On a sunny day near the start of June, I hiked the Bailey’s Chute and West Lake Trail in Wells Gray Park.   The trailhead is 57 km up the Clearwater Valley Road.    A signed parking lot is on the right side of the main road and a trail crosses the road and then winds up along the Clearwater River as it races through a narrow passage.    Bailey’s Chute, Marcus Falls, and Myanth Falls are low waterfalls along the river.    The roaring water forms a standing wave as it meets the calmer water below.     This is as far as the salmon go upstream.    The hiking trail follows the river upstream to Marcus Falls, then up over a bluff and down to Myanth Falls.   Hikers can go out and back or can climb hiker to West Lake, a quiet spot in the forest.    The road continues through cedar stands and mixed forest back to Bailey’s Chute.

There are a number of open spots along the loop trail for views of the river, but much of the trail is through a damp and lush forest.    It is a good route for a warm day with shady trails and mists from the falls.   The loop route takes about 2 hours.    It is a long drive just to hike this trail, so may be a better choice for people camping in Wells Gray.     There are a number of other good trails at the northern end of the Clearwater Valley Road, providing a few days of hiking.   We have another adventure in the area planned for this summer, a paddle up Clearwater Lake, camp at a marine campground, and hike a trail to a lookout over the lake.   Shared here are photos from the hike, embedded as a slideshow:

The album (with captions) can also be viewed at this link – Baileys Chute Trail