Website

Kakabeka Falls

Kakabeka Falls P.P. is located at 4853 Highway 11/17, in the town of the same name. The park features the second highest waterfall in Ontario, at 47m. On the Kaministiquia River, the falls' well-earned nickname is "the Niagara of the North", as it is so easy to access and so unbelievable beautiful. There is a famous boardwalk encircling the falls, making it a photographer's dream. The park also features a few trails and a small campground. I visited in the August of 2025.

History

Kaministiquia River was known by the natives to be a very important route - it connected the St. Lawrence Riverway (Lake Superior) to the waters of the west - whether that's Northwestern Ontario or the Prairies. The first European to weather this route was Jacques de Noyon in 1688. With the southern part of the Kaministiquia River being rather calm, Kakabeka Falls was the first obstacle. Regardless of obstacles, this route was very convenient, as you could avoid the 8.5km "Grand Portage" around the Pigeon River. And as mentioned in the Pigeon River page, this route was notorious. So when Europeans found out about the natives' route up this river, they used it lots. For years, it was the main "highway to the west" for Europeans, with many fur trading posts being set up along the banks, mostly by the NWC (North West Company). As per the actual construction and creation as a provincial park, it was all constructed in the mid-1950s, and the park was opened in 1957. After reading the official management plan, the province makes a big deal about the fact that the park is a natural environment class park, even though it doesn't meet the size criteria of 2,000 hectares. The province says "Its classification reflects the provincial significance of the natural features it was established to protect."

The word "Kakabeka" is an Anglification of "gabaabikaa", either meaning "thundering water" or "waterfall over a cliff", depending on who you ask. [1] [2]

Historical plaque near the store commemorating the historic paddling route.

What the Park Offers

Kakabeka Falls has a few amenities, such as:
- a 750m wheelchair accessible boardwalk encircling the falls
- a large parking lot on Highway 11/17, perfect for day use
- a playground in the Whispering Hills Campground
- a beach on the opposite side of Highway 11/17
- groomed cross-country skiing trails
- biking on the Poplar Point Trail
- a large park store and gift shop on the west riverbank
- interpretive signs telling the portage's history
- speaking of the portage, the Mountain Portage Trail uses a route that was originally carved as a portage around the falls
- a 160m ice skating trail in the wintertimes

The only trail I did here was:

The Boardwalk Trail - 750m, wheelchair accessible

When anyone says they "went to Kakabeka Falls", they mean they did this trail. And, hands in the air, I did this trail, drove around the campground, and left. But that is because there's not much else to this park - a 1999 report said of the 286,913 visitors, 254,031 were day users who visited the falls and left. Anyways, I'm getting sidetracked - this a beautiful trail. It's all a boardwalk, so practically anyone could do it, and it has fantastic views. Lookout benches and platforms further add to the experience. Definitely recommend. (no biking due to stairs)

Visiting the Park

Turning in off of Highway 11/17, you'll follow a sharply turned road to the gatehouse. Once past that, you'll reach an intersection.

Heading right leads to a small day-use parking lot, before taking a tunnel under 11/17, leading to the park beach and pet exercise area.

Heading left leads to the main day-use parking lot, featuring access to the scenic Boardwalk Trail, as well as the 500m Village Trail.

Heading straight finds you on a bridge crossing the Kaministiquia River. On your immediate right is the Riverside Campground, and the Fern's Edge Campground, less than 50m up the road. On your left is even more parking, as well as the Mountain Portage Store/visitor centre. This is also where you'll be able to access the Mountain Portage Trail. The Whispering Hills Campground, the playground, the rest of the trails, the comfort station, and the dump station are all accessed by taking this same road for about half a kilometre west. See map below for more.

Interesting Species

Note that the photos in this section are not explicitly from this park, they are good photos of species that live here.

Northern landscapes that have inspired many artists

Birch-filled forests, very common to the region

Club mosses

Incredibly dense and mossy woodlands

Tips and Advice

Day trip just to visit the falls - the campground itself is nothing special.
Or you can do what I did, day tripping to this park and Pigeon River on the same day when visiting Sleeping Giant.
Visit Nor-West Arena, nearby. It's the home of the Staal Brothers.

View from the pedestrian bridge over the falls.

SPOTLIGHT: 2nd Highest Falls in Ontario

As I said, everyone visits this park to experience the falls, and I don't blame them. Standing at 47m high, these falls are second to only Niagara in Ontario. But its undeniable that Kakabeka provides a delicious taste of Northern Ontario, hence its nickname. The falls were formed via the usual glacial meltwater, eroding away at the gorge. This happens so dramatically at these falls because the rock in the gorge is very easily-eroded, and when glacial meltwater runs over it at speeds untold, it chips away at this rock bit by bit. And after a few million years, the gorge is now almost 50 metres deep and 700m long. The gorge is relatively thin, however, and this is because it is covered in a stronger rock, less susceptable to erosion. To avoid over- and under-flow of water, there is a dam upstream control the water levels, as well as a hydroelectric power generating station station just downstream of the park. These falls are nothing but impressive, and they're definitely worth the half hour drive from Thunder Bay.

Opinions

Nash

The falls totally lived upto and exceeded expectations. Meanwhile, the campground was brutally layed out, with small sites and poor locations. If you're gonna come here for day use, expect an amazing 9/10 experience around the falls. Camping? More like a 5.

Trail Map: https://www.ontarioparks.ca/pdf/maps/kakabekafalls/hiking_trails.pdf
Campground Map: https://www.ontarioparks.ca/pdf/maps/kakabekafalls/campground_map.pdf

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse