(click on any of the photos to enlarge to full size)
If you’re visiting the Greater Sudbury Area (perhaps to catch a Sudbury Wolves hockey game), or are just passing through (perhaps to go camping at Wakami Lake Provincial Park), there is a ‘must see’ that most just drive by. Onaping High Falls (aka Onaping Falls or High Falls) is located right beside Ontario highway 144, about 40 km northwest of Sudbury.
The waterfall is visible to northbound traffic but can easily be missed by southbound traffic on their way down from Timmins and beyond.Onaping High Falls provides not only majestic views of one of the tallest cataracts in province of Ontario but also the last good resting area on the three hour drive from Sudbury to Timmins. The park is a day-use facility and there is no entrance fee. There is an expansive picnic and parking area, as well as covered shelter for those rainy days.
Onaping High Falls provides not only majestic views of one of the tallest cataracts in the
province of Ontario but also the last good resting area on the three hour drive from Sudbury to Timmins. The park is a day-use facility and there is no entrance fee. There is an expansive picnic and parking area, as well as covered shelter for those rainy days.
The park has put in an all-access, wheelchair friendly trail to a lookout of the waterfall. There are other trails within the park that take hikers down to the base of the falls then back up the side of the waterfall to a walking bridge that crosses the Onaping River just above the plunge. On the other side of the bridge, there is another trail that takes you for a loop through the Canadian Shield wilderness.
A warning: The trails are rocky and steep at spots. When this rock gets wet, it gets extremely slippery. If it’s raining, you might want to consider staying near the picnic area.
The waterfall shares the name of the nearby town of Onaping Falls. The town is a mining town that is now part of the Greater Sudbury Area. One of more famous residents of Onaping Falls is Los Angeles Kings legend, Dave Taylor.
Our personal take:
Before the summer of 2011, the last time one of us visited this park was over a decade ago. The park has advanced incredibly in the way of trails and facilities.
For those who have dogs with them: The rock on the trails is hard and can get hot. Our dogs had a hard time whenever walking across large slabs of rock that were slanted. They would slip and slide and not be able to get a grip. Later in the day, and for about two days after, both refused to walk. We figure that the pads of their paws were either burnt or worn down from the rock.
Thank the gods for the age of digital photography! Every time you turn your head or take a step at Onaping Falls, you will find another angle that needs its picture taken. The hike to the top of the waterfall can be a little strenuous but it’s a must for any photographer.
