Explore some of the best waterfalls in Ontario

Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma

Agawa Falls, Algoma

Reaching the 25-metre Agawa Falls in Lake Superior Provincial Park requires hiking 12 kilometres through mixed-wood forest and the Agawa Canyon along the Towab Trail, and then hiking 12 kilometres back out.

For the most enjoyment, make this an overnight backpacking trip. Avid hikers will enjoy the challenge of this rarely visited trail. The precarious terrain involves navigating roots and rocks, with some sections that might be slippery. Other stretches meander through old-growth yellow birch and white pine forests that escaped the lumberjacks’ saws in years past.

A day-use permit is required for this hike, which can be purchased at the Agawa or Red Rock Visitor Centres. Book your backcountry campsite in Lake Superior Provincial Park in advance.

While in the area:

• Pick up extra gear you might need at Great Lakes Outfitters in Sault Ste. Marie.
• Post-hike, glamp it up at Rock Island Lodge or Forest the Canoe’s platform camping accommodations.
• Just off Highway 129 in Aubrey Falls Provincial Park, Aubrey Falls on the Mississagi River is worth a detour to visit.
• Even more remote, Thunderhouse Falls in Missinaibi Provincial Park, northeast of Wawa, are truly majestic.

Northeastern Ontario

Bridal Veil Falls, Manitoulin

Manitoulin Island is located at the top end of the Niagara Escarpment in Kagawong, Manitoulin Island—the same geological formation stretching from the Golden Horseshoe area and essentially running the length of the Bruce Trail.

Take the one-kilometre round-trip hike to Bridal Veil Falls and enjoy swimming at the base and venturing behind the curtain of falling water before spending the day exploring Kagawong village.

Manitoulin is a quaint island dotted with waterfront villages and rolling hills. For that reason, it’s a cyclist’s dream. Rent a bike or bring your own to the island and incorporate a stop at Bridal Veil as part of a longer ride around Kagawong.

Getting to the island can either involve driving across the Highway 6 bridge from the town of Espanola or boarding the iconic MS Chi-Cheemaun ferry which runs from Tobermory to Manitoulin Island’s Baymouth port.

While in the area:

• Plan a full bike tour, including e-bike rentals and luggage courier services, with the help of the Manitoulin Island Cycling Advocates.
• In the summer, attend one of the many powwows that happen across the island.
• Visit the Ojibwe Cultural Foundation in M’Chigeeging to experience past and present Anishnaabe culture through local art, interpretive information and workshops.

Onaping Falls, Sudbury

Just outside of Sudbury, the Onaping River, Onaping Falls (also called High Falls), descends in a series of thundering cascades that drop 55 metres and stretch out for nearly 200 metres. This scene inspired Canadian painter A.Y. Jackson and was immortalized in his oil painting “Spring on the Onaping River,” which was stolen in 1974 and has been missing ever since.

Today, the A.Y. Jackson Lookout pays homage to the Group of Seven artist and provides spectacular views of the falls.

The hike to the falls is an easy one-kilometre trip on wide, flat terrain on crushed gravel and exposed bedrock. There’s an option to extend the hike beyond the falls via the two-kilometre forest loop on the way back—be sure to listen for the songs of some of Sudbury’s resident birds. Visit this site in September when the leaves change colour, transforming the scene into a real-life painting.

Stop at the falls as part of a road trip or a day trip from downtown Sudbury.

While in the area:

• Explore the extensive trails throughout the city and see how determined efforts to rehabilitate damage from mining have given nature a chance to come back on the Jane Goodall Reclamation Trail or in Lake Laurentian Conservation Area.
• The Laughing Buddha and Tucos Tacos have excellent patios where you can catch some sun and enjoy excellent dishes.

Duchesnay Falls, North Bay

Located just east of downtown North Bay, Duchesnay Falls is a scenic, multi-tiered cascading waterfalls. The falls are part of a picturesque trail system that winds through lush hardwood forests with viewpoints of the rushing waters and the surrounding landscape.

Access the Education Centre Trails from the parking lot on Highway 17 or behind Nipissing University. The trails follow both sides of the river. Enjoy a short walk to the falls and a steeper climb up to Lake Nipissing Lookout.

Note that rock surfaces are slippery, so take care.

