It has been a family tradition to walk the trail at Kagawong, usually several times a year. At the end, the reward is the beautiful Bridal Veil falls. Early in the season, they are wide and the river rushes with a hint at the power that carved the limestone pool at its base. During the summer, it teems with vacationers wading over the rocks and amusing themselves walking behind the falls. It's always cool there. The trail isn't as crowded then. Two nearby parking lots and a steep metal staircase mean the falls are 30 seconds away from the highway.
In the autumn with the leaves changing, the gentle .62 mile (1 km) walk is the preferred route. Park near the harbor and take the trail from there. It's short enough that you can enjoy a return trip or climb the stairs and walk along the roadside. Beautiful!
Come late September, things become more interesting as chinook salmon enter the stream to spawn. They fight their way through shallow and rocky parts of the stream, finally arriving in the pool. Some even try to jump the 35' (10.67 meter) falls to reach the lake above. I doubt any actually make it but the edge of the stream and the pool become grave sites for the ones that don't. It's enough that someone in my family dubbed our annual autumn walk, "the dead fish walk." If you are the type to get queasy over a bit of raw nature, don't visit then.
Kagawong is a funky little tourist town in a scenic location. The old limestone building, a former power company, was turned into an art gallery. Meander through the harbor and look out into the North Channel, enjoy an ice cream cone, and be sure to visit the local chocolate factory. In fact, I think "Let's go on the dead fish walk" is our code phrase for visiting the chocolate factory!
Images
Photos from the iPad of @kansuze. Kagawong, Manitoulin Island, Ontario
@kansuze