Mink Creek Falls

Sometimes, the most random of things can inspire one of our side trips while camping.

A while back, I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a post about new stairs at a waterfall I’d never heard of.

I used it as an excuse to continue procrastinating on whatever I’d been doing, and Googled the waterfall, which looked pretty in the photo shared.

As luck would have it, the falls - Mink Creek Falls - were located right along the route for our big September trip!

Located less than 30 km from Marathon, it was about 25 minutes away from Pukaskwa National Park, where we’d planned a stop.

Assuming the odds would be in our favour at a first-come, first-served park, anyway!

So, onto the itinerary it went.

The day we went started out rough - it was the morning after our disastrous first (and only!) night at White Lake Provincial Park, so neither of us had slept.

We crammed in as much hiking as we could that morning, knowing that our stay there was being shortened. I was DEFINITELY beat up.

Then, we hit the road, not knowing whether or not we’d even have a campsite at Pukaskwa.

All was good, we set out that afternoon to go waterfalling, and were rewarded for the effort!

I still can’t believe that we’ve driven past the access point for Mink Creek Falls several times, and had no idea it was there.

Also, I’m still amazed that such a glorious waterfall could happen on a little creek!

Anyway, let us tell you all about it!

The Basics:

Location Name: Mink Creek Falls
Address: Hwy 17 Marathon P0T2E0 Ontario Canada (Click for Google location)
Website: N/A
Price: Free!
Reservations: Not Applicable.

Maps and Signage

You’ll want to set your Google Map to “Mink Creek Falls Trail” as you set out on your drive. There is NO cell reception out there, so if you’re not already mapped before arriving, good luck.

On that note, I also recommend downloading a trail map ahead of time, if you like - I used AllTrails.

Anyway, somewhere between 0.5 - 1 km west of where Mink Creek crosses Highway 17, there’s a road on the north side of the highway - you can see it on Google Maps, across from the trail entrance.

There are no road signs at all about the falls, so just looking for the road across from the trail is what you need to do.

Pull into there and park - again, still no signs in there about the falls, so you just kind of have to trust you’re in the right spot.

Once you’re parked, walk back towards the highway.

From the across the highway, you’ll see a little lighthouse thing on a rocky ledge - that’s to the left of the trail entrance.

Cross the highway- very carefully - from the parking spot, and you’ll find two paths across. The one straight ahead is pretty steep, there’s one off to the right a bit - with snowmobile signage - that’s easier.

Once you get up that path, you’ll head to the left a little bit, then straight back into the woods.

Note: there are no maps on the trail, nor much in the way of signage - a few trail blazes, that’s about it.

Parking

I was thankful to see there was actually a small parking lot type of area just off the highway.

From everything I’d read, I was under then impression that people were literally pulling off on the shoulder of the highway and leaving their car there, as they crossed over to do the trail.

That didn’t sound like a wise idea.

Just note: You can’t actually see the parking area from the highway, just turn onto the road and it’s there.

Anyway, it’s a surprisingly big parking area.

Assuming there aren’t too many people in there - and that definitely doesn’t seem to be a worry, given how unknown and unmarked Mink Creek Falls is - is big enough for a smaller RV or trailer setup to turn around in.

There was one other person there, during our stay.

Washrooms

There are no washrooms or any other amenities on this trail, so govern yourselves accordingly!

Connectivity

As mentioned earlier, there is absolutely no cell phone reception in this area, or for long swaths of highway leading up to it.

Accessibility

The trail is absolutely not wheelchair accessible, and I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone using any kind of a mobility aid.

I’ve done some wild things in a walking boot, and this ... would not have gone well.

I did this on a decent tendon day, and it was pretty rough.

Pets

We didn’t see anything for or against bringing dogs with you on this trail.

It’s rough - and you’re definitely going to want to keep them VERY close at hand if you go up on the falls - but it doesn’t seem to be banned.

Just be sure to pick up after them, and pack it out. No one wants to see baggies of poop on such a gorgeous trail!

Entertainment and Activity

Some information on the things you can do while visiting Mink Creek Falls:

Hiking

The trail from the highway to the top of Mink Creek falls is about 0.3 km, and moderate difficulty.

Once you get on it, trail is pretty obvious to follow - and you’ll be hearing the falls pretty soon after entering the trail.

At least during the time of our visit - in mid September - it was easy enough to walk out onto the rocks at the top for some great views over the edge of the falls, and down the creek.

Just be careful - it’s a steep drop, and there are no guardrails or anything. Anything you do is at your own risk.

Once you’ve had your fill of the top of Mink Creek Falls, head back to the trail, and look for a smaller trail extension - that will take you down to an area at the base of the falls.

This has the most difficult section of the trail (shown above!), but it’s worth it!

Again, you’re able to get out onto the rocks at the bottom of the falls as well, they’re just spaced further apart and may require jumps over water.

Gorgeous view, though!

Mink Creek Waterfall

This is a pretty decent sized waterfall, especially considering that its watercourse is a creek - Mink Creek, obviously.

It’s a cascade waterfall, about 35' tall and 80' across, from a quick Googling.

We visited in September, and it was pretty impressive. Given that this seems to be one of the lowest-flow times of year for waterfalls, I’d love to see what it looks like in the spring, after the winter thaw!

Anyway, aside from the main waterfall, there’s a much smaller waterfall just above it. You can’t see it from the base of Mink Creek Falls, but you have a pretty good view of it if you wander out onto the top of the falls.

Swimming

I wouldn’t doubt that you could swim in the base of the falls.

The water looked pretty clean, but keep in mind that it’s just a creek. There are definitely better swimming areas out there!

Birding, Wildlife, and Nature

Something took a giant crap on me from above, as we walked to the falls.

NO idea what it was - bird, mammal, or otherwise.

... and that was the only wildlife we really encountered on the trail. Well, aside from the fungi, anyway!

Niantic Games

No cell reception = no idea if there was anything game-related out there.

It’s a short stop on the highway, though - if you really need to get some Pokemon Go or Ingress in, the Esso at the exit to Marathon has reception and Pokestops / Ingress Portals.

Final Thoughts

What a gorgeous waterfall!

We also love what low-effort it is - aside from the drive. The 0.3 km trail feels like nothing, and the payout for that little bit of effort is amazing!

It blows my mind that it’s so unknown. When we were looking up information before visiting, one of the major review sites had a small handful of reviews, months to years apart.

With the number of people that pass that spot on the highway every day, it’s shocking that it’s such a hidden gem.

If you’re ever in the area, you should definitely check it out!

More Places to See

Looking for some nice sights to see and great places to visit while you're out on your camping adventures? Here are a few of our favourite day use parks, attractions, etc.

Batchawana Bay
Big Bay, Ontario
Bruce Peninsula National Park
Canada's Dinosaur Park
Chippewa Falls
Falls Reserve Conservation Area
Flowerpot Island
Gariepy Creek Falls
Menesetung Bridge
Onaping Falls
Petroglyphs Provincial Park
Point Pelee National Park
Provoking Falls
Sand River Falls
Scenic Caves Nature Adventures
Scenic High Falls
Screaming Heads
Spirit Rock Conservation Area
Temagami Fire Tower