Della Falls: Hiking & Tours
Port Alberni is the closest "jumping off point" to visit North America’s highest waterfall: Della Falls.
The waterfall’s total height is 1500 feet (444 meters) and without a doubt is one of the Port Alberni region’s most spectacular sights. Surprisingly, Della Falls is a rarely visited destination, simply because the access to the trailhead requires a boat ride, and after it is a full day-hike just to get to the base of the falls.
Della Falls is located near the head of Great Central Lake, in Strathcona Provincial Park. There is a well maintained trail that leads to the base of the falls and then guides hikers up to Love Lake where the falls originate. If you are an experienced backpacker, then you should have no problem with this trip on your own: find a ride up Great Central Lake to the Della Falls Trailhead – there are a few charter operators in the region that offer this service.
If you don’t have much experience with overnight backpacking, then you should definitely hire a guiding service to take you on this trip. The area is quite remote, sections of the trail are steep, and the added factor of the boat-access only means that you really need to have your wits about you to stay safe.
Geography of Della Falls
The falls begin in Love Lake in Strathcona Park. Love Lake is accessible by the Della Falls trail and from the Buttle Lake region of trails in Strathcona Park (accessed by driving through Campbell River, on the "other" side of Vancouver Island). After cascading 1457 feet, the falls are channeled down Drinkwater Creek, where they then get poured into the massive Great Central Lake.
Best Time to Hike to Della Falls
While the hiking is good from June through October, by far the best month to visit, in our opinion, is September. When you visit this time of year, you’ll find less mosquitoes, cooler days (although the nights may be a bit chilly), and you’ll have the chance to encounter the migrating salmon along the way (the Stamp River, which begins at Great Central Lake is a famous destination for "Salmon Watching").