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Kakabeka Falls
Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park has a lot to brag about, including the fact it has the largest waterfall in northern Ontario. This is a park which allows campers to go about at their own pace, without the crowds. It’s a place that truly characterizes what a park is meant to be. And that, combined with its notable cascade plunging 40 metres over the ancient Precambrian Shield, Kakabeka Falls is a natural wonder drenched in beauty and historical significance. It’s a park not to be missed.
Kakabeka has a beach to play on, spacious campsites, 3 nature trails, a Natural Heritage Education program, and more. Imagine times when Aboriginal people, explorers, voyageurs and missionaries came this way. Best of all, it’s a short drive from the “must-see” attractions of Thunder Bay.
The urban centre of Thunder Bay remains one of the most culturally rich areas in the north. The city hosts its own orchestra, professional theatre, world-class film festival and some of the most distinctive dining establishments in Ontario. But it’s the surrounding landscape that holds the real treasures. Ouimet Canyon Provincial Park is just a short drive from Kakabeka and offers an incredible hiking experience and a view you’ll never forget. Consider a stop at Eagle Canyon Adventures, and walk across the longest suspension footbridge in Canada.
A trip to this part of Ontario must include a visit to Fort William. It’s indescribable. The largest reconstructed fur-trading post in the world, it has 42 buildings, with costumed interpreters acting out the daily life of people like famed fur-trading merchant Simon McGillivray. Enjoy optional hands-on family activities such as ‘Paddle into the Past’ where the entire family dresses up as voyageurs and paddle, in a replica birch bark canoe.
Special Insider Offers
Use your FREE Canadian Geographic Trans Canada Ecotour Guide (Value $14.95) to discover the secrets of the many special places and species in this area. Save up to $14 on your visit to Fort William with the buy 1 admission, get 1 free coupon. Save 10% on Ontario Parks merchandise at the Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park store.
Click here for details on these special offers.
Ask an Expert
Making use of the many possible day hikes offered at Kakabeka Falls is the best way to experience the park. According to staff, a day hike has the added advantage of being only a short walk back to the campsite. Even though it’s easier to escape the elements while on a day hike, this is definitely not an excuse to go out unprepared. A well-equipped day pack is a must to have and it should contain enough gear to help battle bugs, blistering sun, sudden storms, and even an unexpected night in the woods. While you may not need all of these items at Kakabeka, if you were to spend the day traversing the more challenging and lengthy trails of nearby Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, you should take the following...
Suggested Items for Day Pack:
1. Rain jacket and rain pants
2. Extra sweater or fleece top
3. Spare socks
4. Sun screen and lip balm
5. Hat
6. Sunglasses
7. Bug repellent
8. Pocket Army Knife
9. Nutritious lunch (plus a few high-energy snacks)
10. Butane lighter and waterproof matches
11. Water bottle
12. Flashlight
13. Lightweight nylon tarp and a ball of twine
14. Map and compass
15. Walking stick
16. Whistle
Optional gear:
1. Binoculars
2. Journal
3. Camera
4. Guidebook on birds, mammals, insects, etc.
Did You Know
Over a century ago, Thunder Bay tourism promoters thought they had to exaggerate just a little to attract people. In 1870, the Weekly Herald claimed potatoes grew so large that if a man was hungry he just had to carve off a chunk. The Weekly Times Journal followed up in 1900 by stating it was “free of mosquitoes.” And in 1901, one immigration agent declared the air so pure that it cured hay fever, insomnia and malaria. All of which is still true today!
The stories were unnecessary. The first visitors quickly fell in love with the place, and even forgave the tourist agents who made the dubious claims.
Famous Footsteps
Bishop, Frederic Baraga, has been given many titles for his dedication to providing “true faith” to the Natives of Superior – Sheppard of the Wilderness, Apostle of the Lakeland, Indian Apostle of the Northwest – but the most noteworthy is The Snowshoe Priest. The majority of Baraga’s treks across the south and northwest shore of Lake Superior, some averaging 700 kilometres, were done during the bitter cold of winter, by snowshoe.
