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Porphyry Island Provincial Park

Operating Dates

To see 2023 operating dates please view full parks listing.

Non-operating parks do not have operating dates.

Facilities

All Terrain Wheelchairs symbol Amphitheatres symbol Art Galleries symbol Backcountry Access Points symbol Boat Launches symbol Campsites (Backcountry) symbol Campsites (Car Camping) symbol Campsites (Dog Free) symbol Campsites (Electrical) symbol Campsites (Group) symbol Campsites (Radio Free) symbol Campsites (RV Pullthrough) symbol Campsites (Seasonal Campsite Rental) symbol Campsites (Total) symbol Campsites (Walk In) symbol Comfort Stations symbol Docks symbol Dog Beaches symbol Fish Cleaning Buildings symbol Food Concessions symbol Group BBQ's symbol Historic Buildings symbol Laundromat symbol Museums (Logging etc.) symbol Park Store symbol Pet Exercise Areas symbol Picnic Shelters symbol Playgrounds symbol Pools symbol Rentals - Bike symbol Rentals - Canoe symbol Rentals - Cross-country skis symbol Rentals - Ice Fishing Kit symbol Rentals - Ice Skates symbol Rentals - Kayak symbol Rentals - Motorboat symbol Rentals - Paddleboat symbol Rentals - Snowshoes symbol Rentals - Stand Up Paddleboard symbol Roofed Accommodation symbol Showers symbol Toilets (Interior Earth Pit) symbol Toilets (Vault Privies) symbol Trailer Dump / Fill Stations symbol Visitor Centres symbol Warm Up Shelters symbol Wifi (Public) symbol

Activities

Biking symbol Biking - (Mountain Bike) symbol Birding - Festivals symbol Boating symbol Boating - Motorboat Restrictions symbol Camping - Backcountry symbol Camping - Car symbol Camping - Dog Free symbol Camping - Group symbol Camping - Radio Free symbol Camping - Seasonal Campsite Rental symbol Camping - Walk In symbol Camping - Winter (includes Roofed) symbol Canoeing symbol Dark Sky Viewing symbol Disc Golf symbol Discovery Program symbol Dogsledding symbol Fishing symbol Hiking symbol Hiking - Overnight Trails symbol Horseback Riding symbol Hunting symbol Ice Skating symbol Kite Boarding symbol Rock Climbing symbol Skiing - Cross Country symbol Snowmobiling symbol Snowshoeing symbol Swimming symbol Tobogganing symbol Whitewater Paddling symbol

Please note: Availability of some facilities and activities may be restricted to specific areas of the park, may be ecologically dependent, or may be seasonally weather dependent.

General Information

Regional Health Unit for this Park: Thunder Bay District Health Unit

Phone:

(807) 977-2526

Size: 106.84 ha

Year established: 1968

Park Classification: Nature Reserve

Address:

c/o Sleeping Giant Provincial Park RR #1, Hwy 587

Pass Lake

P0T 2M0

Tread Lightly. Nature Reserve

What You'll Like:

Porphyry Island is the last island in a chain stretching southwest from the Black Bay Peninsula. It is generally flat to rolling with little relief and the rugged shoreline offers little shelter. The rocks of the peninsula and the island are of Late Precambrian age and consist of more than 300 distinctive lava flows. These ancient volcanic flows are typically grey-green basalt intermixed with minor amounts of sedimentary rocks. Geologists call these rocks the Osler Group. The island and nature reserve take their name from the characteristic quartz and feldspar crystals, or porphyries found in the volcanic rocks. The nature reserve is on the southern margin of the boreal forest. Its interior supports a mixed forest dominated by white birch in the south and balsam fir in the north. Wetlands with concentrations of black spruce are also found here. Lichens are commonly seen draping mature trees and as barrens intermixed with hardy flowering plants along rocky shorelines. The rocky shores also support arctic species, like encrusted saxifrage, insectivorous butterwort and the sedge. Of greater interest is the presence of devil’s club in the forest. Populations of this thorny shrub here, and on adjacent islands, are the only known occurrences east of the Rocky Mountains.

Park Facilities and Activities: This nature reserve is managed to protect its significant biological and geological values. There are no visitor facilities and the islands remote location makes visitation difficult. The unauthorized collection of rare plants and other natural objects from the nature reserve is prohibited. Anyone wishing to conduct scientific research must obtain an approved research application.

Location: The southern end of the Black Bay Peninsula, in Lake Superior, east of Sleeping Giant Provincial Park.