The Ultimate Guide to Ontario's Most Spectacular Hiking Destinations

We're on a mission to inspire others to get outside and enjoy camping adventures, and today we're exploring some of Ontario's favorite hiking spots that range from easy day trips to challenging wilderness experiences.

• The Crack Trail in Killarney Provincial Park features spectacular views over the La Cloche Mountains with white granite outcroppings
• Bruce Trail near Lion's Head offers views of turquoise water that looks almost tropical, with its own dedicated hiking community
• Centennial Ridges and Mizzy Lake trails in Algonquin Provincial Park provide multiple viewpoints and wildlife sighting opportunities
• Cup and Saucer Trail on Manitoulin Island features some of the best cliff top views overlooking Lake Huron's North Channel
• Sleeping Giant Provincial Park's Top of the Giant trail is challenging but rewards with spectacular views 250 meters above Lake Superior
• Barren Canyon Trail offers dramatic views of a 100-meter deep canyon in a short, easy 1.5km loop
• Hardy Lake Loop in Muskoka provides a peaceful wilderness experience without crowds
• Silver Peak in Killarney requires canoeing to access but offers 360-degree views from the highest point in the park
• Devil's Punch Bowl near Hamilton features a dramatic waterfall and millions of years of geological history in an easy hike

If you would like to talk to us, feel free to reach out on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Blue Sky, Twitter, or email us at hi@supergoodcamping.com.

Note: The Algonquin kilometer markers run along Highway 60 from the West Gate to the East Gate.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome to Super Good Camping
• 0:28 The Crack Trail in Killarney
• 2:50 Bruce Trail and Lion's Head
• 4:09 Algonquin Park Trails
• 5:38 Trails Beyond Toronto
• 8:54 Day Trip Options
• 11:08 Future Hiking Episodes

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello and good day. Welcome to the Super Good Camping podcast. My name is Pamela.

Speaker 2: 0:04

I'm Tim.

Speaker 1: 0:04

And we are from supergoodcampingcom. We're here because we're on a mission to inspire other people to get outside and enjoy camping adventures such as we have as a family Today. We thought, while people are trying to get out and about a little bit more, that maybe we look at some of the favorite hiking spots in Ontario, some of well, one of which we've done, I think several of them we haven't, so we're not speaking from experience on all of them, but anyway we will. The first one on our list is, when we have done so, the crack trail, which is located in Killarney Provincial Park. It's about 400 kilometers north of Toronto. It's a bit of a hike and once you get off the highway it's a extra little hike to get into Killarney, but anyway you access it. It's a beater highway.

Speaker 1: 0:47

It's a beater highway and they were doing instruction when we drove through there and it was really slow. You park at the Killarney Ridge Trailhead, which is off Highway 637. And it's about a six kilometer round trip. It is a bit challenging in spots. Best time to do it is a late spring to fall, so obviously winter maybe not the best because it's it can be icy and um dangerous and slippery. So I'll get it. Yeah, yeah, it's.

Speaker 1: 1:14

It is challenging at like and it's at some points. Some points were fine for flat and through nice woodsy areas, but um, other parts were a little bit more challenging. And it leads to you though. So it's, it's worth. It's worth the effort and because it leads you to spectacular views over the La Cloche Mountains, georgian Bay and surrounding lakes. And if you're not familiar, like the La Cloche Mountains, it's a big rock outcroppings but they're, and that it's just amazing to see the white granite.

Speaker 1: 1:45

So the trail's a bit reggae and rocked in spots and at the very end there is a scramble through a rocky patch and that was where we had our dog with us, and so our younger son and I kind of stayed at the bottom of that. Tim did do the scramble up the top and we have a picture of him. There's photographic evidence. But yeah, we stayed at the bottom only partly because we saw other people that were trying to get through that rocky scramble and they'd taken their dog up and they were trying to get their dog back down and it was a biggish dog and so you couldn't just carry it down and it's a bit treacherous just to walk through, let alone carrying a dog through. So they were having a hard time, the dog was not confident going through it and they were desperately trying to get the dog to go through it. Last we saw they headed back up to the top and then we never saw where they went from there, whether they actually went down another route or what.

