Ready for your next adventure? An Ontario hiking trail is just waiting to be explored, and you’ll find it inside Mississagi Provincial Park. Here’s what to know about the MacKenzie Trail.
Mississagi Provincial Park, which is about five hours north of Toronto, is home to rugged landscapes of “ancient hills and clear lakes located west of Sudbury,” per Ontario Parks.
What to expect
Its scenery is composed of a series of hills, ridges, cliffs, and valleys with sparkling blue lakes.
It is considered an excellent location for trout fishing, backcountry camping and of course, hiking trails. Come prepared and get those hiking boots on — there are several trails to explore.
According to Ontario Parks, there are exactly seven hiking trails to choose from, varying in duration and difficulty.
Though the Helenbar Lookout Trail has a stunning lookout spot that sits atop a north-facing ridge, the MacKenzie Trail offers some of that and much more.
Full disclaimer, this trail is not beginner-friendly — it’s for avid hikers who get a thrill out of a long adventure. So if this sounds like something up your alley, get ready.
It takes two days to complete, according to Ontario Parks. It is the longest and outermost loop of the trail network — 22 km long.
The trail has a few backcountry campsites for hikers who want to camp during their adventure. These campsites are located on the Brush Lakes.
“From the Brush Lakes Lookout and other lookouts along the eastern edge of the trail, you can look across the vast Stag Lake Peatlands, a provincially significant wetland filling part of the Boland Valley,” shares Ontario Parks.
“The Helenbar Lookout and Semiwite Lake Trails can be combined with the Mackenzie for a multi-day backcountry hike.”
And as previously mentioned, this trail offers a series of lookouts.
The easternmost section of the trail offers lookouts over the Stag Lake Peatlands, with more to follow as the trail “hugs the cliff-top edge of a small box canyon,” according to Ontario Parks.
“Perhaps the best lookout in the park is from a rocky outcrop that overlooks the Brush Lakes with the Peatland off in the distance.”
Now this is what we call being one with nature!
Plan your trip accordingly and embark on this long, rewarding journey.
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