While in the area:

• Explore a network of hiking trails and boardwalks through wetlands and wooded forests in Laurier Woods Conservation Area.
• Board the Chief Commanda II for a sightseeing or sunset cruise on Lake Nipissing.
• Hike the 2.7-kilometre trail to a stunning waterfall and rocky gorge at Eau Claire Gorge near Mattawa, approximately an hour's drive east from North Bay.

New Post Falls, Cochrane

While not the easiest natural attraction to access, New Post Falls is an incredible sight well worth the effort.

The powerful falls plunge dramatically into a narrow gorge, almost 50 metres deep

Over 140 kilometres north of Cochrane, the falls are located on New Post Creek, a tributary of the Abitibi River near the Abitibi Canyon Generating Station.

The base of the falls can be reached by boat or rough logging roads, and the trip will require considerable planning.

While in the area:

• Visit the Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat, a research, rescue and conservation facility to view resident polar bears.
• Cochrane is the birthplace of hockey legend and founder of the famous coffee chain, Tim Horton. Learn more at the Tim Horton Museum.

Northwest Ontario

Go-Mar, Greenstone

Go-Mar (Gorge Creek) Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in a very underappreciated part of the province.

Greenstone, the area along the east side of Lake Nipigon, is mostly visited by locals and sport fishermen chasing world-class pike and lake trout. The rugged topography, which makes it revered for ice climbing, also offers great hiking. The rock here tends to erode in vertical chunks, creating steep-sided, flat-topped “mesas” across the landscape. The water flowing down these steep cliffs usually provides a show, as you’ll see at Go-Mar.

It’s a 2.5-kilometre hike into these falls, with half of it along the hydrocut with a moderate gradient. Park along Highway 11, making sure to be well off the road, near the natural gas station 35 kilometres north of Nipigon. You’ll see the trail on the east side of the road. Most of it is flagged and marked by local hikers, but at times, the trail may be difficult to pick up.

These falls are just one example of the beauty in Superior Country—an area full of falls to explore. Pair this short outing with a longer hike on the Palisades Trail along the top of a mesa. This 10-kilometre out-and-back hike showcases stunning views and interesting carnivorous plants.

Use Nipigon as a basecamp, only 35 kilometres from Go-Mar Falls and one of the gateways to the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area.

While in the area:

• Traditional sit-down fare at the Edgeview at Sunnyside restaurant (don’t miss the lake trout if it’s in!).
• Ducky’s Diner for top-notch burgers and fried chicken sandwiches.
• Although it’s takeout only, the Nipigon Esso Punjabi Dhaba offers incredible authentic Indian food.

Kakabeka Falls and Pigeon River, Thunder Bay

As far as waterfalls in Northwestern Ontario go, Kakabeka Falls steals the show. It’s the second-largest waterfall in the province and requires only an easy roadside pullover to see—it’s well worth the stop and photo.

For more waterfall action and longer hikes, head towards the Canada-USA border to Pigeon River Provincial Park. This park is less than an hour from Thunder Bay; the drive through the mesas and fields of Slate River Valley is beautiful. Depending on the time of year, you may see massive flocks of ducks and geese staging for migration or swallows buzzing over the farms.

This river forms the border between Ontario and Minnesota and has trails along its sides. You’ll get to see two waterfalls here: Middle and High Falls. The Middle Falls walk is an easy 700 metres from the parking lot—or take the two-kilometre hike to the larger High Falls. This walk follows a wide, historic logging road.

Longer hiking options in the park include the 360-degree view of Lake Superior and the coastline on the five-kilometre-long Finger Point Trail. A day pass is required for parking at the trailhead and can be paid on-site.

While in the area:

• On your way back to Thunder Bay, visit Thunder Oak Cheese Farm and pick up specialty goudas.
• The Courthouse Hotel is a boutique hotel in the heart of the city, offering fantastic views of Lake Superior and the Sleeping Giant.
• Enjoy the outdoors with a campsite at Kakabeka Falls, beside the “Niagara of the North.”
• Walk along Prince Arthur’s Landing, where local events and activities take place throughout the summer.
• East of Thunder Bay, Aguasabon Falls and Gorge in Terrace Bay is must-see attraction. An easily accessible boardwalk leads to lookouts over the 30-metre-tall cascades and rocky gorge.

Algonquin Park, Muskoka and Parry Sound

High Falls (Barron River), Algonquin

In the northern section of Ontario’s most popular provincial park, a thin layer of the Barron River spreads across angled rock, creating a natural slide on an otherwise calm river. Accessing these falls on foot is a 4.5-kilometre round-trip hike from the High Falls parking area, or you can choose to paddle to it.

