Seven Amazing Waterfalls You Must Visit in Ontario Parks

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!

Chapters

• 0:00 Introducing Ontario's Waterfall Adventures
• 1:27 Kakabika Falls and Stubbs Falls Spotlight
• 3:49 High Falls and Rainbow Falls Exploration
• 6:28 Lesser-Known Northern Ontario Waterfalls
• 8:48 Trip Planning and Practical Tips
• 10:40 Episode Wrap-up and Summer Hiatus

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello and good day. Welcome to the Super Good Camping podcast. My name is Pamela, I'm Jim and we are from supergoodcampingcom. We are here because we're on a mission to inspire other people to get outside and enjoy camping adventures such as we have as a family. Today's episode we want to talk a little bit about waterfalls, so places where you maybe you're camping already and you just want to go check out the waterfall, or maybe you want to purposely make a trip to go and see the waterfalls. So we've listed some of the top waterfalls that you'll find in Ontario Provincial Parks.

Speaker 1: 0:29

The first one is and I apologize if I butcher anything it's Kakabika Falls, which is nicknamed the Niagara of the North because it's such a dramatic 40-meter waterfall. It's Ontario's second highest waterfall and here comes the butchering. So Kamanistikio River plunges into a gorge which is carved through pre-Cambrian rock. It's located in Kakabika Falls Provincial Park, which is near Thunder Bay. To get there, it's just off Highway 11 and Highway 17. There's paved parking so you can drive right up. There are accessible boardwalks, viewing platforms you can see it. It's available right at the falls. Best time to go is in the spring, and this is true for a lot of them, just to go in the springtime because that's when there's the most runoff, so there's going to be the most dramatic water flow and if you want to go in the wintertime, you can see Frozen, which is actually Niagara Falls. It's very cool to see Niagara Falls when it's frozen in the wintertime, all right.

Speaker 2: 1:27

Next on the list, stubbs Falls, which we are well acquainted with at Arrowhead Provincial Park. It's special because it's a lovely cascade where the Little East River tumbles over rocky ledges into a clear pool. It's peaceful, photogenic and easy 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. Follow Stubbs Falls Trail once you're at Arrowhead. It's about a two kilometer loop starting from the main parking lot near Mayflower Lake, or we had a site.

Speaker 1: 2:00

We were lucky to get a site. We fluked into a site that was not far from us.

Speaker 2: 2:04

Well, we intended to get that site, just didn't realize it was right beside Stubbs Falls basically. Yeah, we had to walk across the road 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 lots of deciduous trees around. So it looks gorgeous. Deciduous trees around, so it looks it's gorgeous. Yeah, any tips would be easy. Easy hike, suitable it, which it is for for families, great picnic spot, and the park is also known for its winter skating trail and, again, fall colors.

Speaker 1: 2:34

So I remember I'll just say I loved best of all. So I loved um. It was fairly easily, easily accessible, the. We went with the kids down at the bottom of the falls. It felt like a natural hot tub where it was all bubbling and the water's all splashing down around you. And it was also really nice to go in the falls and then sit out on the nice granite rocks where they were all warm from the sun. So that was really nice. Kids had a ball. We had them in PFDs just so that if they're floating around down there they were safe. And I will mention a safety concern around Stubbs Falls is that the rocks, especially like up above the bottom of the falls, are slippery when they're wet. And we, while we were in the falls, a little girl slipped and she went down the falls and we kind of grabbed her at the bottom and handed her over to her parents. But that was scary that she could have easily hit her head and had something much more serious happen.

Speaker 2: 3:33

Thankfully we didn't freak out until after Then.

Speaker 1: 3:38

Yeah, so just careful. Around Sub's Falls there was, subsequent to when we were there, somebody had had had a fatal accident there and so I'll get off that topic. The High Falls is in Algonquin Provincial Park. It's on the east side of the park. It's a powerful cascade that goes over Canadian Shield Rock, which is, like that's, typical Muskoka, northern Ontario. We just love the Canadian Shield Rock. It's ideal for swimming in nearby pools and sunbathing on the rocks, so similar to Stubbs Falls where you can get in the water and then you can sit out on the rocks and get warmed up. It's in Algonquin Provincial Park in the Barren Canyon area. So on the east side you drive to Atchray Campground and you can hike in the High Falls Trail, which is about a three kilometer round trip. Best time to visit late spring again for full flow and then fall. You can see the fall colors. But it's a bit of a zoo around Algonquin provincial park in the fall because of everybody coming to see the colors.

Speaker 2: 4:38

Uh, bring bug spray in the spring because you will be inundated with bugs and the trail can be muddy after the rain she was being very kind by saying it's a bit of a zoo and a bit of a buggy mess in the it's it's the you have to get permits to completely off topic, you have to get permits to go see the fall colors, which are awesome. Um, highway 60 is the main thoroughfare through the park and that's where all the visitors go, and it is end to end. Cars parked on the side of the road. It's, it's it's beyond anything.

