Waterfalling Tools

If you are a serious waterfaller, you know that planning ahead is the best way to ensure a productive outing. Some of these do work better on a full computer screen. Do you have any favourites that could be added?

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Ontario Topographic Maps

Ontario's 'Make a Topographic Map' system gives us detailed topographic maps with contours for the whole province. Bonus You can switch to imagery view, where the aerial photos are better/different than Google Maps. You can also see property boundaries. TIP: Choose the 'Map Layers' tab and the select 'Imagery'.

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Ontario Crown Land Use Atlas

Mainly for use in northern Ontario, this shows where you can find crown land. For the most part, these are lands that you can explore freely. They show as light green, while private property shows as darker green/grey.Tip:The full map can take a minute to load. Tip: Some public lands (eg. conservation authorities) also show as private, because they are not crown land.

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72-hr Precip Totals

From Iweathernet.com, this lets you see how much precipitation has fallen in the last 72 hours. See how much rain has hit your waterfall recently.

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Photography Rules

A very handy 'cheat sheet' about your rights as a photographer. You can legally photograph anything from public property, or from private property that you are allowed to access. People that you don't know can be in your photograph. There are a few other rules that you should be aware of. NOTE: Be aware that this was not authored by a lawyer. It does accurately reflect what I have read elsewhere.

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Fall Colours Report

This map is only maintained during fall, from mid September to November. This can give you an idea of the progression of fall colours at Ontario's provincial parks. Many people think that fall gives the best waterfall photographs.

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Sunrise, Sunset, Golden, Blue

Find sunrise and sunset times to plan your day, at any place on any day. This also photographers when the magical golden and blue hours occur.

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Current Cloud Cover

Sometimes you want a cloudy day, sometimes you don't. Get a province-wide view to plan your day.

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Drone Exclusion Zones

If you fly a drone at waterfalls, know that you aren't allowed to fly in Provincial Parks or in many conservation areas. This map from Nav Canada shows you other places that you can't fly.

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Ontario Watershed Information Tool

This can be quite complicated, but is fun to play with. Find the watershed that drains to your waterfall, and understand the landscape. Tip: Zoom way in to your waterfall, click the 'Create Watershed' tab and then click "Create from Map Point". This shows the watershed for Inglis Falls.

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Bell Canada Cell Coverage

Your cell phone will work at most waterfalls. But there are some remote areas with no cell service. You may also lose service at the bottom of deep rocky gorges. If you are going to visit a remote area, let someone know.

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Rogers Cell Coverage

Your cell phone will work at most waterfalls. But there are some remote areas with no cell service. You may also lose service at the bottom of deep rocky gorges. If you are going to visit a remote area, let someone know.

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Telus Cell Coverage

Your cell phone will work at most waterfalls. But there are some remote areas with no cell service. You may also lose service at the bottom of deep rocky gorges. If you are going to visit a remote area, let someone know.

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