Backpack Lake Superior Coastal Trail

[This is an advanced trip. Be sure to read the full listing before signing up.]

The Coastal Trail in Lake Superior Provincial Park is one of the premier hikes in Canada. It’s a challenging hike covering 60km of rugged Lake Superior coast over six days, but the spectacular views and beautiful beaches make it well worth the effort.

Check out this Globe & Mail (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/destinations/lake-superior-trail-a-taste-of-the-coast-in-central-canada/article571481/) article for a little inspiration, or a more formal description of the trail here (http://www.lakesuperiorpark.ca/index.php/hiking-the-coastal-trail).

Our objective will be to hike from Agawa Campground in the south end of the park to Gargantua Harbour in the north where we will pick up the shuttle car we will have left on the first day. If we make good time on our hike, we can explore the trail north of Gargantua Harbour.

We will carpool from KW or Toronto to the park, making the trip to Agawa Bay in a single day. On the Sunday we will leave a shuttle car at Gargantua Harbour and start our hike north. After our hike, we will retrieve our other car from Agawa Bay, have lunch in Saulte Saint Marie, then spend the night at Chutes Provincial Park near Sudbury to break up the long drive home.

Itinerary:

Sat. Aug. 15 - Drive 10 hours to Agawa Bay Campground
Sun. Aug. 15 - Shuttle car to Gargantua Harbour
Sun. Aug. 15 to Friday Aug 21 - Hike to Gargantua Harbour
Sat. Aug. 22 - Drive to Chutes Provincial Park (about 4.5 hours)
Sun. Aug. 23 - Drive home

As this will be almost 2000km of driving, I suggest we limit ourselves to 3 cars. I have provided a Shared Document (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SMYVsjnHfx_gyH-_uXRYExxeEeMOO97iTm6LTHtm-G8/edit?usp=sharing) to use to organize rides. Feel free to add to the spreadsheet if you would like to organize the sharing of other group gear. To be fair to all, I will use the mileage formulas established by the Toronto Outdoor Club to compute car sharing costs.

Park staff informs me that the bridge is washed out at Gargantua Harbour so a river crossing is required, but it should be safe, perhaps nothing more than rock hopping. Bring water shoes if you don’t want to get your shoes wet and aren’t comfortable crossing the river in bare feet.

This is an advanced backpacking trip, and as such it is assumed you don’t need help deciding what gear to take. It is also assumed you will take care of your own food, but feel free to use the shared document (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SMYVsjnHfx_gyH-_uXRYExxeEeMOO97iTm6LTHtm-G8/edit#gid=0) to find people to arrange meal sharing with.

A transferable, but non-refundable deposit of $10 is required to hold your spot on this trip. Please pay through the group Paypal when you sign up. This fee will go towards paying for reservations at Agawa Bay and Chutes.

Note: This is a very rugged hike, on par with the West Coast Trail and harder than Pukaskwa. To attempt this hike you should be an experienced hiker who has done several multi-day trips and hiked rugged terrain such as the Adirondacks; this trail is far harder than anything in Algonquin or Killarney. Experienced hikers have attempted this trail only to spend several days sitting in a parking lot while the rest of the group finishes the hike.

Disclaimer: I’m not a guide, just a fellow going on a hike, looking to carpool and share campsites. You’re responsible to make sure you are capable of doing this trip, and are responsible for your own safety at all times. Never do something you feel is unsafe or beyond your skill level.

How to find us: Arrange carpooling pickup location with your driver.