Aubrey Falls, Algoma Country’s Tallest Cascade

| Christie

Located in the heart of Algoma Country, Aubrey Falls is an underrated destination. About two hours northeast of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, these stunning waterfalls are somehow off the tourist radar.

Returning from a road trip along the north shore of Lake Superior, we thought we would take a detour off the beaten path and see Aubrey Falls for ourselves.

Aubrey falls

Mississagi River (“river with a wide mouth” in the native Ojibwe language) begins from a small, unnamed lake in the Sudbury District and flows south for about 266 km. The river’s route is not an easy one. It begins at an elevation of 520 meters and after numerous bends and drops, the turbulent waters find their peace forming a delta, flowing into Lake Huron at the end, at only 176 meters altitude. The Mississagi Valley is another scenic area in Northern Ontario, a favourite destination for artists, photographers and nature lovers. Crossing many lakes and gathering many tributaries, the river forms several rapids and waterfalls along the way, the most famous being Aubrey Falls.

Mississagi River and the canyon
“We had a peach of a time as the Mississagi is considered the finest canoe trip in the world”
~ Tom Thomson

Aubrey Falls originally became known as a major obstacle for log driving on the most important logging river in the region. The Mississagi River was like a gold mine for loggers, as the river helped them transport the logs to the mills in Blind River (north of Lake Huron). A massive chute was built here to bypass the powerful falls. Up to 2 million logs were run down this river each year.

Aubrey falls and log chute

We could only imagine how large the waterfalls were before a dam was built here on the river in 1971. Still to this day, the 33-metre-high falls make a huge splash through multiple drops over the rugged red granite, making them one of the largest waterfalls in the Lake Huron watershed. The intricate rock steps of the granite fault channel the water into at least 25 individual chutes with several large cascading drops.

From the parking lot the 800 m trail took us to the bridge. After a nice view of the gorge and a quick glimpse of the waterfalls in the distance, we followed the trail to a viewing platform where we could see the waterfalls on the other side of the river. I’m sure the view was much better 50 years ago, as the growing trees obstructed some of it. But not enough to see some people quite close to the main waterfall of the river, which made us wonder if there was anything else to see from there.

Aubrey Falls

After crossing the bridge back, we followed an unmarked trail upstream along the river.

Aubrey falls

Rock climbing is fun when you’re not near the abyss, so I tried to stay as far away from the edge of the sheer cliffs as possible. We continued climbing until we reached the upper level of the waterfall, where we took a long break, marveling at the rushing water and the wonders of nature.

Tip(s) of the day:

*There is absolutely no protection on the edge of the cliffs, use extra caution if you venture along the gorge. If you are visiting with children or people that don’t like heights or going off trail, you might want to reconsider.

~visited in September 2025

20 thoughts on “Aubrey Falls, Algoma Country’s Tallest Cascade”

  6. Such beautiful photos, dear Christie. The scenic views of this remote waterfall are stunning. I never pass up an opportunity to visit a waterfall, no matter how big or small, because the sight of large volumes of water cascading down a cliff or a rock face is naturally spectacular and the subject of awe and wonder. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

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    1. Nature is amazing dear Aiva, isn’t it? I never stop marveling at the power and magnificence of Mother Nature, and also, never miss an opportunity to see a new waterfall🥰 Happy Tuesday! xx

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  7. We’ve driven along the northern shore of Lake Superior a few times and I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I’ve never heard of Aubrey Falls before. Something to add to our list for next time as the waterfalls are beautiful. Good to know that there’s no protect on the edge of the cliffs.

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