Standing at the edge of a thundering cascade, feeling the cool mist on your face as water tumbles over ancient Canadian Shield rock—there's something viscerally satisfying about experiencing a waterfall that enhances any camping adventure. We've assembled our ultimate guide to Ontario's most spectacular waterfalls, all conveniently located within the provincial park system.
From the dramatic 40-meter drop of Kakabika Falls (deservedly nicknamed "Niagara of the North") near Thunder Bay to the intimate and family-friendly Stubbs Falls at Arrowhead Provincial Park, each waterfall offers a unique experience. We share our firsthand experiences at locations like Stubbs Falls, where the bubbling pool at the base creates a natural "hot tub" effect before you stretch out on sun-warmed granite rocks. However, we also discuss important safety considerations after witnessing a frightening slip that fortunately ended without serious injury.
For those willing to venture further into Ontario's wilderness, we explore options ranging from the moderate three-kilometer hike to High Falls in Algonquin (perfect for swimming and sunbathing) to the much more challenging multi-day trek required to reach the remote Hendrie River Waterfalls in Lake Superior Provincial Park. We've included practical advice about the best seasons to visit (spring for water volume, fall for colors), accessibility considerations, what to pack, and the importance of proper footwear on potentially slippery trails. Whether you're planning a dedicated waterfall adventure or simply looking to enhance an existing camping trip, these seven spectacular destinations offer something for every outdoor enthusiast.
Connect with us on social media or email us at hi@supergoodcamping.com with questions or to share your own waterfall experiences. We're taking a brief summer hiatus after our next three episodes to focus on our own camping adventures, but we'll be back in the fall with more outdoor inspiration!
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Episode Transcript
Hello and good day.
Welcome to the Super GoodCamping podcast.
My name is Pamela, I'm Jim andwe are from supergoodcampingcom.
We are here because we're on amission to inspire other people
to get outside and enjoy campingadventures such as we have as a
family.
Today's episode we want to talka little bit about waterfalls,
so places where you maybe you'recamping already and you just
want to go check out thewaterfall, or maybe you want to
(00:20):
purposely make a trip to go andsee the waterfalls.
So we've listed some of the topwaterfalls that you'll find in
Ontario Provincial Parks.
The first one is and I apologizeif I butcher anything it's
Kakabika Falls, which isnicknamed the Niagara of the
North because it's such adramatic 40-meter waterfall.
It's Ontario's second highestwaterfall and here comes the
(00:43):
butchering.
So Kamanistikio River plungesinto a gorge which is carved
through pre-Cambrian rock.
It's located in Kakabika FallsProvincial Park, which is near
Thunder Bay.
To get there, it's just offHighway 11 and Highway 17.
There's paved parking so youcan drive right up.
There are accessible boardwalks, viewing platforms you can see
(01:06):
it.
It's available right at thefalls.
Best time to go is in thespring, and this is true for a
lot of them, just to go in thespringtime because that's when
there's the most runoff, sothere's going to be the most
dramatic water flow and if youwant to go in the wintertime,
you can see Frozen, which isactually Niagara Falls.
It's very cool to see NiagaraFalls when it's frozen in the
(01:27):
wintertime, all right.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Next on the list, stubbs Falls, which we are well
acquainted with at ArrowheadProvincial Park.
It's special because it's alovely cascade where the Little
East River tumbles over rockyledges into a clear pool.
It's peaceful, photogenic andeasy to reach.
How to get to Arrowhead?
So it's near Huntsville.
If you know where Huntsville is, it's like minutes from
Huntsville, 10 minutes maybe,not even, I don't think.
(01:50):
Follow Stubbs Falls Trail onceyou're at Arrowhead.
It's about a two kilometer loopstarting from the main parking
lot near Mayflower Lake, or wehad a site.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
We were lucky to get a site.
We fluked into a site that wasnot far from us.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Well, we intended to get that site, just didn't
realize it was right besideStubbs Falls basically.
Yeah, we had to walk across theroad down a set of stairs.
Yeah, it was pretty awesome.
Best time to visit is spring,obviously for peak water flow,
or autumn, because there's lotsof deciduous trees around.
So it looks gorgeous.
Deciduous trees around, so itlooks it's gorgeous.
(02:27):
Yeah, any tips would be easy.
