Pacific North West 2019: Chatterbox Falls. Princess Louisa Inlet

Chatterbox Falls

Awe inspiring! Breath taking! Spectacular! This is one of Mother Nature’s masterpieces and adjectives are simply inadequate when trying to describe Princess Louisa Inlet and the magnificent Chatter Box Falls. That being said, I will let the photos speak for themselves.

Malibu Lodge and entrance to the Rapids

Looking down the fjord from the dock

One of the cruising blogs describe Chatterbox Falls and Princess Louisa Inlet as “spiritual”, what a fitting description!

Notice the tree precariously perched in these smaller falls

Far inland, approached from the Strait of Georgia by way of Jervis Inlet, Princess Louisa Inlet has a charm and scenic beauty that must be seen and experienced.

The magnificent granite-walled gorge has been carved by glaciers from the past. The snow-tipped mountains rise sharply from the water’s edge to heights in excess of 7,000 feet. The inlet is deep, reaching depths of up to 1500’.

Chatterbox Falls is located at the head of the inlet and cascades 120 feet to the inlet below.

During spring, run-off from the snow melt creates about 60 cascading waterfalls all emptying into Princess Louisa Inlet.

Other than the odd float plane, travel by sea is the only way to get here.

Early morning calm, looking down the fjord

The privilege of enjoying this bit of paradise comes through the generosity and foresight of James F. “Mac” Macdonald who first saw Princess Louisa Inlet in 1919. Mr. Macdonald remembered the spectacular beauty of the inlet as he travelled over the world. In 1926, after years of prospecting in Nevada, “Mac” struck it rich. With his new- found riches, he was able to attain his real Eldorado: Princess Louise Inlet. He obtained the land surrounding Chatterbox Falls in 1927 and built a log cabin that was tragically destroyed by fire in 1940.

For years, “Mac” acted as host to visiting yachtsmen and sailors. “This beautiful, peaceful haven should never belong to one individual,” he said. “I don't ever want it to be commercialized. Indians, trappers, loggers, fishermen and yachtsmen have always been welcome to any hospitality I had to offer. I have felt that I was only the custodian of the property for Nature and it has been my duty to extend every courtesy.”

In 1953, “Mac” made the decision to turn the property over to the yachtsmen of the Northwest. “In giving it to the boating public I feel as if I am completing a trust. It is one of the most spectacular beauty spots in the world,” he stated. “I am turning it over in perpetuity as an international project so that you, your children, and your children's children, ad infinitum, all may enjoy its peace and beauty as God created it, unspoiled by the hand of man.”