Pigeon River High Falls forms part of the Canada–United States border between the state of Minnesota and the province of Ontario, west of Lake Superior. Pigeon River alternates between navigable waters and cascades or waterfalls. As the river nears Lake Superior, the gradient increases, culminating in a spectacular gorge which contains High Falls, at 120 feet (37 m), making it the highest waterfall in Minnesota.
This gorge is included within both Grand Portage State Park in Cook County, Minnesota, and Pigeon River Provincial Park across the border in Thunder Bay District, Ontario. On the American side of the gorge (Grand Portage State Park), the High Falls is at the end of a gentle 0.5-mile (0.8 km) paved trail and boardwalk, making it the only North Shore state park in which the main feature is wheelchair-accessible. Three wooden decks provide different angles to view the falls. On the Canadian side of the gorge (Pigeon River Provincial Park), the High Falls trail is a 1.6 mile (2.5 km) loop trail which is of easy to moderate difficulty. This trail is rugged and unpaved. In many places you will encounter rough uneven surfaces which can become quite slippery when wet. There are no wooden decks that offer a view of the falls here…you can walk right to the edge of the gorge, so be careful, for depending on which way the winds are blowing, the mist from the falls can make the rocks very slippery and treacherous.
