Update October 31, 2018
We revisited this site on October 11, 2018 (go to that article now) and the waterfalls looked drastically different. First, it was in full autumn colour. Second, the water volume was considerably heavier. In fact, Ragged Falls was a rushing mass of turbulence. There would be no wading across the base of the falls this time. In the article, there are several long exposure images, along with some new video. Check it out – the difference is quite incredible. The image to the right was taken during the latest visit.
The interesting thing is that I re-visited another waterfall that day (Wilson’s Falls in Bracebridge) and the water volume was actually less than on previous visits. I have a theory, but not sure it’s correct, that there is a control dam on the Oxtongue River, inside Algonquin Park, that must have be opened up. I have been to the dam – there is a day-use picnic area surrounding it – so it certainly does exist.
Often overlooked as nature lovers rush in to, or rush out of, Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada, Ragged Falls is a real gem. Ragged Falls – Oxtongue River Provincial Park is basically a southwestern extension of Algonquin but is it’s own park.
The Oxtongue River runs alongside a good portion of highway 60 in the western end of Algonquin Provincial Park. Highway 60 is basically the only road in and out of the massive provincial park. Eventually, the river passes through Lake of Bays and down Moon River to Georgian Bay.
Ragged Falls
Ragged Falls – Oxtongue River is a day-use park with no staff on duty. There is a parking lot located a short distance off highway 60 then a short trail leads to the waterfall. At the parking lot, there a simple pit toilet. There is a fee for parking, payable at an automated machine. The three options are: $5.25 for two hours, $7.50 for four hours or $14 for a full day pass (2013 pricing – most definitely higher now).
Keep in mind that a day-pass from any Ontario Provincial Park is good at any other provincial park for that entire day. This means, if you’ve paid to stop in Algonquin, you don’t need to pay again at Ragged Falls.
If visiting just Ragged Falls, a two hour permit is plenty.
In typical government fashion, the day I took these images and the HD Video below, the machine was a major pain in the ass. You first must understand that the closest ATM is a fair drive away.
On the day I was there, the machine that normally accepts all forms of credit card was not accepting any. I did have lots of change – the machine, like pretty much all in Canada, did not accept paper money – so it wasn’t an issue for me. However, in an increasingly cashless society, this could have been a day wrecker for some.
On the machine, there was no indication that exact change was required and there was a little change slot at the bottom. I put in three two dollar coins and got my receipt to put on the dash of my car. However, I did not receive my $.75 in change. Not a big deal. However, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been burned like this by a government run automatic payment machine.
Back to the waterfall. In August, the water level is pretty low. In 2013, we’ve had more than our fair share of precipitation in Ontario so Ragged Falls was flowing pretty good. However, a simple Google Images search shows that this thing is a raging torrent in the springtime – losing its meandering ‘S’ shape in favour of a straight down flow.
The official trail takes you safely to the top of the waterfall and fences off the gorge most of the way up. However, if you make your way to the base of the falls, it’s quite easy to cross to the other side and scramble up the rocks of the Canadian Shield all the way to the top. I’d imagine this would be a little more difficult in April.
This was the last location I visited on a one day blitz through the Muskoka region where I visited Bracebridge Falls, Wilson’s Falls and Muskoka High Falls. The afternoon sunshine and my pure laziness kept me from doing my signature daytime long exposure shots using my trusty variable Polaroid Variable Range ND filter.
Instead, I went in the opposite direction and jacked up the exposure speed as high as it would go. All but one of these images is at 1/4000 of a second. I’m starting the think that this high speed freeze of the water is just as cool as the water blur effect.
Ragged Falls is a very rare waterfall in this region in that it has never been dammed or diverted by man. Most of the rivers in Central Ontario have been dammed on or near waterfalls for hydro electric power, mill operation or downstream flood control.
The HD Video below is made up of clips taken on the same day as the above images. Be sure to switch to the highest quality setting and be sure to hit the ‘Like’ button! We’d really appreciate if you’d consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel – it would help us greatly in the ability to provide more and more content..
Ragged Falls Video