His most legendary trip was by canoe to a village near Kakabeka Falls. He had heard rumour of an epidemic afflicting the Natives there and went in hast to perform the last rites. To reach the village in time Baraga and a voyageur Louis Gaudin paddled a flimsy birch bark canoe straight across Lake Superior, from La Pointe in the United States – a traverse that measures close to 70 km.
Safely crossing Superior was thought to be a miracle, especially because a terrible storm hit while they were only halfway across. It was this “act of God” that was singled out by many Christians as the one miracle which should support Baraga’s recent candidacy for sainthood by the Roman Catholic Church.
Historians have a different opinion. They claim it should be Baraga’s task of writing the first Ojibwa-English grammar and dictionary (still used today) that should be his most noteworthy task. The church disagrees with both. They claim it should be Baraga’s eagerness to give human rights to the Natives. Baraga was determined to keep fur traders from negotiating with the Ojibwa with alcohol and fought to allow them to keep title of their land, both of which were very unpopular ideas at the time.
The question of Baraga’s sainthood remains unanswered to this day.
Thundering Waters
Kakabeka is an Ojibwa word for “thundering waters”.
Travel writer, T. Morris Longstreth, wrote in his book The Lake Superior Country, about his experience after viewing Kakabeka Falls back in 1924 “I had one of the glorious thrills of my life, one of those rushing hours of unforgettable beauty.”
Today’s visitors have the same experience as Longstreth. Treat yourself to bird’s eye views of the falls and gorge that was carved from the Precambrian Shield by receding glaciers. From the viewing platforms and trails you can witness the continuation of that geological evolution, even though some measures have been taken to slow the process.
Recipe - Shrimp Creole
Ingredients:
1 can of shrimp
1 cup pre-cooked white rice
1/2 cup black beans
1 sliced tomato
2 sliced celery
2 gloves of garlic
1 small onion
1/2 tsp. dried hot red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. file powder
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 of a tomato juice drink box (the ones you use in the kids lunches)
2 cups water
1 Tbs. olive oil
Directions:
Pre-soak the beans in a container (a spare Nalgene water bottle works well) for an entire day. Then combine black beans and tomatoes in wine and tomato juice. Lightly grease a frying pan with oil and cook celery, garlic, onion, hot pepper and file powder over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add tomato juice mixture. Cook and stir until it thickens (approx. 10-15 minutes). Add shrimp and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Cook rice in 2 cups boiling water and add sauce.
Nearby and Interesting
Thunder Bay is a modern City of 110,000 people and has a number of attractions including, the Centennial Conservatory, Chippewa Park and Wildlife Exhibit, the International Friendship Gardens and more. This is lakehead country. It is the terminus for Great Lakes commercial vessels with a harbour of constant activity. The countless grain elevators offer temporary storage for western Canadian wheat headed for the East.
Fort William Historic Park at Thunder Bay is the largest fur trading post in the world and a visit to Fort William is a step back in time to the days of the Voyageur.
Pigeon River Provincial Park features two waterfalls and a lookout offering a panoramic view of Lake Superior. If you want to brag that you’ve walked on a giant, then you’ll want to spend a day hiking at Sleeping Giant Provincial Park.
Ouimet Canyon is known for its 100 metre sheer cliff walls. There are walking trails and platforms allowing for indescribable views of the canyon. Near Dorion, you’ll find the country’s longest suspension foot bridge at Eagle Canyon Adventures.
Ontario’s provincial stone is Purple Amethyst, mined in open pits throughout the area. Collect your own amethyst at the Amethyst Mine Panorama. Just a reminder, that rock hounding is not permitted in provincial parks.
Other interesting places and activities can be found at North of Superior Tourism.
Share a Tale or Say It with Photos
The above photo was submitted by Annette of Petrolia, Ontario. Annette writes, "This picture was taken of Kakabeka Falls in beautiful Ontario. Friends had told me I should visit this Provincial Park on my way to Quetico Provincial Park, which I did. Words cannot describe how beautiful this fall is. One expects to have to go on a long hike to visit such a waterfall, as they are usually well hidden, but at Kakabeka Falls, they are right there, a short distance from the parking lot."
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