The Brown River is located on Vancouver Island, in the Comox Valley area. It is an awesome little river with an incredible series of waterfalls called the Medicine Bowl Falls in the upper reaches, and just before it joins the Puntlage River, you can find the brown river falls. In the winter, Medicine Bowl falls are just wild, but in the summer months, the water flow slows down, and you can swim in the bowls that have been carved out by the water. The water gets nice and warm, and it’s great.
To reach the Medicine Bowl Falls, drive from Hwy 19 and take the Percy Road exit. From Courtenay, take the turnoff to Forbidden Plateau Road, and then take the overpass crossing Hwy 19. Drive up the Forbidden Plateau Road for around 8 km until you see a gravel road to the right as Forbidden Plateau Road curves sharply to the left. Take this road and drive approximately 1.6 km to the end of this road, where there is a parking lot. This is a 4×4 road; it is very rough and has some deep water-filled potholes and narrow sections along the route. You should park at the turn-off and walk in.
The trail that will take you to the Browns River Medicine Bowls waterfalls starts at the end of the road. It’s a short path downhill and takes about 15 minutes. Please be careful if you go swimming; the waters can be fast with strong undercurrents, and the rock canyon can be very slippery. There are three main pools at the Medicine Bowls.
The top one is called the upper pool, the central one is the deep pool, and the bottom one, downriver, is called the Peter Pan pool. To reach the lower waterfalls, drive on Percy until you see the Wildwoods trail, cross the road and walk along the power line road until you see a well-defined trail. Follow this for a short way, and you will see the falls.
The wildlife here can be awesome, l have seen bears, deer, raccoons, and many types of birds, so bring your camera and take home some memories.