Tips needed to find Johnson River Falls
It looks like we’ve been chasing waterfalls.
This is our second trek to seek out a waterfall near Halifax. Who knew there were so many nearby?
For my kids, a waterfall is like the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. The thrill of the search has encouraged some extra enthusiasm from the kids when mom insists on yes, another hike.
Our first waterfall adventure was a recent hike to Pockwock Falls in Upper Hammonds Plains. This is a beautiful spot, but not the one I’m writing about today. It was so icy, practically treacherous, to get there (we sat to slide down a hill and climbed back out through the woods to avoid the trail) so we’ll go back when the conditions improve, and I’ll write all about it then.
For this reason, we picked another nearby hike with a waterfall to try — Johnson River Falls.
While the terrain is rugged and moderately difficult and it was a bit of a trek, a visit is worthwhile if you’re up for the hike. It’s certainly not your average walk. You’ll definitely want to take this on with kids with endurance who are sturdy on their feet.
Follow directions to the very end of Perrin Drive in Fall River, not far from Waverly. There’s lots of room to park along the side of the street, in front of the gate on this dead-end road. You’ll pass through this gate and down an old service road.
This part is not very scenic. We went too far before we realized we must have missed the turn into the woods and onto the trail I had read about. Be sure you stick to the right side of the very wide service road. We were on the far left and missed the trail entrance.
It should take about 10 minutes to get to the turn onto the trail. There is a black and red ribbon tied to a tree branch at the entrance.
From here, you’ll cross a metal bridge over a stream and continue off into the forest. The scenery starts to improve, but it’s really disappointing to see the amount of illegal dumping of garbage that has happened along the trail. We passed several piles of junk as we made our way.
The further you hike, the nicer the trail and surroundings become as you make your way through a young forest of pine trees, up and down hills. The terrain is rugged, a path packed down with dirt, rocks, tree roots, pine needles and sticks. It’s not very wide, at times narrow enough to require walking in single file. Given the season, it’s also wet and very muddy in sections, but nothing you can’t get through or around with proper footwear.
While hiking, be sure again to bear right. There’s one section where there appears to be a fork in the trail. Stick right. We stuck right, and for some reason were convinced we were going the wrong way, as did a couple hiking ahead of us. The terrain seemed a little rough. We turned back, went to the left of the trail, and soon realized we were heading in the opposite direction of where the waterfall should be. So, we turned back again, took the right of the trail again, and pressed on this time, the terrain quickly improving. Hikers that had passed us on the way in were now on their way out, so we knew we were headed in the right direction. Keep an eye out for orange ties in the trees every once and a while.
We could hear the falls before we could see them. The sight coming around the bend is worth the hike. It’s a very nice, picturesque place to sit, relax and enjoy the scenery and sound of the rushing water. These falls are a bit smaller than Pockwock Falls. I’m sure the water levels make a difference.
It took us 40 minutes to get back to the car, nearly half the amount of time as our way in, with our twists and turns. We spent just under two hours on our adventure, including 15 minutes at the falls. Just over an hour at a steady pace should get you in and out on the 4.5-kilometre round trip.
We’re looking forward to seeking out more waterfalls across Nova Scotia as the weather improves and we’re comfortable travelling a little farther afield.