Ruthless Rain and Wonderful Waterfalls in Ontario!

Our “TWT Goes International” series continues with rainstorms, stunning scenery, and waterfalls in Ontario, and three adorable terriers adding their two cents!

The First of the Waterfalls in Ontario- Kakabeka Falls

One of the things Danny and I loved about Ontario was the opportunity to visit so many unique places. Last week, I shared our visit to Fort William. This week, I’m sharing another fascinating spot—Kakabeka Falls.

Our family loves waterfalls. Something about the sound of water falling down the side of a mountain puts both doggie and human hearts at peace. We even have fountains in several places at home to mimic this sound. So, visiting Kakabeka Falls was high on our To-Do list in Ontario.

Kakabeka Falls, at 40 meters (131 feet), is the second highest of the many waterfalls in Ontario, towering over the Kaministiquia River. The highest is, as Louie puts it, “a little place called Niagara Falls”. Having never been to Niagara Falls, I’m not sure how he knows that. He says it’s because he’s a very smart little boy!

The sheer volume of water over Kakabeka Falls was as astonishing as its height. The daily flow rate is about 240-260 cubic meters per second. That’s about 63,000-69,000 gallons per second! It is quite a sight to see, especially for those of us who have never experienced falls this large.

There’s History Here, Too?

Another unique aspect of Kakabeka Falls that Danny found interesting lies in the gorge beneath the falls. The gorge itself was cut by glacial meltwater around 20,00 years ago. The Kaministiquia River continued to cut into the rocks of the gorge. These exposed fossils are some of the oldest in existence at over 1.6 billion years old!

One of the hiking trails available at the park is an old portage route. Portage routes were once used by voyagers carrying furs from the backcountry to the west to their final destination in Montreal so they could be shipped to Europe. Unfortunately, rivers are not always predictable, or easy to navigate. So, instead of taking their canoes full of valuable furs down the falls, the voyagers had to carry both the canoe and their furs to a point below the falls. Then, they loaded everything back into the canoe and continued on their voyage east.

Kakabeka Falls- a Dog Friendly Experience!

The boys really enjoyed hiking around the park, which is dog friendly. We were able to see both sides of the falls and have a nice easy hike along the way. There were plenty of bunnies and squirrels for Winston to sniff. Plenty of people eating for Tommy to “talk to”, and plenty of new experiences for Louie to experience. Overall, the whole family enjoyed our time there and would visit again if we are in the area.

How About that Ruthless Rain?

Great scenery abounds on the drive from Thunder Bay, Ontario to Wawa, Ontario. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to see much of it because it rained almost the entire day. It would have been funny since August is typically the least rainy month in Ontario, if we hadn’t missed so many cool sights because of it. However, that also gives us a good excuse to go back and visit. Hopefully next time, the weather will cooperate.

The rain also made things difficult for Winston. While there are numerous pull offs along the road for little boys to go potty throughout the day, Winston refused because he hates water, baths, and anything resembling either of those things! It was a long day for Winston.

An Actual Hidden Gem Amongst the Waterfalls in Ontario- Magpie Scenic High Falls

I wasn’t expecting much out of these falls. After visiting Kakabeka Falls, I figured nothing could be as grand as those. At least not until we made it to the ultimate waterfall in Ontario- Niagara Falls someday. Boy was I wrong!

It was raining (of course), when we went to visit the falls, so we weren’t sure if we would even be able to see the falls. As we turned the corner into the parking lot, we had a pleasant surprise! Not only could we see the falls, but they were almost as big as the Kakabeka Falls and definitely as beautiful!

The Magpie Scenic High Falls (sometimes called Scenic High Falls) can be found just outside of the town of Wawa. Standing 75 feet high and 125 feet wide, the falls are spectacular in themselves, even in the pouring rain! Near the viewing platform there is also a picnic area and RV parking. If the weather had been better, we would have brought the dogs and a picnic dinner and enjoyed the view of the falls while we ate. Instead, we enjoyed the view of the falls from the viewing platform and then went inside to eat!

Pictures Don’t Do These Waterfalls in Ontario Justice!

For more footage of our visits to each of these wonderful waterfalls (and the relentless rain that went along with them), check out our full video.

Next week we head back into the United States and stay at one of our favorite places this trip- Mackinaw City, Michigan. Be sure to keep an eye out for that part of the trip, coming soon!

In the meantime, for more adventures with the Traveling With Terriers family, check out our other Travel-a-Long, Drive-a-Long, Hike-a-Long, and Top 5 Tips and Tricks videos, as well as our other Behind-the Scenes Blogs and Merch store featuring TWT swag and our newly released book!