Jean Larose Falls is a spectacular wild waterfall. The Jean Larose River plummets 60 meters in three steps into the canyon of the Saint Anne River. The upper most drop is about 10 meters, followed by a 15 meter plunge, with the final drop an impressive 34 meters.

Reaching the falls is relatively easy. From the town of Beaupré, take Boulevard Beaupré north out of town. After 4 kilometers, the road crosses a bridge. Just beyond this there is a parking area on the right side of the road. The trail leads off to the right back towards the bridge. The trail is about 1 kilometer long. The trail is easy and level until it reaches the stairs. There are 400+ stairs down to the bottom of the falls. The stairs are very steep, and have seen a lot of weathering. At least one step is missing.

There are two viewing platforms on the way down, each roughly at the base of the first two drops. It is hard to get a good view of the falls, due to the trees. But the view is still impressive.

There are many interesting things about this waterfall. At the base of the falls there is a flat open rock courtyard. A natural wall separates the river from the open area. I am assuming it is all natural. It is possible that the area was quarried at some point. In any case, it would be a perfect spot for a wedding, assuming you could get everyone down the stairs.

Another interesting thing is that just downstream another stream cascades down into the Jean Larose River. This waterfall is unnamed as far as I know. Both falls are visible simultaneously from the far bank.

There are a lot of waterfalls in this part of the world. If you continue past the bridge another 7km, you will find Sept Chutes. Sainte Anne Chutes is only an 8km drive away. Both of these are falls on the much larger Sainte Anne River. Unfortunately when I visited in November, both of these were closed for the season. 30km to the west you can find Montmorency Falls and Dame Blanche Falls. Dozens of other waterfalls are within an hours drive.

Photo Gallery

The 'courtyard' on the right	The upper drop
The other falls	Climbing the stairs

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Last Modified: Sunday, 25-Nov-2012 21:07:05 MST.