Virginia Falls (Northwest Territories)

Waterfall on the South Nahanni River in Northwest Territories, Canada
61°36′26″N 125°44′12″W / 61.60722°N 125.73667°W / 61.60722; -125.73667TypeSegmentedElevation500 m (1,600 ft)Total height96 m (315 ft)Number of drops1Average width259 m (850 ft)WatercourseSouth Nahanni RiverAverage
flow rate1,000 m3/s (35,000 cu ft/s)World height ranking860

Virginia Falls (Slave: Nailicho[1]) is a waterfall in Nahanni National Park Reserve, Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the South Nahanni River, at an elevation of 500 m (1,600 ft).[2] It is located 120 km (75 mi) from the Yukon border.[3]

An American adventurer and businessman from Long Island, New York, named Fenley Hunter, under the employ of the Geological Survey of Canada, explored the region during the summer of 1928 and named the waterfall after his daughter.

It has a total drop of 96 m (315 ft),[4] making it about twice the height of Niagara Falls. It consists of a single drop with an average width of 259 m (850 ft). The rock in the centre of the falls is called Mason's Rock, named after Bill Mason, a Canadian canoeist, author, and filmmaker.[5]

The Virginia Falls Water Aerodrome is close by.

Gallery

  • View of the falls from below.
    View of the falls from below.
  • View of the falls from above.
    View of the falls from above.
  • Mason's Rock
    Mason's Rock

See also

References

  1. ^ "2010 Nahanni National Park Reserve of Canada Management Plan". Nahanni National Park Reserve. Parks Canada. 10 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Virginia Falls, Northwest Territories, Canada". World Waterfall Database. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  3. ^ "Virginia Falls". Encyclopædia Britannica. 5 April 2010.
  4. ^ Scheffel, Richard L.; Wernet, Susan J., eds. (1980). Natural Wonders of the World. Reader's Digest Association. pp. 405. ISBN 0-89577-087-3.
  5. ^ LIFE Paradise Found: 100 Places - Beautiful Beyond Belief. Time Incorporated Books. 2016. ISBN 978-1-68330-560-6.