Speaker 2: 5:12

I I see it every year and go ah, I still don't. My brain just can't get wrapped around that many people. Next on the list, number four Rainbow Falls. Rainbow Falls Provincial Park. It's a scenic waterfall flowing over pink granite into the Hewitson River, surrounded by boreal forest and Lake Superior views.

Speaker 1: 5:31

Sounds pretty cool. I think we're going to have to make a Lake Superior trip at some point. I think we should. I keep reading all these awesome things about I know but you don't want to drive that far. I don't want to drive that far. Uber.

Speaker 2: 5:43

Uber. Yes, we still have to win the 649. I was going to say win the 649 and book a private jet. It's in Rainbow Falls Provincial Park, rossport, north Shore of Lake Superior. You park at the White Sand Lake Campgrounds and hike the Rainbow Falls Trail. It's about two and change kilometer loop. The best time to visit is summer for hiking and camping, spring for water flow. Yeah, it's a little cooler than we're used to way down here in the south end, I'm sure in the spring. Oh the box. It's Pamela's favorite Tips. Connect the trail to the lake lookouts for extra views, bring a camera.

Speaker 1: 6:23

Next on our list is Little High Falls and Little Falls, which are in Potholes Provincial Park. It's special because they're smaller, remote waterfalls. They're surrounded by unique geological potholes that have been carved out by glaciers and we saw those, those, oh, what's the park that has the petroglyphs? What's the park with the petroglyphs? Again, petroglyphs has those geological 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 late spring, early summer for optimal flow and it's less touristy and ideal for those interested in geology or for a quiet stop on a northern road trip. I could have sworn.

Speaker 2: 7:11

There's another name for those potholes. I think there's a scientific name.

Speaker 1: 7:17

I remember them when we were at petroglyphs, they called them potholes. Yep, what do I?

Speaker 2: 7:21

know Next on the list. Hendry River Waterfalls. Lake Superior Prevention Park.

Speaker 1: 7:28

I know.

Speaker 2: 7:29

It's remote and rugged falls are located in the northern backcountry of one of Ontario's largest and most stunning parks. Getting there access via the coastal hiking trail near Gargantua.

Speaker 1: 7:42

Gargantua, gargantua, yeah.

Speaker 2: 7:45

I already thought I had it. It requires a multi-day hike or strenuous day hike. Best time to visit late spring or early fall for solitude and vibrant colours. It's for experienced hikers only Pack poorly, pack poorly and check trail conditions.

Speaker 1: 8:07

Yeah, so don't take on more than you can chew. And number seven on our list is the seasonal falls, which is in McGregor Point Provincial Park. It's a charming little seasonal cascade that's located along the Old Shore Road Trail. While it's modest in size, it's a peaceful addition to a spring hike, if you're going for a hike anyway. Mcgregor Point's a pretty good provincial park too. It's near Port Elgin. To get there you follow the signs 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 bird watching and spring wildflowers and I think spring migration is pretty cool down along that kind of area.

Speaker 2: 8:45

So just sort of all around planning trips. Uh, spring melt is it again? It it depends. We're Ontario is a very messed up going through the seasonal changes, certainly in spring, so it's spring melt. So it's late April to early June, probably, is fair to say. And then when you get into the autumn colors, you're probably I wouldn't say early September, probably mid-September into early to mid-October. Accessibility Some are actually pretty close to a drive-up, while others require a short or moderate 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 paths. Lots of people will dodge the mud. You're doing environmental damage just saying Park passes. Day-use passes are required for most Ontario parks and can be reserved in advance via the Ontario Parks website.

Speaker 1: 9:46

Yeah, so if you're not necessarily camping at a specific park, like if you're at Algonquin, it's not that far to go to Arrowhead from Algonquin, I think.

Speaker 2: 9:55

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 think you 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 paying for camping in another provincial park, you have access to all the parks.

Speaker 1: 10:24

So it's like a take. I think you just have to let them know you're coming and, in the immortal words of TLC, do go chasing waterfalls, don't just stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to although I think I messed up their their lyrics a bit anyways, please do check out waterfalls and give you something more interesting when you're doing your camping trip. Anyway, there you go, and we are going to be doing three more episodes after this one. So if you're listening to this one, we've got three more, and then we're going to take a little 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 to do some trip vlogs. We will certainly take a shot at 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 for today. Please do check out everything on all the social media and do reach out to us anytime if you have any questions or you have any input. We would love to hear from you. Our email address is hi at supergoodcampaigncom. That's hi at supergood campaigncom, and we will talk to you again soon. Bye, bye.