Bridal Veil Falls

When planning our first visit to Manitoulin Island, a few attractions kept coming up... The Cup and Saucer Trail, Misery Bay Provincial Park, and - of course - Bridal Veil Falls.

As we make a habit of visiting as many Ontario Waterfalls as we can, visiting Bridal Veil Falls was an obvious choice!

Located in the town of Kagawong, it’s great as a roadside attraction - it’s a VERY low effort waterfall viewing opportunity.

You can view the waterfall almost from the parking lot, or you can take a short walk down some stairs and around a corner, to get right up to the falls.

At the time of our visit - I’m assuming it depends on flow rate - we even had easy access to walk behind the falls!

The thing we didn’t really is that there’s much more to Bridal Veil Falls than just the waterfall itself.

There’s a cute little trail system down there, with some amazing views, picnic stops, birding opportunities, and more!

For our initial visit, we’d only allotted 30 minutes for the waterfall - a decision we regretted, almost as soon as we saw the trails.

As a result, we changed up our schedule for the following day, to go explore the whole area a bit more. Even with a few hours... we were left wishing that we’d booked more time there.

So, spoilers: We loved it and we’ll definitely be back, and will plan for even longer visits in the future.

In the mean time, let us tell you everything you need to know about visiting Bridal Veil Falls on Manitoulin Island!

The Basics:

Location Name: Bridal Veil Falls
Address: Main Street, Kagawong, Ontario - Click for Google Maps location
Website: Not Applicable
Price Free!
Reservations: Not Applicable

Logistics

Here’s some basic information to help you plan your visit to Bridal Veil Falls:

Registration and Check In

This is not a ticketed / gated attraction, there are no entrance fees, reservations, or parking fees in effect. Just show up, find a parking spot, and enjoy yourself!

Parking

There are three parking lots along the Bridal Veil Falls trail:

1. Bridal Veil Falls Parking

This is the parking lot that Google will take you to, right next to the falls. It’s also the most chaotic parking lot of the three.

The benefits to this lot are that it’s super close to the falls - the stairs are RIGHT there at the parking lot, and you can view the falls from a platform just off the lot - and that it’s where the washrooms are.

There’s also a bit of a picnic area, though it’s the least scenic set of picnic tables in the park.

The downside is that it’s a small, really poorly designed lot. We were there first thing in the morning on a random weekday in September, and it still got busy. There are very few spots there, and they’re not marked at all - not by signs OR painted lines on the ground.

It’s not super clear where the parking spots are, but we estimate there’s probably room for 6 cars.

If you’re looking to just view the falls and go - basically a scenic rest stop - this is the lot you want, BUT if you’re driving an RV or a trailer, this is not the lot for you.

1. Midpoint Parking

When you’re coming from the east (ie: the main falls parking lot is on your right), if you pass the falls, go straight through the intersection with Highway 540, then turn right after the fire station (which will be on your left), you’ll find the midpoint parking lot.

This is a small lot that is - as you may guess - at the midpoint of the trail system.

There’s room for more cars than the main parking lot, but not a ton - and it’s not trailer friendly. Also, heads up: They want you to park diagonally, though the parking spaces are once again unmarked.

1. River’s End Parking

This set of parking lots is located at the far end of the trail from the falls, just over 1 km away.

There’s parking for trailers in front of a cemetery, and a smaller lot right at the entrance to the trail. Aside from those two lots, this area opens out with a LOT of parking space in general.

Also of note: there aren’t any washrooms here, but the picnic tables located just inside the trail on this end are MUCH more scenic than the ones at the main waterfall lot.

Washrooms

The only washrooms we saw at any of the parking lots or on the trail were located at the Bridal Veil Falls Parking lot - the one next to the falls.

This was a set of two small buildings, each with 2 individual stalls. They’re actually flush toilets - and wheelchair accessible - and were clean and well maintained at the time of our visit, not gross at all!

One thing to note, though: They have hand sanitizer, but no sinks.

Maps and Signage

There are large map signs at each of the trail entrances / three main parking lots. They don’t seem to be SUPER accurate - each had a bridge scratched out, with the location of the other bridge ... not seeming quite right.

Beyond that, they were totally acceptable. The trails were all colour coded, with distances and steep sections indicated.

It’s a very straightforward area - especially if you’re sticking to the Blue Trail, as we did - so you really don’t need a ton in the way of signage.

That said, things got a bit weird on our visit when we parked at the Midpoint Parking Lot. There’s a trail that sets out from the general area of the map, which looked like it was a straight shot to access the blue trail.

In reality, it took us to what looked like an abandoned amphitheatre - not on the map - and ended at the top of an INCREDIBLY steep embankment over that Blue Trail.

Yes, you probably could have technically accessed it there... but you would probably end up sliding the whole way down.

Accessibility

If you’re a wheelchair user, you’re going to want to park at the Bridal Veil Falls Trail.

There’s no designated parking there - nor at either of the other parking lots - but there IS accessible access to the trails.