Speaker 2: 2:36

Yeah, I didn't spot another route, but I'm sure that I heard something about another. Not up actually through that crack. Excuse me. Next on the list, excuse me Still recovering from I don't know what. Next on the list is the Bruce Trail, which isn't terribly far from us. It's about 250 kilometers kilometers from northwest of Toronto. You park at the McCurdy Drive, I think it is parking lot in Lion's Head. It's about an 8km round trip. It's moderate to difficult. The best time is late spring to fall. Basically, there are very few hikes that are good to do in the winter.

Speaker 1: 3:18

And the parks may not be open anyway.

Speaker 2: 3:20

Yeah, but a lot of times you're going to get into unknown stuff, whether it's rocks like the crack or you know you're up high in escarpments and stuff like that, so don't fall is awesome. The turquoise water below looks almost tropical. The cliffs are steep, so caution is needed near the edge. I've heard people rave about this particular hike, the Bruce like it literally has its own Facebook group, its own. There's a whole bunch of people in the hiking community that are all get together and do sections of the Bruce.

Speaker 1: 4:02

Yeah. So just don't lean over the edge trying to get the perfect selfie. Don't do it.

Speaker 1: 4:07

Centennial Ridges Trail, which is in Algonquin Provincial Park. Algonquin's about 275 kilometers north of Toronto. You park at the trailhead off Highway 60, which is near kilometer 37.6. It's 10 kilometers loop and it is a difficult hike. But the reason to hike it is it has multiple viewpoints that overlook Algonquin Park, stunning ridges and lakes, great for wildlife sightings, including moose and loons, especially specific times of year. So I would tend to think the cooler seasons might be where you get more likely and then, if you go in the fall, you get to see the fall foliage.

Speaker 2: 4:41

Might be a bit of a zoo on Highway 60, though absolutely guarantee it will be a zoo, but but it would be a beautiful hike in the fall for sure. Next on the list, number four, cup and saucer trail, manitoulin island. So it's about 400, 400 change 440 kilometers from, uh, from here in toronto, uh, northwest it is. Oh, you park at the trailhead off highway 540 near Metugine. I'm going with that, not a word that I'd normally have to say. It's about five kilometers round trip. It's moderately difficult and again, spring to fall, avoid it in the winter. It features some of the best cliff top views in Ontario, overlooking the north channel of Lake Huron. The rugged terrain includes steep ascents and even a ladder climb for those who take the adventure trail section, which sounds pretty cool. Anything up and in and around Manitoulin Island is just amazing.

Speaker 1: 5:44

Next on the list is Mizzy Lake Trail, which is part of Algonquin Provincial Park. Again so same thing. Drive to Algonquin Park 260 kilometers roughly north of Toronto. You park at the trailhead off Highway 60. This one's near kilometer 15. It's 11 kilometer loop and moderate difficulty Spring to fall again best time to do it and one of the best hikes in Ontario for wildlife spotting, especially moose, beavers and birds.

Speaker 2: 6:15

The trail passes through wetland areas, lakes, forests, offers a peaceful backcountry. Feel Sorry, I'm just thinking because that's twice. You've mentioned which kilometer marker in Algonquin and I, for the life of me, can't remember whether the kilometers, whether the markers, count from east or from west. I feel like they count from west, but I'm not 100% sure. I don't know either. I'll look it up, put it in the show notes. Next on the list, number six, top of the giant, sleeping giant, provincial park, which is bazillion miles away from here, yeah 1400 kilometers northwest of Toronto so take a little while to get there.

Speaker 2: 6:44

But I've heard fabulous things about the park period. You access the trail by from the you park at the cabian trailhead.

Speaker 1: 6:54

I give you all the hard work trailhead and hike in.

Speaker 2: 6:57

It's a 22 kilometers round trip. So that's a that's a hefty hike. Well, certainly for old people like me, old, out of shape, mobility challenge people like me. Maybe I could take the the big kid, get him to carry me. Yeah, that's it. Difficulty is very difficult. So 22 clicks and very difficult. Not going to end up on my list. Best time is summer to early fall. And why? It's a long but rewarding hike leading to a spectacular viewpoint 250 meters above Lake Superior. That'd be cool. The views stretch over thunder bay and the vast wilderness of sleeping giant provincial park yeah, that'd be cool.

