Helmcken Falls - Thompson Okanagan

Eruptions, glaciations and faults in view. This is bucket list territory. Sculpted by volcanoes, at 143m (470ft) Helmcken Falls is the fourth highest waterfall in Canada, 1.5 times taller than Niagara Falls and only one of a few majestic waterfalls reachable by road. Created by lava 200,000,000 years ago - discovered in 1913 - the Falls are now reachable in just 3 to 4 minutes walking from the parking area, complete with picnic tables and toilets (should the gushing water give you ideas). Photos via Droomplekken_nl

From Hwy 5 at Clearwater, take Clearwater Valley road to the end of Helmcken Falls Road and inhale the beauty.

Helmcken Falls is in the heart of the Thompson Okanagan or BC's interior. The landscape varies wildly from lush forests in the north to deserts in the south. In the middle is where the wine and fruit-producing valley sits. This 200 km (124 mi) area is bounded by the Cascade Mountains to the west and the Monashee Mountains to the east and stretches from the Shuswap Lake region to the US border.