It’s actually really nice - only a very small bump to get up onto the metal walkway from the parking lot, and it takes you a very short distance (a few meters, I’d guess) to an overlook at the side of the falls.

This photo shows you the whole thing, including what the view of the falls would be from a seated position:

Beyond that:

The washroom buildings are both wheelchair accessible. Only one stall in each building is MARKED as being accessible, but they’re both exactly the same as the unmarked ones. Easy approach, lots of space in the stall, hand railings, and all.

If you’re a wheelchair user, this is about the extent of the wheelchair-friendliness of the area. You could probably access the trails at the other two entries, but they do get inaccessible before the actual falls.

If you are mobility impaired but not using a wheelchair user, it’s actually a REALLY accessible destination.

If can handle stairs, there are a few sets down to the trail, which is generally flat-ish, wide, well-packed, and easy.

I wasn’t having a great go with my feet that day, but even I was able to walk down as far as the base of the falls, taking the little path to see behind them.

If you can’t do stairs, you can access the trail from either of the other parking lots, and it will be a relatively easy walk to get to the falls. Again, flat-ish, well packed, etc. There are some rolling, gentle hills... but nothing wild.

Pets

Dogs are allowed, but must be leashed at all times. Also, owners must pick up after their dogs, and properly dispose of the droppings.

Day Use Area

The most convenient picnic spots are located in the main Bridal Veil Falls Parking lot - assuming you can get a parking spot, and don’t need a view. These are the only ones located near a washroom.

There are also some picnic tables on the trail, at the far end. (“River’s End” parking). These are right on the side of the river, and MUCH more scenic.

There are also a few benches along the trail, randomly.

Connectivity

We had really good internet connection throughout the area. I was actually able to upload a video of the falls friend of mine in mere seconds!

Miscellaneous

Some miscellaneous bits of information about Bridal Veil Falls:

Park Rules

1. Stay on the trails at all times.

2. Don’t stack rocks or create rock berms.

3. Don’t interfere with spawning fish or aquatic wildlife in general.

4. No overnight camping, and no parking from 11pm - 6am.

5. Vehicles parked on the roadside will be towed and ticketed.

6. No bicycles, except on roads.

The Staircase Situation

It sounds like the staircase at the falls was closed for a while - as of September 2025, they were open! The stairs were in great condition, though we could see through them to the former staircase.

Oof. If those were in use at all recently, it makes no wonder the stairs were out of commission!

Fairy Houses

All along the path, we saw a ton of cute little fairy houses, in all different styles.

Keep an eye out, see how many you can find!

Entertainment and Activity

While the Bridal Veil Falls waterfall is the main attraction, there are other things you can do when visiting! Here’s what you need to know:

The Waterfall

The water source for Bridal Veil Falls is the Kagawong River. This flows from Lake Kagawong, emptying into the North Channel of Lake Huron.

The falls themselves are about 11 metres - or 36 feet - tall, and are a plunge waterfall.

You can access several viewpoints from the main parking lot - a catwalk next to the parking lot, a couple levels of the stairs provide nice views.

At the base of the stairs, you can loop back towards the falls, and easily access the basin at the bottom of the waterfall.

At the time of our visit, the basin seemed lower than what we’ve seen in photos, and it was easy to walk right up to - and behind! - the waterfall.

Very cool!

Hiking

The Bridal Veil Falls trail system is part of the Billings Connections Trail.

There’s one main trail - the blue trail - which runs from the falls all way down to the North Channel - and a few shorter offshoot trails that can be accessed from it:

Blue Trail - 1.1 km
Red Trail - 0.45 km
Yellow Trail - .93 km
White Trail - 0.27

Both the Blue Trail and the Yellow Trail follow the river - the yellow trail can apparently be accessed from the main road at Rivers’ End, or via a bridge along the Blue Trail.

The Yellow Trail includes a steep section.

The Red Trail is a half loop off the yellow trail, and includes a “very steep” section.

The White Trail links the midpoint parking lot with the Blue Trail.

We did the entire Blue Trail, as well as used the White Trail to get to it, on one visit. Due to a lack of time, we didn’t get around to the Red and Yellow trails, though we plan to during our next visit.

The Blue Trail is really nice - wide, flat, well-packed, and scenic. While there are some inclines and declines, they’re just gently rolling hills, rather than anything steep.

For a good portion of the trail, you’re following the river. There are multiple little access points and views out over the river, including a bridge at one point.

In a few places, there are small waterfalls cascading down on either side of the trail - it’s really cute!

Somewhere around the mid point of the trail, you’ll come to a small hydroelectric generating facility along the trail, a small bridge, and just some really nice views in that area.

Right around that spot, the view opens up quite a bit, with more open sky, and a wider view of the rapids in the area.

Continuing away from Bridal Veil Falls, the trail comes to another open area - kind of a meadow, I guess? - with an art installation. You’ll go through some more forest before coming to another open area, with picnic tables.