Easy hike, suitable it, whichit is for for families, great
picnic spot, and the park isalso known for its winter
skating trail and, again, fallcolors.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
So I remember I'll just say I loved best of all.
So I loved um.
It was fairly easily, easilyaccessible, the.
We went with the kids down atthe bottom of the falls.
It felt like a natural hot tubwhere it was all bubbling and
the water's all splashing downaround you.
And it was also really nice togo in the falls and then sit out
(02:56):
on the nice granite rocks wherethey were all warm from the sun
.
So that was really nice.
Kids had a ball.
We had them in PFDs just sothat if they're floating around
down there they were safe.
And I will mention a safetyconcern around Stubbs Falls is
that the rocks, especially likeup above the bottom of the falls
, are slippery when they're wet.
(03:17):
And we, while we were in thefalls, a little girl slipped and
she went down the falls and wekind of grabbed her at the
bottom and handed her over toher parents.
But that was scary that shecould have easily hit her head
and had something much moreserious happen.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
Thankfully we didn't freak out until after Then.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Yeah, so just careful .
Around Sub's Falls there was,subsequent to when we were there
, somebody had had had a fatalaccident there and so I'll get
off that topic.
The High Falls is in AlgonquinProvincial Park.
It's on the east side of thepark.
It's a powerful cascade thatgoes over Canadian Shield Rock,
which is, like that's, typicalMuskoka, northern Ontario.
(04:02):
We just love the CanadianShield Rock.
It's ideal for swimming innearby pools and sunbathing on
the rocks, so similar to StubbsFalls where you can get in the
water and then you can sit outon the rocks and get warmed up.
It's in Algonquin ProvincialPark in the Barren Canyon area.
So on the east side you driveto Atchray Campground and you
can hike in the High Falls Trail, which is about a three
(04:23):
kilometer round trip.
Best time to visit late springagain for full flow and then
fall.
You can see the fall colors.
But it's a bit of a zoo aroundAlgonquin provincial park in the
fall because of everybodycoming to see the colors.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Uh, bring bug spray in the spring because you will
be inundated with bugs and thetrail can be muddy after the
rain she was being very kind bysaying it's a bit of a zoo and a
bit of a buggy mess in the it'sit's the you have to get
permits to completely off topic,you have to get permits to go
see the fall colors, which areawesome.
Um, highway 60 is the mainthoroughfare through the park
(05:03):
and that's where all thevisitors go, and it is end to
end.
Cars parked on the side of theroad.
It's, it's it's beyond anything.
I I see it every year and go ah,I still don't.
My brain just can't get wrappedaround that many people.
Next on the list, number fourRainbow Falls.
Rainbow Falls Provincial Park.
It's a scenic waterfall flowingover pink granite into the
(05:26):
Hewitson River, surrounded byboreal forest and Lake Superior
views.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
Sounds pretty cool.
I think we're going to have tomake a Lake Superior trip at
some point.
I think we should.
I keep reading all theseawesome things about I know but
you don't want to drive that far.
I don't want to drive that far.
Uber.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
Uber.
Yes, we still have to win the649.
I was going to say win the 649and book a private jet.
It's in Rainbow FallsProvincial Park, rossport, north
Shore of Lake Superior.
You park at the White Sand LakeCampgrounds and hike the
Rainbow Falls Trail.
It's about two and changekilometer loop.
(06:03):
The best time to visit issummer for hiking and camping,
spring for water flow.
Yeah, it's a little cooler thanwe're used to way down here in
the south end, I'm sure in thespring.
Oh the box.
It's Pamela's favorite Tips.
Connect the trail to the lakelookouts for extra views, bring
a camera.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Next on our list is Little High Falls and Little
Falls, which are in PotholesProvincial Park.
It's special because they'resmaller, remote waterfalls.
They're surrounded by uniquegeological potholes that have
been carved out by glaciers andwe saw those, those, oh, what's
the park that has thepetroglyphs?
What's the park with thepetroglyphs?
(06:44):
Again, petroglyphs has thosegeological potholes as well.
So Potholes Provincial Park,which is near Sheploh, north of
Wawa.
To get there is off highway 101, about 38 kilometers west of
Sheploh, north of Wawa.
