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River

Magnetawan River

Class

Cascade

Size

Medium

Visitability

Average

Accessibility

Free

Activity

Moderate

Walk Time

1min

Trail

Moderate

Gorge Access

Moderate

Other Trails

few

County

Parry Sound

Drive south from North Bay on Hwy 11 and turn right (west) on Hwy 124 at Sundridge. (About 50 km north of Huntsville). Drive west about 25 km to Secondary Hwy 510 which goes south to Magnetawan. Continue west on Hwy 124 for another 7 km to the road bridge crossing over the river. The falls are to your left. You can't safely park on the highway, so turn around and backtrack east for a few hundred meters to a short road leading south (right) to a dead-end at the abandoned bridge over the crest of the falls.

Settlement

Chikopi

NTS Map

31E/12

Easting

599395

Northing

5057831

UTM Zone

This is a low, long, powerful waterfall, pronounced "K-ni-flee Falls". Like most falls of this shape, it isn't very photogenic, but is fairly interesting to visit. The Magnetawan River flows north out of Ahmic Lake (located just to the north of the falls) tumbles over (more correctly, through) the falls and then continues east to its outlet at Georgian Bay, about 75 km to the west.

The total fall here is probably less than 7 or 8 m, and is spread over a long stretch of close to 100 m of bubbling, boiling waters. The river starts to fall at a very low dam under an old abandoned concete bridge over the river. It then splits into two long, narrow, bedrock lined channels, each separated by a long, low rock ridge visible in the photograph. The two channels combine into one about 10 m before the river flows under Hwy 124. After a few small rapids downstream of the bridge, the river calms down into flatwater.

You can walk around the bedrock and open woods surrounding this falls. The best spots are on the right bank (looking downstream), both upstream and downstream of the river. Bare bedrock dipping into the edge of the falls is interesting to explore, but should be approached with caution, since the current here is very strong. A little rocky, forested point just downstream of the bridge probably provides some semi-secluded picnic spots overlooking the lowest rapids. This is away from the falls upstream but pretty nonetheless.

NOTE: The abandoned bridge is posted with signage indicating that you should not cross.