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.
CONNECT WITH US AT SUPER GOOD CAMPING:
Support the podcast & buy super cool SWAG: https://store.skgroupinc.com/super_good_camping/shop/home
EMAIL: hi@supergoodcamping.com
WEBSITE: www.supergoodcamping.com
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqFDJbFJyJ5Y-NHhFseENsQ
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/super_good_camping/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/SuperGoodCampin
FACEBOOK GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SuperGoodCamping/
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@supergoodcamping
Episode Transcript
Hello and good day.
Welcome to the Super GoodCamping podcast.
My name is Pamela.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I'm Tim.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
And we are from supergoodcampingcom.
We're here because we're on amission to inspire other people
to get outside and enjoy campingadventures such as we have as a
family Today.
We thought, while people aretrying to get out and about a
little bit more, that maybe welook at some of the favorite
hiking spots in Ontario, some ofwell, one of which we've done,
I think several of them wehaven't, so we're not speaking
(00:26):
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 inKillarney Provincial Park.
It's about 400 kilometers northof Toronto.
It's a bit of a hike and onceyou get off the highway it's a
extra little hike to get intoKillarney, but anyway you access
it.
It's a beater highway.
(00:47):
It's a beater highway and theywere doing instruction when we
drove through there and it wasreally slow.
You park at the Killarney RidgeTrailhead, which is off Highway
637.
And it's about a six kilometerround trip.
It is a bit challenging inspots.
Best time to do it is a latespring to fall, so obviously
winter maybe not the bestbecause it's it can be icy and
(01:10):
um dangerous and slippery.
So I'll get it.
Yeah, yeah, it's.
It is challenging at like andit's at some points.
Some points were fine for flatand through nice woodsy areas,
but um, other parts were alittle bit more challenging.
And it leads to you though.
So it's, it's worth.
It's worth the effort andbecause it leads you to
spectacular views over the LaCloche Mountains, georgian Bay
(01:34):
and surrounding lakes.
And if you're not familiar,like the La Cloche Mountains,
it's a big rock outcroppings butthey're, and that it's just
amazing to see the white granite.
So the trail's a bit reggae androcked in spots and at the very
end there is a scramble througha rocky patch and that was where
we had our dog with us, and soour younger son and I kind of
(01:58):
stayed at the bottom of that.
Tim did do the scramble up thetop and we have a picture of him
.
There's photographic evidence.
But yeah, we stayed at thebottom only partly because we
saw other people that weretrying to get through that rocky
scramble and they'd taken theirdog up and they were trying to
get their dog back down and itwas a biggish dog and so you
couldn't just carry it down andit's a bit treacherous just to
(02:20):
walk through, let alone carryinga dog through.
So they were having a hard time, the dog was not confident
going through it and they weredesperately trying to get the
dog to go through it.
Last we saw they headed back upto the top and then we never
saw where they went from there,whether they actually went down
another route or what.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Yeah, I didn't spot another route, but I'm sure that
I heard something about another.
Not up actually through thatcrack.
Excuse me.
Next on the list, excuse meStill recovering from I don't
know what.
Next on the list is the BruceTrail, which isn't terribly far
from us.
It's about 250 kilometerskilometers from northwest of
(03:03):
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 tofall.
Basically, there are very fewhikes that are good to do in the
winter.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
And the parks may not be open anyway.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Yeah, but a lot of times you're going to get into
unknown stuff, whether it'srocks like the crack or you know
you're up high in escarpmentsand stuff like that, so don't
fall is awesome.
The turquoise water below looksalmost tropical.
The cliffs are steep, socaution is needed near the edge.
(03:46):
I've heard people rave aboutthis particular hike, the Bruce
like it literally has its ownFacebook group, its own.
There's a whole bunch of peoplein the hiking community that
are all get together and dosections of the Bruce.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Yeah.
So just don't lean over theedge trying to get the perfect
selfie.
Don't do it.
Centennial Ridges Trail, whichis in Algonquin Provincial Park.
Algonquin's about 275kilometers north of Toronto.
You park at the trailhead offHighway 60, which is near
kilometer 37.6.
It's 10 kilometers loop and itis a difficult hike.
But the reason to hike it is ithas multiple viewpoints that
(04:26):
overlook Algonquin Park,stunning ridges and lakes, great
for wildlife sightings,including moose and loons,
especially specific times ofyear.
So I would tend to think thecooler seasons might be where
you get more likely and then, ifyou go in the fall, you get to
see the fall foliage.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Might be a bit of a zoo on Highway 60, though
absolutely guarantee it will bea zoo, but but it would be a
beautiful hike in the fall forsure.
Next on the list, number four,cup and saucer trail, manitoulin
island.
So it's about 400, 400 change440 kilometers from, uh, from
here in toronto, uh, northwestit is.
(05:03):
Oh, you park at the trailheadoff highway 540 near Metugine.
I'm going with that, not a wordthat I'd normally have to say.
It's about five kilometersround trip.
It's moderately difficult andagain, spring to fall, avoid it
in the winter.
It features some of the bestcliff top views in Ontario,
(05:29):
overlooking the north channel ofLake Huron.
The rugged terrain includessteep ascents and even a ladder
climb for those who take theadventure trail section, which
sounds pretty cool.
Anything up and in and aroundManitoulin Island is just
amazing.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Next on the list is Mizzy Lake Trail, which is part
of Algonquin Provincial Park.
