
Photo: Josh Steinitz, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
At Virginia Falls or Nailicho in Dene, the river plunges 90 m (295 ft) in a thunderous plume. Including the Sluice Box Rapids above the falls, it is more than twice the height of Niagara Falls. In the centre of the falls is a dramatic spire of resistant rock, called Mason's Rock after Bill Mason, the famous Canadian canoeist, author, and filmmaker. The falls began downstream at the east end of Fourth Canyon, and over the centuries carved through the limestone rock that surrounds the river. This continuous erosion shifted the falls upstream and created the Fourth Canyon. Due to the mist, the immediate vicinity of the falls is home to several rare orchid species. There is a proposal to rename the falls after former Prime Minister of Canada, Pierre Trudeau. Downstream from the falls, there are many notable rapids on the river including Figure Eight, George's Riffle, and Lafferty's Riffle.
The falls are a stop on day trips into the park by float plane.
Virginia Falls 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). It is located 120 km (75 mi) from the Yukon border.
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