The Rosewall Creek Waterfall Trail parking area is reached from the old island highway. The park was named after Lt. Ian MacDonald. It was established in 1956, and the Fanny Bay/Bowser Memorial Committee lobbied the government to create this park in memory of a Fanny Bay resident. Lieutenant MacDonald died in action during the Allied invasion of Normandy during World War II.
This trail goes through a protected forest of huge western hemlock trees as well as some incredible big-leaf maples. If this is not enough, it’s an awesome place to view spawning salmon in the fall.
This trail is about a 6 km return trip and can be a bit rough in spots. Once you hit the area of the falls, it gets downright dangerous even to reach the first falls. But don’t give up yet. If you follow the rough trail, climb up the huge blocks of rock, cross the river on the log and climb up the other side, you get to see the main falls. Cool hey.
The creek and protected wetlands are important wintering grounds for a variety of waterfowl and shorebirds. The mudflats in the mud bay are critical to providing a source of food. At one end, a sort of saltwater lagoon forms where ducks and geese feed. Where Rosewall Creek empties into the sound, there is an extensive delta filled with eelgrass and other plants.