Daytrip, Dogs, Grove, Hikers, Hiking, Kaniksu National Forest, Moderate, None required, Out-and-back, Selkirk Mountains, Waterfall, Wildlife Refuge

Myrtle Creek Falls

Posted by Scribe on
The trailhead to Myrtle Creek Falls is located just across the road from the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge headquarters. A gentle trail switchbacks less than half a mile uphill to a viewpoint looking straight into the gorge and the cascading waterfalls.
Location
  • Selkirk Mountains
Rating
2.4 out of 5
Difficulty
Moderate (some gentle uphill hiking)
Distance
1.1 miles
Duration
0:22 hours moving time (Hiking)
Elevation Gain
200 feet
High Point
2,041 feet (Overlook)
Low Point
1,800 feet (Trailhead)
Features
  • Waterfall
  • Grove
    • Outing Type
  • Daytrip
    • Trail Type
  • Out-and-back
    • Trailbed
    Asphalt, packed dirt
    Trail#
    Water
  • Myrtle Creek, but the Wildlife Refuge is probably an easier source
    • Camping
    • None
    Conditions
    • Excellent
    Administration
  • Kaniksu National Forest
    • Status
  • Wildlife Refuge
    • Maps
    USGS
  • Moravia
    • Fees & Permits
  • None required
    • ()
    Open To
  • Hikers
  • Dogs
    • ()
    Directions
  • From U.S. Highway 95 in Bonners Ferry, drive west on Riverside Road (aka Country Road 18A) past the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge to the Refuge’s headquarters. The road will change name to West Side Road. The trailhead and plenty of parking are across the street (on the west side)
    • Season
    Year-around
    Date
    July 15, 2017

    The first couple hundred yards of the trail, leading through a cedar grove to Myrtle Creek, are asphalt and handicapped-accessible. A new bridge spans the creek and then the packed-dirt single-track switchbacks gently uphill to a viewpoint with excellent views of the gorge and the plunging waters.

    A web of trails leads further uphill, above the falls, but the views really don’t get better up there. The drop-offs are extremely steep and the creek is hidded behind a curtain of shrubs. The view of the Kootenai River valley, however, is nice.

    Alternate Routes

      Things to Consider

      • Spend some time at the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, home of 45 species of mammals and more than 230 birds.

      Not so great

        Trailhead
        Asphalt trail through cedar grove
        Bridge spanning Myrtle Creek
        Myrtle Creek
        Placards on trail
        A number of switchbacks gently lead uphill
        Myrtle Creek Falls gorge
        Upper and lower falls
        Lower falls
        Upper falls
        View from above the falls
        View from above. It’s steep!
        Upper falls
        Kootenai valley
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        One Comment

        1. Bill Love says:
          May 19, 2018 at 5:40 am

          The Panhandle Chapter of Trout Unlimited hosted students from the Clark Fork HS Great Outdoors program for a fly fishing activity at the refuge recently. The highlight of the fish habitat / stream exercise included a hike to Myrtle Falls. The falls were spectacular during spring runoff and we’ll worth the short hike.

          NH, thanks for documenting this natural wonder if Boundary County.

        Comments are closed.