Aguasabon Falls is located off of Highway 17, about a kilometre west of Terrace Bay. The park is a popular roadside attraction, due to the impressive size of the falls, convenient location, and it being a stop on the Lake Superior Circle Tour. Not only is it a stop on the Circle Tour, the park is also the eastern terminus of the Casque Isles Trail, making it a welcoming spot for hikers. I visited in August 2025.
Aguasabon Falls is actually not a natural waterfall - and this is not a hidden fact. In the 1940s, the Aguasabon Hydro Development Plan initiated building dams along the Aguasabon River, one of which being on Long Lake. This dam was a massive undertaking, mainly because the plan was to redirect the Aguasabon River away from the Arctic River, and to the newly formed town of Terrace Bay (and its important pulp mill). This eventually lead to the Aguasabon River massively increasing the size of Hays Lake, just north of Highway 17. After this, the water trickled thinly over a cliff into a gorge (that was indeed 2.6 billion years old), before emptying into Lake Superior.
"Aguasabon" comes from the Ojibwe word "agoshkabun", meaning "river with rocks".
Aguasabon Falls features basic amenities, like:
- a wheelchair accessible 500m boardwalk with lookouts
- public access, free admission
- restrooms and a large parking lot turnaround
- convenient access on Highway 17
- location right beside beautiful Terrace Bay
- impressive 30m waterfalls
There is one trail, as well as access to the Casque Isles Trail.
A short walk descends a few feet to a suspended lookout platform over the Aguasabon Gorge. To your left is the scenic falls themselves; and to your right is the 2.6 billion year old canyon wall. A high vantage point over Lake Superior paints the background, while splashing water and mist paints the foreground.
Drive in off of Highway 17. A short road curves to a turnaround and parking lot. It's there where you'll see the Casque Isles Trailhead, the rest stop, the vaulted toilets, and access to the boardwalk.
Note that the photos in this section are not explicitly from this park, they are good photos of species that live here.
Grouse
Boreal forest behind the falls
White-tailed deer
Birds of prey
Stop by when driving on Highway 17.
Day trip from Rainbow Falls or Neys.
Visit the Terrace Bay Lighthouse when in town.
The lookout over Lake Superior from Aguasabon Falls.
There's not much to this park outside of the Aguasabon Falls, and they'd probably be the frontrunner for SPOTLIGHT anyways, so they seem like a worthy candidate. Standing at 100 feet tall, the falls are not only very tall, but also very powerful. There is a power generation station on the river due to this fact, and you can legitimately feel the power when just on the platform - you're gonna feel misty. And when springtime comes around and the snow melts, the damp turns into wet. These falls are a unique little spot and I do recommend stopping, to feel the power and explore the beauty.
A nice stopover on the Circle Tour, highly recommend. Even if you're towing a trailer, it's easy to navigate, and it makes use of the much needed 20 minute rests along your journey up 17. Do visit if you're in the area.
The Terrace Bay Lighthouse, across from Simcoe Plaza in downtown Terrace Bay. It's free admission, and offers a half-decent view of town.
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