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Lake Superior

Lake Superior Provincial Park

Backcountry Camping

1. The Experience:

The backcountry of Lake Superior Provincial Park provides access to numerous hiking and paddling opportunities which vary from easy day trips to multi-day adventures along the dramatic coast of Lake Superior.

Lake Superior Provincial Park is known for its 150 km of maintained canoe routes and 130 km of hiking trails.

Eleven hiking trails let visitors explore the landscapes that make up Lake Superior – rocky shores, beaches, lakes and rivers, forests, wetlands, and rolling hills. Fall hiking is popular when the leaves change, and the hills become alive with colour.

Fishing is a popular activity at Lake Superior. The park boasts a fine Brook Trout fishery, plus opportunities for Lake Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Salmon.

There are 163 backcountry campsites in Lake Superior Provincial Park which are divided into 76 zones. All zones have designated campsites with access to box privies. Some campsites have designated metal firepits.

Campsites on some of the more popular backcountry areas, such as Mijinemungshing Lake, come with a picnic table. Several backcountry campsites along the Coastal Hiking Trail are equipped with a food locker.

2. Reservations and Interior Camping Permits

Hiking or Paddling: Zone-specific reservations are available online or by phone up to five months in advance of arrival.

Reservations are recommended to secure your backcountry campsite.

Interior camping permits are required for backcountry camping at Lake Superior Provincial Park.

If you print a copy of your reservation confirmation letter before arrival, you may proceed directly to your access point. You will be required to display your reservation number on your vehicle’s dash and keep a copy of the confirmation letter with you while in the backcountry.

If you do not print your reservation confirmation letter in advance, you will need to pick up your permit at the park before proceeding to your access point. Refer to Table 1 for in-park permit pick-up locations. Interior camping permits may be purchased at the park, where availability exists. Refer to Table 1 for in-park sales locations.

3. Trip Planning

A map of Lake Superior Provincial Park is available for purchase online. Refer to Table 1 for in-park map purchase locations.

Backcountry access points are located at Agawa Bay, Sinclair Cove, Sand River, Katherine Cove, Coldwater River, Orphan Lake Hiking Trail, and Gargantua Road. Additional access points for paddlers include Old Woman Bay and Michipicoten Bay/Michipicoten River.

Please carefully review your planned trip before making a reservation. It is your responsibility to ensure you can safely complete the trip.

There is a ban on cans and glass bottles (all non-burnable food or beverage containers) in the backcountry of Lake Superior.

To prevent the introduction of non-native species, the possession or use of live baitfish within Lake Superior is prohibited. Additional special fishery regulations apply to some lakes in the park. For more information please refer to the most current Ontario Fishery Regulations Summary.

Outboard motors, including electric motors, are not allowed on interior lakes, but are allowed on Lake Superior.

For more information about Lake Superior and local outfitters, click here.

Please be respectful of the natural environment and other visitors. Practice leave-no-trace camping, camp only on designated campsites, and be aware of your surrounding neighbours, ecology, and wildlife. We appreciate your efforts to maintain this pristine environment.

Table 1

Dates LSPP Interior Camping Permit Pick-up Locations (during regular business hours)
May 7 to 19 Red Rock Park Office (7 days a week)
May 20 to June 24 Red Rock Park Office, the park store in the Agawa Visitor Centre (7 days a week)
June 25 to Sept 26 Red Rock Park Office, park store in the Agawa Visitor Centre, Agawa Bay and Rabbit Blanket Lake Campground gatehouses (7 days a week)
Sept 27 to Oct 10 Red Rock Park Office (Monday to Friday), the park store in the Agawa Visitor Centre (7 days a week)
Oct 11 to 24 Red Rock Park Office (Monday to Friday)

Car Camping

Lake Superior Provincial Park offers camping in two campgrounds with one quarter of all sites providing electrical service. Reservations are available for sites at Agawa Bay and Rabbit Blanket Lake Campgrounds.

Campgrounds:

Rabbit Blanket Lake Campground is situated on an inland lake with a small beach area. The forest is mixed allowing for some shaded sites and some more open. The campground is close to Hwy 17. There are 60 sites, 20 of which are electrical. There is a comfort station with flush toilets, showers and laundry and a trailer dump and fill station.

Agawa Bay Campground is located right on Lake Superior, on a 3 km beach. More than half of the campsites have a view of Lake Superior. Forest cover is primarily mature pine trees. The campground is adjacent to Hwy 17. There are 147 sites, 38 of which are electrical. Facilities include two comfort stations with flush toilets, showers and laundry and a trailer dump and fill station. There is an outdoor amphitheatre and the Visitor Centre is a short walk from the campground.

Note: Crescent Lake campground is closed.

Radio-Free Camping

The south portion of Agawa Bay Campground is radio-free (all campsites in the 300s).