Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park

Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park is located about 30 km outside of Thunder Bay in Ontario.

Kakabeka is derived from Ojibwa and means thundering water. The Kaministiquia River drops over 40 metres on its way to Lake Superior making Kakabeka Falls the highest waterfall in northern Ontario.

Site Review:

There are 3 campground loops at Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park:

• Riverside
• Fern’s Edge
• Whispering Hills

Riverside and Fern’s Edge Campgrounds: 

• The two campground loops are near one another.
• They are close to the falls and the other amenities in the vicinity such as the Visitor Centre and trailheads.
• They are located closer to the beach than the Whispering Hills campground loop.
• Easy access from the front gates.
• All sites are non-electric.
• Geared to smaller equipment like tents and pop-ups (though some sites can accommodate mid-size RVs).
• Many sites have an uneven pad slope.
• A comfort station with flush toilets is centrally located and shared by both campground loops. There are no showers. You would have to go to the Whispering Hills campground comfort station to access showers.
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Whispering Hills Campground:

• Has electric sites.
• There is a comfort station centrally located with flush toilets and free hot showers.
• Additionally, there is another comfort station with flush toilets only.
• There are laundry facilities.
• There is a small playground.
• Many of the sites can accommodate even the largest of equipment.
• It is convenient to the trailer dump station and the potable water filling station.
• There are pull-thru and back-in sites.
• The trailer pads appear pretty level.
• All the sites are set in a forest setting. 

Our Site:

We had site #76. It was a pull-thru site and was typical of the sites found at the Whispering Hills campground. It had a picnic table and a fire ring.

Activities:

The Falls:

The Boardwalk Trail can be accessed from the main parking lot near the gatehouse or from the parking lot near the Visitor Centre.

The trail is a boardwalk that incorporates a pedestrian bridge so you can access viewing platforms from both sides of Kakabeka Falls. The boardwalk is wheelchair-friendly. The viewing platforms are not. The trail allows you to view the falls from multiple angles.

Beach

There is a small beach upstream from the falls on the Kaministiquia River. It would be a good walk from the Fern’s Edge and Riverside campgrounds. You would probably choose to drive to it from the Whispering Hills campground. There are picnic tables and a playground. The beach area is not marked off. There are no lifeguards.

Visitor Centre

The Visitor Centre has a small collection of souvenirs as well as a staff on duty that can answer questions you may have about the area. Located behind the Visitor Centre is an outdoor amphitheatre where they run a Discovery program in the summer. A weekly calendar of events can usually be found posted on the bulletin boards outside of the comfort stations.

Hiking

There are a couple of hiking trails that can be enjoyed at Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park.

Poplar Point Trail:

Is a 4 km loop trail that meanders around the Whispering Hills Campground.

Mountain Portage Trail Loop:

A wide trail that is suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. The trail can be accessed near the comfort station by the Visitor Centre.

Little Falls Trail:

This is a very popular trail. It can be challenging but basically only at one spot.

You have to start on the Mountain Portage Trail to access the Little Falls Trail. There will be a sign telling you where to turn off. Almost immediately there will be a fork in the path. (This is the tricky part).

If You Go Left:

If you go left there will be a very steep descent- very steep. There are no steps or handrails, and while the path is hard-packed it is covered with loose stones and gravel. Once at the bottom the rest of the trail to Little Falls is even and affords some nice spots to view the river.

You will come to Little FallsThe trail continues in a loop and at this point begins to head back. There are up and down sections but nothing too treacherous.

The trail is 2.5 km long and will return to the point you entered it along the Mountain Portage Trail.

If You Stay Right:

If you stay right the trail is pretty easy. The steep part becomes a climb near the end instead of a descent.

This is the way we chose to go simply because I could picture myself slipping on the loose stones and reaching the bottom on my butt. I felt I had better control of where I placed my next step going up rather than down. 

Thunder Bay Attractions:

As a Canadian, one of the must-stop places when visiting Thunder Bay is the Terry Fox Monument and Lookout. The Terry Fox Monument is situated on the outskirts of Thunder Bay (about 40 km from Kakabeka Falls). The 9-foot high bronze statue, set on a 45-ton granite base, commands a breath-taking view of Lake Superior and Thunder Bay. The statue was erected in memory of Terry Fox, the courageous Canadian runner who after losing his leg to cancer embarked on the ‘Marathon of Hope’; a cross-country run in support of cancer research. The site is not far from the spot where Terry was forced to end his run after his cancer had returned. Cancer took Terry’s life on June 28, 1981.

Click here for other suggestions for touring the Thunder Bay area.

Other Ontario Provincial Parks

Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park is located between 2 other Ontario Provincial Parks that are also suitable for RV camping. Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is about 110 km from Kakabeka Falls and Quetico Provincial Park is about 135 km.

Combining the 3 parks into a road trip would feature the natural beauty of Lake Superior found at Sleeping Giant with the remote wilderness of Quetico and the amenities found at Kakabeka Falls with its proximity to Thunder Bay.

Things to Know:

1. The area around the falls, the beach, as well as the Riverside and Fern’s Edge campgrounds is fairly flat and poses no difficulty with regards to walking or hiking. HOWEVER, to go to the Whispering Hills campground there is a beast of a hill and walking/biking up it is unfun.
2. I did not see a connecting path between the falls and the Whispering Hills campground. Thus walking the road up and down this hill was the only option if you choose not to drive.
3. Leashed pets are permitted.
4. You can purchase wood and ice at the main gate.
5. For forgotten items, the village of Kakabeka Falls is nearby.
6. Some of the sites in the Whispering Hills campground are located pretty far from the electricity post. Bring an extra extension cord. Sometimes Ontario Parks will loan you one for use while staying there. I do not know if this is the case at Kakabeka Falls.

IMO:

Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park is a well maintained Ontario Park. We stayed a couple of nights at the Whispering Hills campground and had a pleasant stay.

It is a nice place to stop and appreciate the beauty of the falls and maybe do a little sightseeing in Thunder Bay, but not the type of park that I would do a long stay at.

The falls are stunning and Ontario Parks has done an excellent job showcasing them. The camping is good. I would recommend Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park as an RV Place to Go.