At a spot where the French River is large enough to be a lake, there is a narrowing where Meshaw Falls serves as a connection between the two parts of this famous waterway. French River is considered to be the border between Northern Ontario and Southern Ontario.
When we travel, we learn of connections between one site and another. Although visiting these connections is never intentional, they are an added bonus when we go to a place. Meshaw Falls is a bit out of the way, but the drive is pleasant, and there is a part where we crested a hill and got to see the widest part of the French River; I found it to be breathtaking. At Meshaw, we could very well be seeing the water that flowed at Wasi Falls as it entered Lake Nipissing. At the same time, we sat in North Bay and watched the sunset on the shore of Lake Nipissing, which could be the same water flowing through the narrow passage that is Meshaw Falls. And it continues to Recollect Falls, where we walked some distance through one of the few remaining habitats for the Massasauga Rattlesnake, and then from there, it would drain into Georgian Bay. We have visited Georgian Bay at many locations, including some of the most beautiful beaches and islands. Georgian Bay drains into Lake Huron, where we watched several sunsets, listened to bagpipe music, joined a bagpipe parade, and saw our first waterspout/tornado. It flows past Windsor entering Lake Erie and becomes Niagara Falls, the area we have travelled the most. The water becomes part of Lake Ontario and all the attractions on its shores that we have seen. After that, the St. Lawrence River and then the ocean (which we still need to visit).
I think of this when I visit these places and the connections to other places we have been and still need to see. For me, it adds value to the site, and for others, it is trivial information that is forgotten as soon as it is spoken.
Meshaw Falls is surprisingly small, considering it drains a river and a lake, but most of the water routes around the island are on the other side of these falls. Although small, it has a lot to see and can be mesmerizing to watch. Depending on the time of year, you may be able to walk on parts of it. In the winter, I did not dare, but in the heat of a dry summer, being able to walk in between the tracts of water is one of my favourite things to do in these natural areas where water meets gravity.
There is a small spot to park two cars before the bridge. Be sure to avoid driving over any large sticks. I dragged a stick all the way home after it got lodged underneath my car. Even with that risk, it is worth the visit.
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