Fall hiking at Rainbow Falls Provincial Park

Todays’ post is from Allison Spadoni, superintendent of our Nipigon Node parks, Rainbow Falls, Neys, and White Lake. 

Ah, fall!

It’s the ideal time of year for getting outside and tackling some of the longer hikes on your bucket list!

What makes the fall season such a great time for hiking?

Well, while the days are still relatively long and warm, the temperatures have begun to drop, making it more comfortable to work up a sweat while hiking outdoors.

The black flies and mosquitos are gone for the year and the fall colours make some already spectacular views even more special to take in. What more could a hiker ask for?

One destination worth adding to your hiking bucket list is the Casque Isle Hiking Trail, a rugged 53 km section of the Voyageur Trail located between the Township of Terrace Bay and the Village of Rossport. Portions of this trail also travels through Rainbow Falls Provincial Park.

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5 reasons to visit Lake Superior Provincial Park this fall

Amber reds, warm yellows, and oranges as brilliant as a nighttime campfire – there are few places with fall colours as memorable as Lake Superior Provincial Park.

Here are five other reasons why we think Lake Superior is a top northern park to visit this autumn:

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Ruffing it at Ontario Parks: a dog’s perspective on camping

This post is brought to you from our guest blogger Sitka the Border Collie, with help from her human Laura Myers, a strategic market development specialist with Ontario Parks.

Hello! My name is Sitka and I’m a dog.

My humans love to camp! From the moment they brought me home when I was eight weeks old, they said, “I can’t wait for all the camping adventures we will go on, little one.”

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6 parks with extended fall camping seasons

Cooler weather. No bugs. The pumpkin pie aroma wafting from your campfire, and the warmth of hot chocolate in your hands.

It must be fall camping season!

Searching for the perfect destination? These six parks will be extending their camping seasons this year:

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5 reasons to visit Pancake Bay Provincial Park

Never visited Lake Superior?

Let us introduce you to this stunning body of water with a park that showcases how great this lake is: Pancake Bay Provincial Park!

If you’re travelling from the east or south, Pancake Bay is the first provincial park with camping you’ll come across on Superior.

Located less than an hour north of Sault Ste. Marie, this park is perfect to start or cap off your Lake Superior adventures.

Check out these five reasons to visit Pancake Bay Provincial Park:

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Befriending the beings of Lake Superior Provincial Park

Today’s blog comes from Zahra Ebrahim, Lake Superior Provincial Park’s 2022 artist-in-residence.

It was spring of 2022 when I got a phone call from the Friends of Lake Superior Park to let me know that I had been selected as one of the two 2022 artists-in-residence.

Lake Superior has played a huge role in my life.

When I was young, my family immigrated to Canada from Kenya and established Vancouver as our home.

Growing up, the Pacific Ocean was a companion, helping me feel a deep sense of place and belonging in a city and community that hadn’t yet understood how to embrace intersectional, racialized families.

The waters of the Pacific provided a connection to the coastal waters of the Indian Ocean that my family grew up on, serving as the backdrop to some of our most memorable moments.

Fifteen years ago, I moved to Ontario and adventured through its spectacular landscape. But it was only when I first camped on Lake Superior that I felt that same sense of place and belonging as I do on the west coast.

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7 iconic vistas of northwestern Ontario

Ontario Parks is fortunate to be able to both protect and showcase an abundance of natural vistas across the province.

While some locations are relatively easy to access, others will challenge you before rewarding you with their amazing views.

Here are seven iconic vistas to discover and explore this season.

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Try a regular dose of camping for good health

Time to reach for our sleeping bags and tents?

Research shows that camping in nature is good for our mental and physical well-being.

What better reason to head out with family and friends into the great outdoors and sleep under the stars?

Check out the brain and body benefits of camping:

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The Daily Dip at Lake Superior Provincial Park

Today’s blog comes from Kaitlyn Plastino, Discovery Interpreter at Lake Superior Provincial Park

As park staff living and working along the Lake Superior coastline, we naturally get a lot of questions about the water: “So how cold is it here anyway?” and “Is it warm enough to swim yet?”

The short answer we give visitors is: “If you aren’t used to the water, it’s probably too cold…but I’ve been swimming since May, so it’s warm enough for me!”

Here at Lake Superior Provincial Park, we have a tradition: the Daily Dip.

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Help us fill Breeding Bird Atlas gaps!

In today’s post, Ontario Parks Northeast Zone Ecologist Anna Sheppard is asking for your helping hands (actually, eyes. And ears.)

Planning to visit any of these northwestern parks this summer?

If so, and you’re a fan of birds, then I have a favour to ask!

These parks are especially important to the Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas, and the atlas needs your help.

Continue reading Help us fill Breeding Bird Atlas gaps!