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 · Newfoundland and Labrador
Smallwood Reservoir
The Smallwood Reservoir is the reservoir created for the Churchill Falls Generating Station in the western part of Labrador, Canada. Unlike other reservoirs, water is contained not by a single large dam, but by a series of 88 dikes that total 64 km in length in the drainage area of the Churchill 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.
Smallwood Reservoir drops over a series of steps on the Churchill River. It is a cascade-type fall, and the nearest base for a visit is Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Access to the main viewpoint is rated moderate.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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 Smallwood Reservoir itself — the experience is the approach and the view. Guided day trips from Newfoundland and Labrador 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 Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Country Canada
- Region Newfoundland and Labrador, 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
Smallwood Reservoir
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 Smallwood Reservoir yet, so it is left off the width chart. Tallest · widest lists.
Watch and read
Books worth packing
On the map
54.09639, -64.01111
Quick answers
Where is Smallwood Reservoir?
Smallwood Reservoir is in Canada (Newfoundland and Labrador). The nearest base is Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Its coordinates are 54.0964, -64.0111.
When is the best time to visit Smallwood Reservoir?
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 Smallwood Reservoir?
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 Smallwood Reservoir?
The usual base is Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. A real walk — expect stairs, uneven ground or an hour on the trail from there.
Nearby
Closest to Smallwood Reservoir
Churchill Falls
Canada · 75 m · 60 km away
Churchill Falls is a 245 ft high waterfall on the Churchill River in Labrador, Canada.
Churchill River
Canada · 70 km away
Churchill River is a waterfall in Canada.
Pissing Mare Falls
Canada · 343 m · 650 km away
Pissing Mare Falls is a tiered waterfall in Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland, Canada. It is formed from…
Still Brook Waterfall
Canada · 850 km away
Still Brook Waterfall is a waterfall at mouth of Still Brook, where the brook empties into Black Brook Cove…
Swimming