Lake Superior Provincial Park

Lake Superior Provincial Park is a recreation and camping destination located south of the community of Wawa in Algoma Country, Ontario, Canada. The Northern Ontario park measures 155,646 hectares (384,609 acres) and is considered one of the larger parks in the Ontario parks system.

During the summer months the activities enjoyed include hiking, camping, canoeing, kayaking, picnicking, sightseeing, backpacking, wilderness camping, birdwatching, swimming, boating and fishing. In the winter months, after the snow falls and the waterways freeze over, the activities enjoyed include xc skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing.

Fishing for whitefish, salmon, lake and rainbow trout is popular on Lake Superior. Boat motors are permitted on Lake Superior. The boat launch is located near Sinclair Cove in the south end of the park.

On land... the lakes and rivers provide an opportunity to fish for lake and brook trout. Fishing is accesses by canoe or hiking trail. Sand Lake is the only inland lake permitting motors but they must be 10 horsepower or less.

The lakes and rivers in the Lake Superior Provincial Park provide many opportunities for canoeing and kayaking. The Surf Lake and Fenton-Treeby paddle routes are located near the Rabbit Lake Campground. Agawa River and Montreal River paddle routes are located near the Agawa Campground. The Sand River, Belanger Lake and the Mijinemungshing-Mirimoki Lake paddle routes are centrally located in the park.

The Algoma Central Railway follows the eastern border of the park. The railway provides access to some of the remote paddle routes exploring in the Lake Superior Provincial Park. The railway stops along the route and drops off canoes and paddlers near put-in points.

On any adventure there are possibilities for wildlife sightings like moose, bear, timber wolf, lynx, red fox, white-tailed deer, beaver, marten and over 250+ bird species. Bird sightings include species like loons, blue herons, eagles, warblers and much more.

Besides wildlife some of the other popular sightseeing destinations in the park for many include Agawa Canyon, Agawa Rock, and Old Woman Bay.

For day trippers there are day use picnic sites located at Sand River, Katherine Cove and Old Women Bay. For multi day trips there are 3 campgrounds and 175 backcountry wilderness campsites. Sandy beaches are located at each of the three main park campgrounds - Agawa Bay, Crescent Lake and Rabbit Blanket Lake.

The Agawa Bay Campground located at the south end and the Rabbit Blanket Lake Campground located at the north end provide serviced sites. Both provide showers, comfort stations, electricity, laundromat, swimming, sani station and canoe rentals.

The wilderness campsites are accessed via hiking trail or canoe paddle routes. Trail markers identify the backcountry campsites and put-in and take-out points on canoe routes. Signs with an orange diamond with a black tent mark canoe campsites. A blue diamond with a white tent mark hiking and backpacking campsites.

There are both day hikes and long haul backpacking trails in the Lake Superior Provincial Park. The recreation trails in the park include the following :

The Coastal Trail (63 km one-way) - A challenging route for experienced backpackers which takes 5-7 days to complete. The route follows the shores of Lake Superior from Chalfant Cove (north) to the Agawa Pictographs (south). The route circumnavigates around headlands, walks cobble stone and sandy beaches, explores forests and scales up cliffs. There are smaller segments of the trail with exit options.

The Awausee Trail (10 km loop) - A moderately challenging terrain with some very difficult sections. The route climbs to scenic lookouts providing views of Agawa Canyon and Montreal Island. The trail should take no longer than 4-6 hours to complete. Trailhead is located north of the Visitor Centre.

The Orphan Lake Trail (8 km return loop) - A moderately easy-going loop hiking trail which should take 2- 4.5 hours to complete. The trail includes visiting Orphan Lake, waterfalls on Baldhead River and a large beach covered in stones. Trailhead is located north of the Katherine Cove Day Use Picnic Site.

The Nokomis Trail (5 km loop) - a moderate trail providing some excellent cliff views of an old women's face etched into the 140 metre cliffs in Old Women Bay. From the scenic lookout one ventures back down to the beach and a day use picnic area. time to complete is about 1.5 -3 hours. Trailhead is located near Rabbit Lake Campground and the Old Women Bay exit.

The Agawa Rock Pictographs Trail (0.4 km) - a moderately easy-going hiking trail leading explorers to some Ojibway First Nation pictographs depicting vision quests, group ceremonies and spiritual experiences. Trailhead is located north of the Visitor Centre.

Other trails include the Peat mountain Trail (11 km loop), South Old Women Trail (3.3 km), Trapper's Trail (1.6 km loop), Towab Trail (24 km return), Pinguisibi Trail (6 km return) and Crescent Lake Trail (1.2 km loop).

Lake Superior Provincial Park, Wawa, Algoma Country, Ontario, Canada