Crooked Falls: Squamish’s Hidden Waterfall
There was a period during the pandemic where hiking and chasing local waterfalls became less of a hobby and more of a lifeline.
Working in healthcare, with immunocompromised family members at home, my world had gotten very small. I was sticking tight to my bubble, keeping contact low, and channelling whatever restless energy I had into getting outside as much as possible. I was on a mission — specifically, a waterfall mission. BC has no shortage of them, and I was working my way through as many as I could reach.
Crooked Falls was one of those waterfalls. A friend and I made the drive up to Squamish specifically for this hike, with plans to stop somewhere for a meal and a well-deserved beer afterward. It turned out to be one of the better waterfall experiences I’ve had in BC — not just because of the falls themselves, but because of how you experience them.
Crooked Falls Trail Stats
| Distance | 6 km (3.7 mi) |
| Elevation Gain | 470 m (1,542 ft) |
| Time | 2.5–3 hours |
| Trail Type | Out and back |
| Terrain | Dirt path, exposed roots and rocks |
| Difficulty | Moderate–Challenging |
| Trailhead | Ashlu Road, Upper Squamish Valley |
| Facilities | None — no washrooms, undeveloped wilderness site |
| Dogs | Welcome on-leash |
| Best Months | April through November |
| Note | Mist near the falls makes surrounding rock faces extremely slippery — stay on designated viewpoints |
Getting There
Crooked Falls sits in the Upper Squamish Valley, off Ashlu Road — a little removed from the more famous Sea-to-Sky corridor attractions. It doesn’t have the same signage or infrastructure as Shannon Falls or the Sea-to-Sky Gondola, which is partly what gives it that feeling of being a find rather than a fixture.
Squamish is about an hour from Vancouver and slightly less from Langley, making it a genuine day trip option — but go early. The Sea-to-Sky Highway can back up badly in both directions, and getting ahead of traffic makes the whole day easier. This is very much a “leave before rush hour” kind of adventure.
The Trail
The Climb Out of the Gate
From the trailhead on Ashlu Road, the Sigurd Trail starts steep and rocky almost immediately. It’s a short, sharp shock of a beginning — the kind of opening that makes you wonder what you’ve signed up for — but it doesn’t last long before the route veers left and settles onto an old logging road.
The Logging Road: A Welcome Breather
The logging road section is flat and forested, and after the initial climb, it’s a genuine relief. Don’t dismiss it as a boring stretch — it’s exactly the break your legs need before the real elevation work begins. Keep an eye to your left along here for a worn side path leading out onto a rocky bluff. There are no markers, just a slightly scuffed trail, but it leads to a viewpoint looking down the Squamish Valley toward Howe Sound with the mountains rising to the east. The river winds through the forested valley floor below — depending on the time of year, you might see it running full and wide or reduced to a dry, rocky channel. It’s easy to miss on the way up, so make a mental note to look for it on the way back if you walk past it.
The Big Climb
Back on the main trail, the route eventually turns right, and the real climbing begins. This is where you earn the waterfall. The switchbacks are sustained, and the terrain is rough — roots, rocks, uneven footing — and this is what earns Crooked Falls its “challenging” label. I’d call it somewhere between moderate and challenging, but the distance is short enough that the effort feels manageable if you take your time. Don’t rush the switchbacks. Breathe. Look around.
A large boulder marks the transition into the final approach section. From there, a yellow junction sign points left toward Crooked Falls — follow it as the trail descends gently for about 300 metres to the falls.
Tip: The elevation is packed into a short distance, which means the climbing can feel relentless. Take the logging road section as a genuine rest, eat something, drink water, and go into the switchbacks fuelled. I didn’t, and I felt it.
The Falls: Better Than Expected
I’ll be honest — I wasn’t sure what to expect. The name Crooked Falls doesn’t quite prepare you for what you find.
The waterfall is bigger than I anticipated, and the approach puts you right in the thick of it rather than looking at it from a distance. The main viewpoint sits roughly mid-height on the falls, so you’re watching the water in full action — roaring past you, twisting around a massive rock outcrop on its way down a 30-metre drop — rather than seeing the whole thing as a tidy picture from far away. At first I thought I might want that wider perspective, the classic waterfall-from-a-distance shot. But once I was there, I didn’t miss it. There’s something about being level with falling water, close enough to feel the mist on your skin, that a distant viewpoint can’t replicate.
And the mist. I could feel the energy in the air — that particular charge you get near powerful moving water, where the sound and the spray and the sheer force of it register in your body, not just your eyes. We didn’t get soaked; you can step back into the tree cover to avoid the worst of it. But honestly, you don’t want to. You want to be as close as you can. You want to feel it.
A side trail leads to the base of the falls, where you get a completely different perspective — looking up at the twist in the cascade and the rock face it wraps around. Take both viewpoints. They tell different stories about the same waterfall.
Important: The mist makes the surrounding slopes and rock faces dangerously slippery. Stay on the designated viewpoints — this isn’t a suggestion, it’s genuinely how people get hurt at falls like this.
After the Hike: Make a Day of It in Squamish
Squamish rewards you well after a hike if you know where to go. We were there during a quieter period, but even then the town had good energy.
For coffee and a pre-hike pastry or a post-hike sit-down, Fox & Oak and the Sunflower Bakery are both worth stopping at in downtown Squamish. For a post-hike beer or cider, Backcountry Brewing, A-Frame Brewing, and Hop Creek are all solid choices — or Cliffside Cider if that’s more your speed.
If you’re making a weekend of it, Squamish has no shortage of other things to fill your time. The West Coast Railway Heritage Park is a good one for a lower-key afternoon. The Sea to Sky Gondola is worth it for the views, and from there you can access Neverland Falls. And if you’re a climber, the Stawamus Chief is one of the most iconic climbing destinations in North America — though that’s an entirely different kind of adventure.
Plan This Trip
Crooked Falls works as a day trip from Vancouver or Langley — leave early to get ahead of Sea-to-Sky traffic, and you can be hiking by mid-morning. For a more relaxed experience, consider using Squamish as a base for a hiking weekend, or pairing it as a stop on the way to Whistler.
- From Vancouver: ~1 hour to Squamish, then follow Ashlu Road to the trailhead
- From Langley: Slightly less — take Highway 1 west and pick up the Sea-to-Sky north of Horseshoe Bay
- Combine with: Shannon Falls (easy, just off the highway), Sea-to-Sky Gondola, or a full brewery crawl through downtown Squamish
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