The Montmorency Falls are 83 metres high (i.e., 30 metres higher than Niagara Falls) and form the heart of this historic site that was so dear to many 18th and 19th century painters (e.g., Peachey, Bouchette, Cockburn, Todd, and Krieghoff). The falls are the climax of the Montmorency River, which has its source several kilometres to the north and plummets over this precipice before flowing into the St. Lawrence.