To get there is off Highway 101, about 38 kilometers west of
Sheplow.
You want to go in the latespring, early summer for optimal
flow and it's less touristy andideal for those interested in
(07:07):
geology or for a quiet stop on anorthern road trip.
I could have sworn.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
There's another name for those potholes.
I think there's a scientificname.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
I remember them when we were at petroglyphs, they
called them potholes.
Yep, what do I?
Speaker 2 (07:21):
know Next on the list .
Hendry River Waterfalls.
Lake Superior Prevention Park.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
I know.
Speaker 2 (07:29):
It's remote and rugged falls are located in the
northern backcountry of one ofOntario's largest and most
stunning parks.
Getting there access via thecoastal hiking trail near
Gargantua.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Gargantua, gargantua, yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
I already thought I had it.
It requires a multi-day hike orstrenuous day hike.
Best time to visit late springor early fall for solitude and
vibrant colours.
It's for experienced hikersonly Pack poorly, pack poorly
(08:06):
and check trail conditions.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Yeah, so don't take on more than you can chew.
And number seven on our list isthe seasonal falls, which is in
McGregor Point Provincial Park.
It's a charming little seasonalcascade that's located along
the Old Shore Road Trail.
While it's modest in size, it'sa peaceful addition to a spring
hike, if you're going for ahike anyway.
Mcgregor Point's a pretty goodprovincial park too.
(08:27):
It's near Port Elgin.
To get there you follow thesigns from the Visitor Center to
the Old Shore Road Trail.
The best time to go is spring,after snowmelt for the best flow
, and it's a great area for birdwatching and spring wildflowers
and I think spring migration ispretty cool down along that
kind of area.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
So just sort of all around planning trips.
Uh, spring melt is it again?
It it depends.
We're Ontario is a very messedup going through the seasonal
changes, certainly in spring, soit's spring melt.
So it's late April to earlyJune, probably, is fair to say.
And then when you get into theautumn colors, you're probably I
(09:11):
wouldn't say early September,probably mid-September into
early to mid-October.
Accessibility Some are actuallypretty close to a drive-up,
while others require a short ormoderate hike, or the Henry
Falls, that's a hike.
Trails can be muddy or slippery, so plan for that.
Think about your footwear,sturdy shoes, stay on the marked
(09:34):
paths.
Lots of people will dodge themud.
You're doing environmentaldamage just saying Park passes.
Day-use passes are required formost Ontario parks and can be
reserved in advance via theOntario Parks website.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Yeah, so if you're not necessarily camping at a
specific park, like if you're atAlgonquin, it's not that far to
go to Arrowhead from Algonquin,I think.
Speaker 2 (09:55):
Yeah, no, or if you're camping at Grundy or
French River.
Speaker 1 (10:00):
I think it's also in the area Kill.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Bear's not terribly far yet.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
I couldn't get a day pass for Arrowhead to go see
Stubbs Falls.
If you don't want to, I thinkyou have to do a reserve.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Don't hold me to it, but I don't think if you're
camping like if you're payingfor camping in another
provincial park, you have accessto all the parks.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
So it's like a take.
I think you just have to letthem know you're coming and, in
the immortal words of TLC, do gochasing waterfalls, don't just
stick to the rivers and thelakes that you're used to
although I think I messed uptheir their lyrics a bit anyways
, please do check out waterfallsand give you something more
interesting when you're doingyour camping trip.
Anyway, there you go, and weare going to be doing three more
episodes after this one.
So if you're listening to thisone, we've got three more, and
(10:46):
then we're going to take alittle break for over the summer
to go do some camping stuff.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Yeah, the podcast gets in the way of the camping.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
So then we'll be back in the fall at some point.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
We'll probably do some.
I would assume we're going todo some trip vlogs.
We will certainly take a shotat it.
So you'll hear us a little bit,but not much.
Speaker 1 (11:02):
And you may hear different of us, not me
necessarily.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
True, we were yes.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
Maybe Thomas and Tim.
Anyways, that's it for us fortoday.
Please do check out everythingon all the social media and do
reach out to us anytime if youhave any questions or you have
any input.
We would love to hear from you.
Our email address is hi atsupergoodcampaigncom.
That's hi at supergoodcampaigncom, and we will talk to
you again soon.
Bye, bye.
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