Shooting Star Falls Trail is a hidden jewel, you can reach the falls on a very short 200-meter trail. How many of you have stopped at the Nanoose Rest Area without realizing that just the last picnic table up on the hill is the start of this wonderful little trail?
There are such wonderful displays of plants along this path, the stinging nettle here is prolific, don’t touch. They can give you quite the irritation, but they are so good to eat. At certain times of the year, you can see a myriad of mushrooms here as well.
Without fail, we always see deer in this forest. Plus there is always the chance to see a bear here, spring time is best for this as they love the fresh grass and plants. In the spring the whole area is full of wildflowers. This is an alder grove for the most part, but as you reach the falls it quickly turns into a forest of evergreens. There are some big trees in this forest.
This is just the lower falls, there are upper falls as well that are reached off of the highway just past the Nanoose gas station if you are going south. Turn on to Summerset Rd, then turn on to Seablush Rd and follow it until you see Shooting Star Pl, Follow till you reach the end and you will find the trailhead. We have not done this trail yet so I can not offer any details on its condition, but on my next trip down the island, I plan on visiting the upper falls and will do a report then.
There are little gems like this all over Vancouver Island, I have been chasing waterfalls for many years and yet there still are so many I have yet to find.