Overview
A brief introduction to Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park
Kakabeka Falls () is a waterfall on the Kaministiquia River, located beside the village of Kakabeka Falls in the municipality of Oliver Paipoonge, Ontario, 30 km (19 mi) west of the city of Thunder Bay.
The falls have a drop of 40 m (130 ft), cascading into a gorge carved out of the Precambrian Shield by meltwater following the last glacial maximum. Because of its size and ease of access, it has been consequently nicknamed "the Niagara of the North".
The rock face of the falls and the escarpments along the gorge are composed primarily of unstable shale, and are eroding. These rocks host sensitive flora, and contain some of the oldest fossils in existence, some 1.6 billion years of age. Due to the fragile rock, going into the gorge below the falls is prohibited.
The name "Kakabeka" comes from the Ojibwe word gakaabikaa "waterfall over a cliff" ([ˈɡəkaːˈbɪkaː][help]).
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Scan for cancellationsContact Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park
- Ontario Parks
- Booking site: https://reservations.ontarioparks.ca
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Reviews
Camper reviews for Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park
Spectacular falls, ho hum campground
Not that long ago I stayed at one of the newest Canadian National Park Campgrounds which, like most, boast potable water. Happy to have a chance to refill the water jug, I was dismayed to discover the water was brown in color. When I asked the staff, they said “Oh yeah, it’s totally potable, but tastes like farm.” Sadly, they were right. Kakabeka Falls Campground is a bit the same.
While there’s not much going on at the campground, it is a fair campground, just not a lot of anything. It’s functional, the falls are better than expected, but not much else to get excited about.
The layout of the sites will leave your head spinning, but the sites themselves are pretty good for the most part (lots of trees, moderate privacy and close to facilities).
Pros:
The falls are much larger than expected (although brownish in color)
Family friendly trails and boardwalks all over the place
Staff everywhere (it’s super safe feeling)
Cons:
Swimming beach isn’t really a beach (more of dirt leading to a river)
Aging infrastructure
An inordinate amount of barky dogs.
For those who require electricity, be prepared to bring an extension cord or two or three. While there are lots of services sites, the actual location of the service (electricity) can be a scavenger hunt. Fret not if you forget a cord, they will rent them to you on site for $5/day.
Review based on July 2023 visit.
Map
View a map of Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park
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