Guidebook
Lonely Planet Canada
Lonely Planet · 2024
Country-wide guide for combining Canadian falls, from Quebec and Ontario to the Rockies and the North.
Canada · Ottawa
Rideau Falls
The Rideau Falls are two waterfalls located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where the Rideau River empties into the Ottawa River.
Essentials guide
Facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia, compiled September 2026; season and access are our estimate, not a visit report. How we build these pages.
Rideau Falls drops over a series of steps. It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Ottawa, Canada. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Rideau Falls is number 2 on our list of waterfalls within an hour of a capital city. As a cascade waterfall, water tumbles down a series of rock steps rather than falling free.
What you can do here
A walk-in-and-look waterfall
No commercial adventures run at Rideau Falls itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Ottawa are the easiest way to combine it with the area around it.
Also good forHikingPhotography
When to go
Spring snowmelt and rain make April to June the fullest months; October adds colour, and a hard winter can freeze the face.
Getting there
- Base town Ottawa, Canada
- Country Canada
- Region Ottawa, Northern North America, North America
- Access Moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail
How it compares
This waterfall
Rideau Falls
Canada
Height—Width—
Most similar
Churchill River
Canada
Height—Width—
Also a cascade waterfall and in Canada too
Largest curtain
Victoria Falls
Zimbabwe · Zambia
Height108 mWidth1,708 m
Largest single sheet of falling water
Tallest on earth
Angel Falls
Venezuela
Height979 mWidth—
Widest on earth
Khone Phapheng Falls
Laos
Height21 mWidth10,783 m
Measured across the whole multi-channel system
108 m
330 m
979 m
Victoria FallsEiffel TowerAngel Falls
Khone Phapheng Falls
10,783 m
Victoria Falls
1,708 m
We don't have a reliable crest width for Rideau Falls yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
On the map
45.4414, -75.6962
Quick answers
Where is Rideau Falls?
Rideau Falls is in Canada (Ottawa). The nearest base is Ottawa, Canada. Its coordinates are 45.4414, -75.6962.
When is the best time to visit Rideau Falls?
Peak flow is April to June and October. Spring snowmelt and rain make April to June the fullest months; October adds colour, and a hard winter can freeze the face.
What can you do at Rideau Falls?
Beyond the viewpoints: hiking and photography. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate — a real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail.
How do you get to Rideau Falls?
The usual base is Ottawa, Canada. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
Closest to Rideau Falls
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