Gargantua River Falls


May 2003

Province: Ontario

Location: Lake Superior Provincial Park

Height: 15? feet

Crest: 50? feet

Water Source: Gargantua River

Waypoint: 47.594N 84.9985W

Summary: If you are visiting Lake Superiour Park, and you want to see one of the wild waterfalls, but are not up to the day long hike to see Agawa Falls , try Gargantua. It is not as easy to get to as the Baldhead River Falls, but it is a prettier waterfall. Of course if you are in a real hurry to see waterfalls, skip the wild ones and check out the Sand River Falls and the falls in Wawa.

The Gargantua River Falls are in Lake Superior Provincial Park. This wild waterfall was a nice surprise, because it was not mentioned on the trail descriptions. Despite its name, this is not a huge must-see waterfall, but it is pretty. Reaching it however, is not a simple matter. The waterfall is along the Coastal Trail, north of Gargantua Harbor. The unpaved one lane road from Hwy 17 to the trailhead is 9 miles long, and is very rough and rocky. Unless you have a rugged SUV, it will take you 30 minutes to reach the trailhead.

According to the maps, the hike to the falls is roughly 3 miles, but it seemed longer. It will take 1 1/2 to 2 hours one way. Most of the trail is inland, but there are a few nice views of the lake. The trail crosses the Garguanta River 75 meters downstream from the falls. Crossing the river will require some rock hopping.

The Coastal Trail continues on to Warp Bay and other points. The Devil's Chair lookout is another 2+ miles past the falls, but is probably best seen from the water. I would not recommend continuing past Warp Bay.

The Coastal Trail south of Gargantua Harbor is a different matter. Here the trail follows the coastline cliffs. It is quite challenging, but offers some wonderful views.

[Lake Superior] [Lake Superior Provincial Park] Nearby Falls

The Agawa Falls, Sand River Falls, and Baldhead River Falls are also in Lake Superior Provincial Park. The High Falls and Silver Falls are in nearby Wawa. The Chippewa Falls are south of the park along Highway 17.

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