The Pukaskwa River is a river in Thunder Bay District and Algoma District in Northern Ontario, Canada. It is in the Great Lakes Basin and is a tributary of Lake Superior, which it enters at the south end of Pukaskwa National Park. It is a remote, pristine, free-flowing, medium-sized Shield river, with lots of whitewater, best travelled in spring.
A waterfall at Schist Falls, just upstream of the river mouth and with a drop of , can only be visited by travelling along the river.
The river's name is said to come from the Ojibwa word "Pukasu", which refers to cooking the marrow in the bones of animals. The legend is that a native of the area is said to have killed his wife, burned the bones and thrown them into the river.
The Pukaskwa River was featured in the artwork and films of Bill Mason, including Waterwalker (1984). takes in the left tributary East Pukaskwa River, flows over the Schist Falls,
|length_km = 22
|area_ha = 1465
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|designation = Waterway
|established = 2002
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|governing_body = Ontario Parks
|url = https://www.ontarioparks.com/park/pukaskwariver
The Pukaskwa River Provincial Park protects a long section of the Pukaskwa River, including its headwater lakes. The remaining of the river is protected in the adjacent Pukaskwa National Park. It was established in 2002 and offers a remote whitewater river experience for persons with advanced canoeing and camping skills.
The river has some 57 rapids that can be run in high water, ranging from Class I to IV. One notable whitewater section is the Ringham’s Gorge, a whitewater canyon. There are also a few Class V rapids and several waterfalls that need to be portaged.