Again so same thing.
Drive to Algonquin Park 260kilometers roughly north of
Toronto.
You park at the trailhead offHighway 60.
This one's near kilometer 15.
It's 11 kilometer loop andmoderate difficulty Spring to
fall again best time to do itand one of the best hikes in
(06:06):
Ontario for wildlife spotting,especially moose, beavers and
birds.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
The trail passes through wetland areas, lakes,
forests, offers a peacefulbackcountry.
Feel Sorry, I'm just thinkingbecause that's twice.
You've mentioned whichkilometer marker in Algonquin
and I, for the life of me, can'tremember whether the kilometers
, whether the markers, countfrom east or from west.
I feel like they count fromwest, but I'm not 100% sure.
I don't know either.
I'll look it up, put it in theshow notes.
(06:35):
Next on the list, number six,top of the giant, sleeping giant
, provincial park, which isbazillion miles away from here,
yeah 1400 kilometers northwestof Toronto so take a little
while to get there.
But I've heard fabulous thingsabout the park period.
You access the trail by fromthe you park at the cabian
trailhead.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
I give you all the hard work trailhead and hike in.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
It's a 22 kilometers round trip.
So that's a that's a hefty hike.
Well, certainly for old peoplelike me, old, out of shape,
mobility challenge people likeme.
Maybe I could take the the bigkid, 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.
(07:18):
Best time is summer to earlyfall.
And why?
It's a long but rewarding hikeleading to a spectacular
viewpoint 250 meters above LakeSuperior.
That'd be cool.
The views stretch over thunderbay and the vast wilderness of
sleeping giant provincial parkyeah, that'd be cool.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
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 (07:43):
It's on the list for this september.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
No, sorry, this july it's in algonquin provincial
park east.
Uh, so on the east side ofAlgonquin Provincial Park, about
300 kilometers northeast ofToronto, you park at the Barren
Canyon Trailhead off BarrenCanyon Road.
The distance is only 1.5kilometer loop.
My kind of length, difficultyis easy too Also mine, Spring to
(08:06):
fall is the best time.
It's a short but dramatic hikealong the edge of a 100 meter
deep canyon.
Somebody has a fear of heightsaround here.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
So that might be staying way back from the edge.
Speaker 1 (08:18):
It's a great spot for photography and a glimpse into
Ontario's geological past.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Yeah, we're doing a seven or eight day trip, the big
kid and I entirely, to get toBarron Canyon and check it out.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
Yeah, so they're going to do it the back country
route, but you can apparentlydrive there.
You can drive there, yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
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 LakeProvincial Park.
It's about 175 kilometers northof Toronto.
Yeah, that sounds about right.
You park at the Hardy Lakeparking area on Highway 169.
It's an eight kilometer loopand difficulty is moderate.
(08:58):
Again, recommended spring tofall.
Why?
Because it's beautiful.
It's a forested trail withboardwalks over the water and a
unique island section.
No crowds, no development, justMuskoka Wilderness at its best.
Pamela and I were talking justbefore we started this episode.
I've heard of it, but I knownothing about Hardy Lake
Provincial Park.
(09:19):
Pamela hadn't even heard of it.
So we make the assumption it'sa non-operating, which is why
you're not going to run into thecrowds.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
Just a day use or something like that, not a
camping park.
Yeah, so which is why you'renot going to run into the crowds
Just a day use, or somethinglike that, not a camping park.
Yeah, so cool, there you go andSilver Peak, which is another
Killarney Provincial Park, soit's located in Killarney, about
400 kilometers north of Torontorequires canoeing to access the
trailhead at Bell Lake, so youcannot drive straight to this
one.
It's a 12-kilometer round trip,plus you need a paddle and it's
(09:49):
difficult.
It's summer to fall and thehighest point in it is the
highest point in KillarneyProvincial Park gives you a 360
degree view of La ClocheMountains and Georgian Bay and
it's a must for serious hikerswho want solitude and adventure.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Right and just to add to the location.
So there is a Bell Lake accesspoint.
I can't say for sure that youwould need day use.
I would assume you need a dayuse permit to park there and
then paddle.
Seen Silver Peak from far awayand it looks like it's way up
(10:30):
there.
It looks very cool, Highlyhighly 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 BowlConservation Area.
There you go.
It's three kilometers roundtrip.
It's easy to moderate.
Best time is spring because ofwaterfall, or in the fall.
(10:54):
Why hike?
It Features a dramaticwaterfall cascading into a deep
gorge.
The layered rock formationsreveal millions of years of
geological history.
A great short hike with ascenic reward.
I am positive.
I've seen pictures of thewaterfall Very cool.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
And not that far from Toronto too.
So that'd be, that'd be fun Dayafternoon trip.
That's it for our hikingepisode.
For well, we, we, we actuallyplan a series.
So this is number one in theseries, and number two in the
series is going to be best hikesacross Canada, and then number
three in the series is going tobe best hikes across Canada, and
(11:30):
then number three in the seriesis going to be best hikes
across North America and SouthAmerica, but we're excluding
certain portions of NorthAmerica for political reasons.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Absolutely the orange turn.
Speaker 1 (11:39):
Maybe not safe to go there.
Anyways, look for thoseupcoming 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 usby email at hi at
supergoodcampingcom.
(12:00):
That's hi atsupergoodcampingcom, and we will
talk to you again soon, bye,bye.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.