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 Introduction

Waterfalls are special places!  Ontario is blessed with many, many waterfalls, including the most famous of all, Niagara Falls.  While we are lucky to share the best known waterfall in the world with New York State, there are hundreds of other smaller waterfalls worth visiting.  The falls come in all shapes and sizes, with some offering more to the visitor than others.  This web site is your guide to finding them!

What is Ontario?

Ontario is Canada's most populous province and home of Canada's capital (Ottawa) and largest city (Toronto).  It is bounded on the south by the Great Lakes, which are found to the north of the American states of New York, Michigan, and Minnesota.   The province covers an area larger than France!  

Southern Ontario is heavily developed by urbanization and agriculture.  In contrast, the northern 80% is an immense land of forest and rock, settled only at a few widely scattered small cities and towns.  Throughout the entire province, water is a significant component of the landscape.  River and lakes abound.  Where the rivers across bedrock, you just may find a waterfall! 

Waterfalling

Waterfalls are fun places to visit.  Big or small, they can be the beginning or the destination of a great hike.  They are often the subject of painters, photographers or poets.  Some provide a nice cool shower on a hot summer day, while others serve as a challenge for climbing when frozen in winter.  To many of us, they are simply a place to get away to and momentarily forget your troubles.  Any one of these activities defines "Waterfalling".

Waterfalls are found in almost all parts of Ontario.  The Inventory included with this web page breaks the province into several different regions. Some regions are no doubt blessed with more waterfalls than others, but in no place in Ontario are you likely more than about a 2 hour drive from at least a small waterfall.  

Please be advised that the inclusion of a waterfall on this page does not guarantee that it is entirely safe to visit, or entirely located on public property.  At all times, use your common sense, and avoid private property.  If you just have to see that "Secret" waterfall, try to contact the landowner first.

One of the benefits of waterfalling is that you really don't need a lot of expensive, specialized equipment.  You don't really even need a car, although it is obviously a big help if you are visiting waterfalls out of town. 

Any road trip really benefits from a good road map.  Fortunately, there are at least two map companies that provide excellent backroad maps that cover most of the province.  MapArt (a Canadian company) offers beautiful "Town and Country" maps that identify just about every little country road.  While not as pleasing to the eyes as the MapArt products, maps by Rand McNally also identify every single country road, as well as individual lot and concessions - a powerful geographic identification tool that may yet prove very useful for ecotourism in Ontario. 

Sturdy footwear is advisable, since you may find yourself clambering over bedrock or rocky trails.  Rubber boots allow you to get that perfect photograph from the stream bed below the falls.  Insect repellent and sunscreen are obviously important during summer, as are warm clothes during colder parts of the year.  

If you are visiting a waterfall by yourself, it is a good idea to bring a whistle.  If you were to fall and break a leg, the whistle may be a useful tool for attracting attention.  Even waterfalls in urban areas can be "off the beaten track", especially in the evening or winter.

And finally, don't forget your copy of "Waterfalls of Ontario" by George Fischer and Mark Harris.

  Buy the book!

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