Waterfalls all over Canada are famous for their brilliant waterfalls. Some are tall, some are wide, some have parking, some are hidden in trees. Summer is coming, take this season to adventure through the great outdoors and soak up the fantastic views.
Fun fact: there are more than 1,700 named waterfalls in Canada – and there are probably many more yet to be officially charted. In a country with many waterfalls, it’s not easy to pick the best of the best, but we think you’ll agree that the ones on this list are pretty special.
Niagara Falls – Best waterfalls in Canada
Niagara Falls is always at first place on all lists of the most beautiful waterfalls in Canada. No matter how often you’ve seen it in photos or on video, you can’t capture the sheer amount of water without seeing it with your own eyes.
Niagara Falls isn’t the longest waterfall in Canada – just over 50 meters tall, not even close – but it’s unbelievably vast. What is commonly known as Niagara Falls consists of three different waterfalls: the one you see from the Canadian side is called Horseshoe Falls, which is 790 meters wide with an average annual flow rate of 2,400 cubic meters each second.
Pissing Mare Falls
Pissing Mare Falls (also known as Cascade Pissing Mare) is one of the country’s most beautiful waterfalls.
Part of what makes Pissing Mare Falls so breathtaking is the lush, rugged natural surroundings. Incidentally, those same features make it quite complicated to access. The easiest way to see them in the flesh is to book a boat trip through the fjord, although be aware that boat tours are seasonal and weather-dependent.
Since Pissing Mare is glacier-fed, it’s best to see it in the spring. In summer tourism, the amount of water is not too much.
Virginia Waterfalls in Canada
Virginia Falls is twice the height of Niagara Falls. These two waterfalls have the same flow. Water doesn’t jump around or change direction. They are simply an impressive body of water that flows straight down a steep mountainside.
However, accessing these falls is a bit more complicated. To get to Virginia Falls, you’ll have to head northbound to Nahanni National Park Preserve in the Northwest Territories.
The best views of Virginia Falls are reserved for brave adventurers willing to paddle or raft the Nahanni River. It’s the only way to get to the base of the falls, where you can appreciate its height. Not sure if you’re ready to embark on such an extreme adventure? You can also book a seaplane tour to see the scenery fall from the sky for an equally memorable journey.
Takakkaw Falls
The tall and narrow Takakkaw Falls is a sight to behold: at more than 300 meters, it is the second tallest waterfall in Canada. This glacier-fed waterfall is one of the highlights of British Columbia’s beautiful Yoho National Park.
You can catch a glimpse of Takakkaw Falls from the winding road, but to experience them, you need to step out of your car and follow a short paved trail. Listening to the waterfall in the mist is also a wonderful experience.
Takakkaw Falls is best viewed in late spring, when the snow and glaciers melt, pumping more water down the falls.
Montmorency Waterfalls in Canada
Better known as Chute-Montmorency, Quebec’s Montmorency Falls is so majestic that it has its park, Montmorency Falls Park. This 83-meter-high waterfall is powered by the Montmorency River, which cascades into the Saint Lawrence River below.
The park has developed great features to capture views from all angles. A wooden staircase follows the falls with several viewpoints along the way, while a suspension bridge spans the top of the falls. You can also catch the cable car from the bottom of the falls to the top of the falls.
Helmcken Falls
Helmcken Falls is one of the nation’s most dramatic waterfalls nestled in the Cariboo Mountains of British Columbia.
While spring is usually the best season to see the falls, winter isn’t the wrong time to see Helmcken Falls: unusual ice formations develop around the falls, creating an incredibly cool effect. It was something to see the waterfall’s water move at lightning speed, flanked by the ice cone around it.
Athabasca Falls
When you stand in front of Athabasca Falls in Jasper National Park, you might immediately think: “Where does all that water come from?”
The amount of water that spills out of Athabasca Falls is astounding and is essentially what sets it apart from the other majestic waterfalls on this list. At just 23 meters high, Athabasca Falls is not the tallest waterfall by any stretch of the imagination, but the constant abundance of water pouring down from the falls is not real.
While many other waterfalls flow slowly outside of spring, that is certainly not the case here. The Athabasca waterfall flows non-stop all year round, thanks to the large Athabasca River.
