Pukaskwa National Park is one of our favourite places and one of our favourite Ontario national parks to date. The beautiful, rugged landscape, the ancient and recent history, and the art connection are both luring and alluring.
Pukaskwa National Park campsites are first come, first served sites and you cannot make reservations ahead of time. It was a bit of a gamble to go this far not knowing if there will be any spaces, especially since all the provincial parks were completely full all the way north, but we were in luck and they had a few sites to choose from.
We paid for two nights since we planned to do a few long hikes in the park.
Ironically, in the past few days we hiked on rocky and uneven terrain, but I had to roll my ankle just as I stepped out of the van in our campsite. It didn’t hurt too much yet and we went for a short hike. We may need to compromise on the longer hikes.
Southern Headland Trail 2.2km ● 15m elevation gain/loss
This looks like something I could do with a sprained ankle.
The trail leads to a breathtaking lookout,
meanders through rock formations to other equally stunning vistas,
and finally ascends to this bay.
The hike ends on the dog-friendly beach
and a boardwalk that led us back to the campground. There are echoes of the Group of Seven throughout the north, and you can find displays such as this in locations that the members of the group used to frequent.
I was surprised that my ankle was not showing any signs of trauma, but I remembered reading my blogging friend’s, Jim Borden, post about how he rolled his ankle and what he did, so I was ready for what came next. About 5 hours after rolling my ankle the pain arrived in force. I RICEd it following Jim’s recommendations and even though the pain kept me up most of the night, by morning the pain was almost gone and I was ready for another hike. Thanks, Jim!
Manito Miikana 2km ●17m elevation gain/loss
The trail took us through mossy forests
that looked a lot like the Spanish Moss in Georgia,
and again, to beautiful vistas of the lake,
and its rocky islands.
Along the way, we came across a big group of these beauties. They look like Mergansers. They also look a bit like the island above.
We still had time and my ankle seemed fine so we went for another short walk along the beach.
Beach Trail 2km ● 5m elevation gain/loss
The walk along the driftwood littered beach was a relaxing way to end our stay at this beautiful park.
If you are planning a northern Lake Superior (Canadian side) excursion, this interactive hiking map will help you plan your hikes. We are hoping to come back and hike the rest of the trails another time.
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Pukaskwa is gorgeous. We visited later in the summer during our second Northern Ontario road trip. Glad you were able to snag a campsite. We ended up staying at Neys for three nights and took a day-trip to Pukaskwa to hike. That’s too bad that you rolled your ankle. Glad you were able to do some short hikes to explore the park though.
It is gorgeous! I really hope we will be able to go back and explore more next summer!
I hate reservations! It nice to hear you don’t need reservations for this provincial park. By the sounds of it, it’s a great park to enjoy. We’re heading out this weekend to get our new (old used) canoe. So it’s a good opportunity to field test Tranquility and celebrate our 17th anniversary!
Yeah, we rarely make reservations. Pukaskwa is a National Park and is managed differently than the provincial parks. Happy Anniversary!
What a picturesque park! It really does look like a Group of Seven painting. Take care of yourself 😉
It is and it does! Thanks, Linda, you take care as well <3
This sounds like gambling for campers without the financial risk. I’m glad that it worked out for you. What a great spot for the hostages! It’s been a long time since I was in Ontario, but I don’t remember moss like that. You’re right—looks exactly like the Spanish moss of Georgia.
Dr. Borden will be pleased that he got a mention. I remember that post, too. The only charge is that you add to his stats. 🤣🤣🤣
Haha, yes, we like to live on the edge. The hostages remained at home and got a bit of a break from us (also, they have to work). Yeah, I hope that this will add a follower or two for him to obsess about 🙂
I’m glad that you were able to get your hikes in despite rolling your ankle. And I’m glad my post about RICE helped a bit. It looks like there were so many stunning views of water on your hikes, which would have been the highlight of such hikes for me. I think I like water more than my stats… (I know, hard to imagine…) 🙂
Oh, the RICE method helped a lot, and yeah, I find that I enjoy water /views of water a lot too! I may be more obsessed than you are…now I don’t only check my own stats, but yours as well. You are up 3 🙂
it must have been your post – thanks!
🙂
Looks beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks! And thanks for stopping by!
A beautiful spot, for sure. Thanks for sharing. Allan
It is, and you are welcome!