Orphan Lake remains one of the most popular trails within Lake Superior Provincial Park. With panoramic lookouts, great fishing holes, views of a raging waterfall, shaded walks through a heavily ferned forest, an isolated pebbled beach on Lake Superior, as well as a trek around the remains of a forest fire, the Orphan Lake Trail offers a taste of just about everything that Lake Superior Provincial Park has to offer its visitors. For this reason alone, the Orphan Lake Trail is a must-trek hike when travelling through the large Ontario Park, and one that nature enthusiasts visit again and again, year round. For myself, the Orphan Lake Trail appeals to more than just my inner explorer, but also to my senses, awakening my sense of sound and smell.
Rated moderately difficult by Ontario Parks, the Orphan Lake Trail is eight-kilometres long (approximately five miles), and takes approximately two to four hours to hike. The trail itself is circular: hikers leave the parking lot, located just steps from the TransCanada Highway, travelling four kilometres towards Lake Superior, then walk along the beach for a few hundred metres, before returning into the forest to hike the remainder of the trail back to the parking lot. As simple as the hike sounds, fast and fancy footing is required, making the journey at times challenging.
Perhaps the most photographed post on the route – dare I see even in the park – this lookout provides observers with a stunning view of Orphan Lake, and in the far distance, their first glimpse of Lake Superior on a clear day. Listen carefully, as you can often hear wildlife below, enjoying a drink at the water’s edge, or fishermen celebrating their latest catch.
For the first two kilometres, the trail offers a leisurely stroll through the bush, heavily shaded by a thick forest canopy. Hikers can enjoy a break at the first lookout approximately 400 feet above Lake Superior. Perhaps the most photographed post on the route – dare I say even in the park – this lookout provides observers with a stunning view of Orphan Lake, and in the far distance, their first glimpse of Lake Superior on a clear day. Listen carefully, as you can often hear wildlife below, enjoying a drink at the water’s edge, or fishermen celebrating their latest catch, where the catch of the day ranges from Whitefish, Lake Trout, Perch, and Pyke. One of my favourite things about the Orphan Lake Trail is the echo that permeates from the lake and infiltrates throughout, creating a heightened awareness of your surroundings. You become aware of everything and everyone on the trail, whether in the company of other hikers or wildlife, including bears, deer, wolves, birds, and more.
From the first lookout, the trail begins its steady descend to Lake Superior while travelling simultaneously around the calm shoreline of Orphan Lake. Moss, lichen, mud, small streams, rocks, and boulders, make footing uneasy. In heavy rainfall, the trail is extremely slick and becomes lined with a thick gooey coating of mud, making this path also a mosquito’s paradise. (Yes, unfortunately, this trail gets overridden in the spring months with insects, so come prepared with bug repellant and even netting.) Another lookout provides hikers with the opportunity to gaze at mighty Superior and the rugged coastline, before passing around burned down brush from a forest fire in May of 1998. Blackened maple and pine trees tower above hikers, limbless, creating a gothic and ghostly atmosphere. The smell of the charred wood still lingers.
Finally, two steep descends places hikers on the coast of Lake Superior. As already mentioned, the echo around Orphan Lake is perhaps my favourite memory from the hike. Noise travels for miles around the pond, creating a mystical atmosphere. The same rings true for Lake Superior. Prior to reaching these two final steep stretches, hikers can hear wild waves ricocheting on the shore. The sound makes one think you’re just steps from Lake Superior, when in reality, you’re miles away. The sound gets louder as the smell of freshwater becomes prominent, hinting at your proximity to Superior.
On an overcast day, the trail is dark and dreary due to the thick canopy of the forest. However, a burst light can be seen up ahead, through the tunnel of trees, signalling you’ve reached the edge of the unstable shores of Superior. The water becomes deafening, pounding the shoreline, moving the millions of fist-sized pebbles that line the water’s edge. The pebbles create the illusion of water, rolling into uneven piles, mimicking the powerful waves that caused these vast formations. During a storm, the shoreline becomes engulfed by high tides and the surf.
The mouth of the Baldhead River as seen from the Coastal Trail.
Hikers travel right upon reaching Lake Superior. The Baldhead River becomes the centre of attention, and a new noise becomes clear over the sound of the crashing waves and the bubbling river – the Baldhead Falls in the distance. The trail continues through the forest at the mouth of the Baldhead River, running alongside the tributary, gradually climbing until reaching the falls. The view of the falls is obstructed by the trees, but hikers can make out several drops, each scaling 10-15 feet in height, before the trail leaves the river completely and begins its vertical ascent.
Similar to the trek toward Lake Superior, the trek back to the parking lot is hindered by thick moss coverage as well as dark brown mud. After heavy rainfall, the trail becomes overrun with mud, making for a messy expedition. Coming to the aid of trail users, park staff have created small wooden bridges and trusses to travel across extremely muddy areas; however, these wooden crutches, too, often become consumed by the mud. Be prepared to be welcomed by mosquitoes through this section of the trail.
After climbing over 400 feet, hikers reach the western shore of Orphan Lake, and once again can listen for the echo of other travellers, wildlife, and fishermen. After wandering around the lake and enduring an agonizing climb, hikers can once again enjoy a leisurely stroll through the forest before returning to their car to take them to their next stop in Lake Superior Provincial Park, be it Katherine Cove to the south, or Old Woman Bay, heading north.
Though the Orphan Lake Trail is often described as a day hiker’s paradise, it is more than just that. It is also a backpacker’s utopia, providing access to interior of Lake Superior Provincial Park. The Orphan Lake Trail also provides access to the rugged Coastal Trail, where some of the most pristine beaches can be found. Hikers can access the Coastal Trail via the Orphan Lake Trail once they reach the pebbled beach of Lake Superior. Hikers have the option of turning either right or left upon reaching Superior. To the right, following the Orphan Lake Trail, hikers cross the Baldhead River, bypassing the Baldhead Falls, via wooden bridges constructed by staff, where they will reach one of the largest interior campsite opportunities on the trail (there are five campsites) and be greeted with rugged coastline. By turning right and heading north on the Coastal Trail, hikers will have to endure the hardest portion of the Coastal Trail, south of Gargantua, since Orphan Lake is the last access point for the Coastal Trail until Gargantau Harbour. However, with great pain comes great reward: hikers will also enjoy some of the most spectacular beaches, including Rhyolite Cove. If hikers turn left and hike south toward Agawa Bay, the trail will be difficult, climbing Baldhead Mountain before reaching the sandy beaches of Katherine Cove.
The Orphan Lake Trail provides access to the Coastal Trail. Hikers heading north of the Baldhead River and the Orphan Lake Trail will face gruelling hiking conditions on rugged Lake Superior.
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