Speaker 1: 7:36

I've heard very good things about sleeping giant provincial park. Next is barren canyon trail, and so this may be on the bucket list.

Speaker 2: 7:43

It's on the list for this september.

Speaker 1: 7:46

No, sorry, this july it's in algonquin provincial park east. Uh, so on the east side of Algonquin Provincial Park, about 300 kilometers northeast of Toronto, you park at the Barren Canyon Trailhead off Barren Canyon Road. The distance is only 1.5 kilometer loop. My kind of length, difficulty is easy too Also mine, Spring to fall is the best time. It's a short but dramatic hike along the edge of a 100 meter deep canyon. Somebody has a fear of heights around here.

Speaker 2: 8:15

So that might be staying way back from the edge.

Speaker 1: 8:18

It's a great spot for photography and a glimpse into Ontario's geological past.

Speaker 2: 8:25

Yeah, we're doing a seven or eight day trip, the big kid and I entirely, to get to Barron Canyon and check it out.

Speaker 1: 8:32

Yeah, so they're going to do it the back country route, but you can apparently drive there. You can drive there, yeah.

Speaker 2: 8:37

Why would I do something easy like that? It takes all the fun out of it. It does right. Number eight Hardy Lake Loop. It's in Muskoka, hardy Lake Provincial Park. It's about 175 kilometers north of Toronto. Yeah, that sounds about right. You park at the Hardy Lake parking area on Highway 169. It's an eight kilometer loop and difficulty is moderate. Again, recommended spring to fall. Why? Because it's beautiful. It's a forested trail with boardwalks over the water and a unique island section. No crowds, no development, just Muskoka Wilderness at its best. Pamela and I were talking just before we started this episode. I've heard of it, but I know nothing about Hardy Lake Provincial Park. Pamela hadn't even heard of it. So we make the assumption it's a non-operating, which is why you're not going to run into the crowds.

Speaker 1: 9:24

Just a day use or something like that, not a camping park. Yeah, so which is why you're not going to run into the crowds Just a day use, or something like that, not a camping park.

Speaker 1: 9:28

Yeah, so cool, there you go and Silver Peak, which is another Killarney Provincial Park, so it's located in Killarney, about 400 kilometers north of Toronto requires canoeing to access the trailhead at Bell Lake, so you cannot drive straight to this one. It's a 12-kilometer round trip, plus you need a paddle and it's difficult. It's summer to fall and the highest point in it is the highest point in Killarney Provincial Park gives you a 360 degree view of La Cloche Mountains and Georgian Bay and it's a must for serious hikers who want solitude and adventure.

Speaker 2: 10:03

Right and just to add to the location. So there is a Bell Lake access point. I can't say for sure that you would need day use. I would assume you need a day use permit to park there and then paddle. Seen Silver Peak from far away and it looks like it's way up there. It looks very cool, Highly highly recommend. I'm not going to do 12 clicks. Devil's Punch Bowl is number 10. It's a trail in Hamilton Access. You park at Devil's Punch Bowl Conservation Area. There you go. It's three kilometers round trip. It's easy to moderate. Best time is spring because of waterfall, or in the fall. Why hike? It Features a dramatic waterfall cascading into a deep gorge. The layered rock formations reveal millions of years of geological history. A great short hike with a scenic reward. I am positive. I've seen pictures of the waterfall Very cool.

Speaker 1: 11:09

And not that far from Toronto too. So that'd be, that'd be fun Day afternoon trip. That's it for our hiking episode. For well, we, we, we actually plan a series. So this is number one in the series, and number two in the series is going to be best hikes across Canada, and then number three in the series is going to be best hikes across Canada, and then number three in the series is going to be best hikes across North America and South America, but we're excluding certain portions of North America for political reasons.

Speaker 2: 11:37

Absolutely the orange turn.

Speaker 1: 11:39

Maybe not safe to go there. Anyways, look for those upcoming and we will talk to you again soon. If you would like to talk to us, you feel free to reach out on all of the social media. We are on YouTube, facebook, instagram, blue Sky, twitter, and feel free to reach out to us by email at hi at supergoodcampingcom. That's hi at supergoodcampingcom, and we will talk to you again soon, bye, bye.