Helmcken Falls | |
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Location | Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada |
Coordinates | 51°57′15″N 120°10′37″W / 51.954092°N 120.176911°W |
Type | Plunging Punchbowl |
Total height | 141 m (463 ft) [1] |
Number of drops | 1 |
Total width | 23 m (75 ft) [1] |
Average width | 15 m (49 ft) [1] |
Watercourse | Murtle River |
Average flow rate | 107 m3/s (3,800 cu ft/s) [1] |
Helmcken Falls is a 141 m (463 ft) waterfall on the Murtle River within Wells Gray Provincial Park in British Columbia, Canada. The protection of Helmcken Falls was one of the reasons for the creation of Wells Gray Provincial Park in 1939.
Helmcken Falls is the fourth highest waterfall in Canada, measured by total straight drop without a break. Higher Canadian waterfalls are Hunlen Falls in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park, Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park, and Della Falls in Strathcona Provincial Park, all in British Columbia.
There are six other waterfalls on the Murtle River, upstream from Helmcken Falls. The others are The Mushbowl, Dawson Falls, Majerus Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Meadow Falls and McDougall Falls. Only Helmcken, The Mushbowl and Dawson can be reached by road. Majerus, Horseshoe and McDougall Falls are accessed by trails. Meadow Falls is very difficult to view, except by air.[2]