Walking guide
Exploring Wells Gray Park: The Complete Roads and Trails Guide to Canada's Waterfalls Park
Roland Neave · 2015
The standard guide to Wells Gray, with every road and trail to Helmcken Falls and the park's many other waterfalls.
Canada · British Columbia
James Bruce Falls
James Bruce Falls is a waterfall in British Columbia, Canada, the highest-measured waterfall of North America and ninth-tallest in the world. Located in Princess Louisa Marine Provincial Park, it stems from a small snowfield and cascades 840 metres down to Princess Louisa Inlet.
Essentials guide
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
James Bruce Falls drops 840 metres (2,756 ft) across a face roughly 5 metres wide, inside Princess Louisa Marine Provincial Park. It is a segmented-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Area A (Egmont/Pender Harbour), Canada. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
James Bruce Falls is the tallest of the 61 waterfalls we cover in Canada; number 7 on our list of the tallest waterfalls in the world. As a segmented waterfall, the flow splits into separate strands as it falls.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at James Bruce Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Area A (Egmont/Pender Harbour) are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Snowmelt-driven: April to June is the big-water window, and some falls almost disappear by late summer.
Getting there
- Base town Area A (Egmont/Pender Harbour), Canada
- Country Canada
- Region British Columbia, Northern North America, North America
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
James Bruce Falls
Canada
Height840 mWidth5 m
Most similar
Puʻukaʻoku Falls
United States
Height840 mWidth—
Of similar height and in the United States
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
108 m
330 m
840 m
840 m
979 m
Victoria FallsEiffel TowerJames Bruce FallsPuʻukaʻoku FallsAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
James Bruce Falls
5 m
Angel Falls is 139 m taller than James Bruce Falls. It drops 7.8× further than Victoria Falls (108 m), but Victoria's curtain is 342× wider. Khone Phapheng Falls is 2157× wider. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
Guidebook
Moon British Columbia
Andrew Hempstead · 2018
Province-wide BC guide covering Wells Gray, Vancouver Island and Yoho for planning a multi-region trip.
Guidebook
Lonely Planet Canada
Lonely Planet · 2024
Country-wide guide for combining Canadian falls, from Quebec and Ontario to the Rockies and the North.
On the map
50.21889, -123.7825
Quick answers
Where is James Bruce Falls?
James Bruce Falls is in Canada (British Columbia), inside Princess Louisa Marine Provincial Park. The nearest base is Area A (Egmont/Pender Harbour), Canada. Its coordinates are 50.2189, -123.7825.
How tall is James Bruce Falls?
James Bruce Falls drops 840 metres (2,756 feet), across a face about 5 metres wide. It is a segmented-type waterfall.
When is the best time to visit James Bruce Falls?
Peak flow is April to June. Snowmelt-driven: April to June is the big-water window, and some falls almost disappear by late summer.
What can you do at James Bruce Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail.
How do you get to James Bruce Falls?
The usual base is Area A (Egmont/Pender Harbour), Canada. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
Closest to James Bruce Falls
Chatterbox Falls
Canada · 2 km away
Chatterbox Falls is a waterfall in British Columbia, Canada, located at the head or end of Princess Louisa…
Ashlu Falls
Canada · 40 km away
Ashlu Falls is a short but significant waterfall along lower Ashlu Creek. The falls are located about 6 km…
Alexander Falls
Canada · 43 m · 50 km away
Alexander Falls is a waterfall on Madeley Creek, a tributary of Callaghan Creek in the Callaghan Valley area…
Keyhole Falls
Canada · 30 m · 60 km away
Keyhole Falls is the unofficial name for the largest waterfall along the Lillooet River in British Columbia…