Follow the short walking trail from the signed highway parking area to the fenced falls viewpoint.
- Remain inside the viewing enclosure; the river is cold and fast, and spray makes nearby rock slippery.
The return
Return to the same parking area on the approach trail.
Mapped outing: Highway 16 falls parking trail entrance → Named Rearguard Falls boardwalk viewpoint → Highway 16 falls parking trail entrance. 0.7 km measured along the mapped line; published trip measurements may differ.
3. Route map
The highlighted line follows the documented outing.
© OpenStreetMap contributors. Route geometry is available under the Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0. · Line source · Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0 · Source-line database: https://hikingprincegeorge.com/data/osm-route-lines.geojson
Elevation along the outing
Full round trip
Start: Highway 16 falls parking trail entrance · Turn around: Named Rearguard Falls boardwalk viewpoint (0.3 km) · Finish: Highway 16 falls parking trail entrance (0.7 km mapped).
Approximate ground elevation from a 90 m terrain model. Distance follows the mapped itinerary and may differ from published walking distance. This is a terrain-model profile, not a surveyed measurement. Any ascent total is identified separately with its own source or estimation method.
How the route order was checked
The local outdoor association publishes the highway-parking trailhead coordinate. The retained approach begins inside that mapped parking area after reversing its original stored order. Its old river-end stops at the junction with the wooden viewing structure. A retained steps segment shares that exact junction coordinate and reaches the named Rearguard Falls viewpoint at its next vertex. This existing source edge is appended, then explicitly retraced with the approach for the return. BC Parks identifies the falls viewing area as the trail objective and requires visitors to remain inside the fenced area. No further riverbank path or water access is added. The mapped total is reported separately from the association's 0.4 km headline.
Copernicus GLO-90 terrain elevations via Open-Meteo (CC BY4.0); linework: Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0
Copernicus DEM 2021 GLO-90 via Open-Meteo. Linework source: https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/179132724. Sampled and rounded for display.
Source: https://open-meteo.com/en/licence
Licence: CC BY4.0 elevation data; Open Database License (ODbL) 1.0 linework · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Profile source checked: 2026-10-18
Published locations
Numbered points match the map. Use the role beside each point. A summit or park reference point is not a parking location.
| Place and role | Coordinates | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rearguard Falls named falls destination | 52.973611 -119.363889 | BC Gazetteer: Rearguard Falls | Falls | 52 58 24 N | 119 21 50 W | WGS84 | mapsheet 83D/14
Official named-feature location, not parking or a verified route start. This point supports regional orientation and area forecasts; road directions and distance-to-trailhead must use a separately verified access point. https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/d92224ee-03ef-4904-be53-b677d8e01ac4/resource/69738aa8-2cc0-4975-aec6-4dc2e30990bf/download/bc-gazetteer-2026-08-12.csv |
5. Camping, facilities and seasons
Camping and tenting
This is a waterfall day-use park. Use an authorized campground elsewhere in the corridor for an overnight stay rather than the viewpoint parking or boardwalk.
Water
The park has no potable drinking-water supply.
Season and access
Spring through autumn are the main walking seasons, with late-August salmon viewing a seasonal possibility. Snow, ice and wet boards can change the short descent substantially.
Winter route
The manager describes snowshoeing on the same walking trail in winter.
Accessibility
The initial slope is around 20% according to YORA; a short distance does not establish wheelchair accessibility.
Practical details checked 2026-10-17.
More maps & trail files
Rearguard Falls trail on AllTrails
The hosted map shows approximately 0.7 km return from the highway parking area to the falls viewpoints. The local guide gives 0.4 km; remain within the fenced viewing areas. The walk descends toward the falls and climbs back to parking.
AllTrails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/british-columbia/rearguard-falls-trail
Comparison checked 2026-10-18.
These links open files and maps maintained by their publishers. They require an internet connection and are not included in this saved guide.
Your trip notes
________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________