As wedding season is in full swing, I can only dream of places like Davis Lake and McDonald Falls. While currently photographing weddings every weekend and spending weekdays behind my computer, I realized we never shared what happened after we didn’t made it to Davis Lake! You can guess where this is going, lol, we DID make it this time! 😉 Well prepared with more daylight and better coordinates, it was actually fairly easy to find! Isn’t that always the case!

While the trailhead remained pretty hidden (immediately to the left when you pass the bridge over Murdo Creek) once we found it, the impressive McDonald falls awaited us within a few hundred meters. The upper ones, because for the lower McDonald falls you have to continue down the slope. Creating a good “waterfall selfie” isn’t always an option, but it’s part of the fun to try and get one! 😉 As you can see in the photos, I had to scramble a bit to get there. Mind you, I’d NEVER put myself into an inherently dangerous situation for a photo. It’s simply not worth it! But some scrambling, sure! 😀

When we reached the lake, much to my surprise, we found a big wooden raft floating near the shore. It looked as if it was still functional since it still floated. And it added a beautiful, dreamy atmosphere to the lake scene. Rafts always remind me of my childhood. Not that I ever built one, hahaha, but it’s something you’d read about in books. I should probably add it to my bucket list of ‘things to try’!

This time, we did little more than sitting on the lake shore and looking at the landscape. The clouds moved at a fast pace, casting a different light and colour on the environment every few minutes. Absolutely breathtaking.

Online, I’d read comments about Davis Lake like “only one side is nice” and “there’s garbage everywhere”. And yes, I have to admit that there was definitely some garbage, but far from what would ruin the experience for me. As for the “only one side of the lake is nice”, well, I think it’s just silly. Just look at the gorgeous scenery on both sides! The occasional 4×4 car would drive along the forest road, but we only encountered one other visitor (and his dog).

Overall we had a great experience and this is just the perfect leisurely trip for when you don’t want to do a lot of hiking, but want to be “away from it all”. Finding the trailhead can prove to be a bit of a challenge. But once you’ve located it, it’s a matter of following the trail along the waterfalls until you hit the lake. Just keep at it, because it’s worth it!

And of course I’m also going to put this out here: if you’re wanting to join us for an engagement shoot here, I think it would be AMAZING. 😉 So if you’re up for something a bit different, let us know!

Davis Lake and and McDonald Falls

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