There are a few “High Falls” in Algonquin Park, but this one is easily accessed from Barron Canyon Road, with signage indicating the turnoffs and parking lots. It’s a lovely 8.5-kilometre canoe from the Achray campground as well.

A summer day is best spent in the water, and just upstream of High Falls, “Little” High Falls is a great place for swimming and sliding. There’s a natural chute with a low current for splashing around in. Like any moving water, wearing a personal flotation device and swimming with a friend are always good ideas. A day pass is required for parking at the trailhead, which can be paid for at the Sand Lake Gate or reserved up to five days beforehand through the Ontario Parks website.

In the area:

• Algonquin Bound Outfitters will deliver canoe rentals to the Achray access point, or you can pick up your canoe from them on your way into the park.
• Algonquin Portage, located in Pembroke, will also deliver canoes in the area.
• Take a guided trip with Algonquin Bound Outfitters.
• Hike to the rim of the nearby Barron Canyon, one of the park’s most scenic vantage points.
• Frontcountry camp at the nearby Achray campground.

High Falls, Bracebridge

Easily accessible and situated on the Trans-Canada Trail system, High Falls is considered one of the largest in the Muskoka region. The day-use site is home to several cascades with picnic facilities and walking paths.

Located just outside of Bracebridge, the falls is part of the northern branch of the Muskoka River. There is a power station at the top of the falls and a walkway across the rim.

In the area:

• Take a tour to other scenic waterfalls in Muskoka.
• Head to the Gravenhurst Wharf nearby and cruise Muskoka’s famed lakes aboard North America’s oldest operating steamship or take a trip on Wenonah II with all its modern conveniences with Muskoka Steamships.

Bruce, Grey and Simcoe

Inglis Falls, Grey County

The Niagara Escarpment is a geological wonder; this raised stretch of land slopes on one side but drops sharply on others. The term for this landform is a cuesta, and it’s responsible for the trail of waterfalls extending from Manitoulin south to the country’s biggest falls in Niagara. At the northern end of the cuesta is some serious waterfall country.

Take the trip towards Owen Sound, a three-hour drive from Toronto. One of the eight waterfalls in the vicinity of the town is Inglis Falls. It’s located within a conservation area that contains over seven kilometres of hiking trails, including trails leading to platforms overlooking the 18-metre falls.

The trails also weave through wetlands with excellent bird-watching opportunities and alongside geological oddities like “potholes,” circular depressions carved into the rock from the glaciers.

There is a day rate to park at Grey Sauble Conservation Areas, which can be paid by debit or credit on arrival.

While in the area:

• There are several picturesque waterfalls in the area, so plan a waterfall road trip in Grey County to visit them all.
• The Grey-Bruce region is also apple country. Make some of the stops on the self-guided Apple Pie Tour.
• Sip apple ciders or sweet pear fruit wines while enjoying the scenery at Coffin Ridge Boutique Winery.
• Take a casual paddle down the Beaver River with Free Spirit Tours.
• Ride e-bikes in either Collingwood or Thornbury.

Hamilton, Halton and Brant

Hamilton waterfalls

With over 100 picturesque waterfalls, cascades and rapids within the city limits, Hamilton, Ontario, is often referred to as the “Waterfall Capital of the World”.

 This is due to the city’s location between the shoreline of Lake Ontario and the massive Niagara Escarpment cliff ridge, with several rivers and streams flowing towards the lake.

Many of the falls are connected by trails, so plan to visit several attractions one a single hike. Well-visited waterfalls include Webster Falls, the largest and Tew Falls, the tallest, both located within Spencer Gorge Conservation Area near the village of Dundas.

Albion Falls, Tiffany Falls and the distinctive Devil’s Punchbowl upper and lower falls are also popular spots. Sherman Falls and Canterbury Falls are both a short distance from Tiffany Falls.

Not only are Hamilton’s waterfall attractions plentiful, but they are also scenic year-round and relatively accessible, making them very popular destinations. Take care to stay on marked trails, follow the parking and trail instructions and wear proper footwear when visiting.

While in the area:

• Visit the Royal Botanical Gardens, Canada’s largest botanical gardens, for rock gardens, floral collections and endless trails.

Across the province, scenic waterfalls await, each one a destination worth the journey. So, lace up your boots, pack your camera and let Ontario’s rushing waters lead the way.