All in all, a really cute walk - and very ADHD friendly, with frequently changing views!

Swimming

Bridal Veil Falls is known as a popular swimming hole, but ... I don’t see why.

It was very shallow at the time of our visit. We didn’t bother going in - we assumed it to be too cold to be worth it, in September - but it didn’t look super inviting overall.

When looking into it online, I came across mentions of snakes in there, dirty water, leeches, etc... If you’re going to swim, I guess do so at your own risk.

Anyway, there are a few nice beaches nearby, so I guess I’d be planning for elsewhere, anyway!

Birding, Wildlife, and Nature

We had a shockingly good time with birding along the trail, especially considering the tree cover!

The absolute best was in the large patches of orange Jewelweed. Apparently - as we learned during our visit to Bridal Veil Falls - Hummingbirds LOVE the stuff.

We’d never seen more than 1 or 2 hummingbirds in a place, before... but here, there were dozens of them, buzzing in and out of the flowers as if they were bumblebees!

All told, we saw and/or heard the following birds:

American Crow, American Redstart, American Robin, Black-Capped Chickadee, Blue Jay, Broad-Winged Hawk, Northern Cardinal, Northern Flicker, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-Eyed Vireo, Ruby-Throated Hummingbird, and Yellow-Rumped Warbler.

Fishing

There are signs in the area asking people to not disturb spawning fish - apparently salmon spawn there.
We didn’t see anyone fishing there at the time of our visit, though there are a lot of mentions of fishing, online.

Not really sure what the situation is there, but I guess I would personally err on the side of not disturbing the fish, in general.

Cultural & Educational Opportunities

We didn’t see anything about interactive programs at this park, but there were a lot of opportunities to learn, anyway!

This started with signage in the parking lot, which told of the history of First Nations people in the area.

Anishnaabeg (Odaawaa, Ojibwa, and Pottawatomi) people lived on that part of the island long before settlers arrived, and apparently there’s archeological evidence of Indigenous people living there for over 10,000 years.

On that note, the actual name of the island is Mnidoo Mnising.

It goes on to talk about how the area of the falls was called "Gaagigewang" - now Kagawong - which roughly translated as "always foggy" or "where falling water throws a mist".

Anyway, there are more educational signs - and some sculptures - all through the park. You can learn about species at risk, invertebrates, and more!

River’s End

The area at the River's End side of the trail has a bunch of other attractions, worth exploring.

There's the marina across the road, with a viewing platform, educational signage, and some old machinery to look at. Nearby, there's the The Old Mill Heritage Centre and Post Office Museum. (Open in the spring, summer, and fall.)

There's a covered rink - the Kagawong Outdoor Rink and Market. In the spring, summer, and fall months, it's used for Pickleball, with the Kagawong Market hosted in the space every Wednesday. In the winter it's a hockey rink.

There is a tree maze... but it was apparently closed at the time of our visit.

I’m sure there’s even more, that’s just the stuff we noticed on a quick walk up the road!

Niantic Games

There are a couple Niantic game stops right in the main parking lot, then several most along the trail.

At least on Rogers Wireless, we had plenty of cell phone reception to access Pokemon Go... which we referenced as a trail map, a few times!

Final Thoughts

This was a surprise hit for us. Obviously, we’re a fan of waterfalls... but a lot of the time, it’s a matter of getting to the waterfall, enjoying that waterfall, and leaving.

Bridal Veil Falls was a very different experience - and I’m still surprised that I didn’t really see much in the way of trail mentions, leading up to our trip. It really did seem to be all about the waterfall!

We spent far more time everywhere ELSE at Bridal Veil Falls, than we did at the actual waterfall. What a gorgeous area!

While we’re both glad that we rearranged our schedule to allow for a second visit - with more time - we both still felt like we’d shortchanged ourselves a bit. We could easily have spent a LOT more time checking the whole area out.

So, we’ll definitely be back - and we’ll definitely be allotting ourselves significantly more time to enjoy this attraction!

More Ontario Waterfall Posts

Looking to waterfalling in Ontario? Here are more Ontario Waterfalls to check out:

Aguasabon Falls
Chippewa Falls
Eugenia Falls
Falls Reserve Conservation Area
Gariepy Creek Falls
Healey Falls
Hogg's Falls
Indian Falls Conservation Area
Inglis Falls
Jones Falls
Kakabeka Falls
Kap-Kig-Iwan Provincial Park
Mink Creek Falls
Onaping Falls
Oxtongue River-Ragged Falls Provincial Park
Provoking Falls
Rainbow Falls
Roy Wilson Suspension Bridge
Sand River Falls
Sauble Falls
Scenic High Falls
Walter's Falls
Webwood Falls

Beyond the beautiful waterfalls, be sure to check out our Places to See category, to find more interesting Ontario places to explore!

We also have a long list of Campground Reviews, and a ton of Camping Recipes to cook up, while on your adventures!