Hiking at Restoule Provincial Park in Central Ontario

After our stop at Driftwood Provincial Park, we continued on to North Bay before heading southwest toward Restoule Provincial Park, where we planned to spend a few days. It was my first time traveling through the region south of Lake Nipissing, and the winding roads leading to Restoule made it feel as though we were venturing deep into the Ontario wilderness.

I had wanted to visit Restoule Provincial Park for a long time, mainly because it is known for its hiking trail to an old fire tower. I have a special fondness for fire towers ever since hiking to a few summits with them in the Adirondacks, so I didn’t want to miss this one.

In the end, we really loved our stay at Restoule Provincial Park. It definitely deserves to be better known!

A bit of history

Restoule Provincial Park protects more than 2,000 hectares of land south of the large Lake Nipissing. Bordered by Restoule Lake and Stormy Lake, it features terrain typical of this part of the Canadian Shield: mixed forest, rocky escarpments, and a rich ecosystem.

The park takes its name from the Restoule family (whose traditional name was Wajashk), members of the Anishinaabe nation who lived and traveled throughout the surrounding lands and lakes.

The park has nearly 300 campsites, two beaches, an off-leash dog area, and several hiking trails. I didn’t have the chance to hike all of them, but I did complete the park’s most popular hike: the Fire Tower Trail.

Fire Tower Trail

4.1-kilometre loop. This trail is shaped like a figure eight (two intersecting loops), and I chose to hike it clockwise for no particular reason. My dog Suki and I arrived at the trailhead early in the morning. The weather was a bit gloomy, but the rain hadn’t started yet, and there weren’t too many mosquitoes. The forest was perfectly quiet.

The trail was well marked and gently wound its way through the forest. As we advanced, we came across more rocky surfaces, but nothing too difficult.

After about one kilometre, I caught glimpses through the trees of Stormy Lake and its famous towering rock cliff.

From there, the trail became a bit steeper, much to my delight (and Suki’s)! After reaching the point where the two loops intersect, I took the trail to the left and enjoyed a good climb over the rocks, which brought me to the top of the 100-metre-high cliff I had spotted earlier.

And what a view from the top! It was a shame there was a bit of fog, but it was still absolutely beautiful.

From there, I only had a short distance left before reaching the historic fire tower. It isn’t possible to climb it. But it was still impressive. Compared to the ones I’ve seen in the Adirondacks, it seemed incredibly tall!

Suki and I then continued our hike, descending back into the forest. This section of the trail felt a little less steep (although there were still some good climbs and descents), but it featured several lovely wooden boardwalks. With the green ferns, pine trees, and lichen-covered rocks, the forest looked as though it had come straight out of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale.

We also came across a lookout near Amber Lake, where a few bullfrogs were croaking. After more boardwalks and a few more ups and downs, we eventually returned to our starting point, very satisfied with the hike.

Angel’s Point Trail

2.8-kilometre loop. Angel’s Point Trail was the other trail we hiked during our stay at Restoule Provincial Park. As its name suggests, the trail is located on a point of land along Restoule Lake.

It is designed for mountain biking, but it is also very enjoyable to hike. The trail is generally flat, with a few gentle climbs and descents. There are two viewpoints overlooking Restoule Lake. Most of all, though, the mixed forest is especially beautiful.

There are several other hiking trails in the provincial park that we didn’t have time to explore. That gives me a great reason to come back one day!