Magpie High Falls

N 47°57'33.3" W 84°49'40.8"

47.959256, -84.827985

 

Another one of Ontario's beautiful waterfalls. A short hop from Sandy Beach and Wawa itself, down a mile and a half of rough gravel road graded like a washboard working over your suspension driving through some huge fields of blueberries. Some of the plants were actually tall enough I could unroll my car window and just pick them. Even though it’s not legal, the picnic area is covered, so it’s a great spot for guerrilla camping in a storm or just hang out on a dreary day. I may or may not have slept on those picnic tables (they’re extra-long, so really quite comfy). Beyond that, it’s A beautiful place to stop in and relax. The seventy-five foot falls are spectacular when the Steephill dam opens but slow right down to a trickle when its closed. The trails are quite interesting to hike along and worth exploring. I found such an assortment of fungi, and with all the blue berries growing in the surrounding areas make this place seem like it must be a foragers dream. I’ve discovered the bright red with white speckled Alice in Wonderland mushroom (Amanita Muscaria a magic mushroom whose toxin are degraded by completely drying, and creates quite a distinctive trip and was the source material for the story) growing right on the hiking trail. The second trail to the bottom of the falls was closed because of erosion I’d imagine. There is a washroom during the on season as this is quite a popular tourist destination. I also found a beautiful hot pink and white spider there, apparently quite common but I’d never seen one. Golden Crab Spiders apparently change colors to match their flower. The one I saw, the pinks were way more vibrant but keeping all my pics organized is really complicated.

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