Ammonite Falls is named for the fossils that inhabit the stack of sedimentary layers of rock kept slick by the falls. A brief foray into the rock matrix in the Benson Creek Falls Regional Park reveals a vast number of concretions, ball'o'fossils that can be broken open to reveal ancient life. Most concretions contain merely a protean speck, while others house ammonites, snail-like creatures similar in shape and form to the modern Nautilus. These were very common in Paleozoic and Mesozoic oceans, 400 to 65 million years ago. Many large shells are embedded in the stone of the riverbed (one at least is the area of a Nanaimo bus schedule)..
Directions:
Drive - From Jingle Pot Road, turn onto Kilpatrick Road. Take the first right onto Jameson Road. Follow Jameson to the end. There is a paved sideroad to the right called Creekside which goes into a new development. Continue straight on Jameson onto the gravel. You can park a few hundred feet up the gravel, near the yellow gate.
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At the beginning of the hike you walk through a large track of land which includes a bunch of old growth trees. There is a sign indicating that a university owns the lot and it is used for study in some kind of forestry program.
DownsideWhen I went in June 2010 the flow over the falls was minimal.
Making the right turns to find the right road is a bit of challenge. There were no signs to indicate that the falls were along that path.
CommentThe slope down to the bottom (which is really the only place to get a view of the falls) is very steep and the collection of ropes that have been left behind by others appear to be pretty haphazardly placed. As I recall it is about a 30-50 foot drop. One slip and you could be in a pretty bad place.
Posted By: Gpennell
