La Cloche Silhouette Backpacking Trail - Killarney Provincial Park

The La Cloche Silhouette trail is named in honour and memory of The Group of Seven Artist Franklin Carmichael’s painting, of the same name. This iconic backpacking route covers a total of 78 kilometers and is arguably, and quite possibly, some of the most rugged and beautiful hiking in Ontario. You will appreciate having this print on your wall even more after this hike!

Why post this trip so early?

One:
Good planning! Ensures you keep 4 vacation days for October.

Two:
Hard work is the Reward! Start conditioning now so you can ROCK this trail!

Three:
Lets you start thinking of doing something different with your Thanksgiving weekend this year. Two days on the couch with turkey belly and Netflix, or come HIKE with us!

A breakdown of the 7 days, 6 nights, on the trail:

Sunday:
Our trek begins when we arrive at Killarney Provincial Park on Sunday morning. Whether you decide to camp there the night before, or arrive by 10am that morning, we will start out at George Lake and hike the 10.5kms to our first campsite (H7) Topaz Lake. This first leg is known for its gentle rolling hills, beaver dams, yellow birch, red maples, white pines, and pink granite rock. It’s mainly flat with a few steep pitches and creek crossings.

Thanksgiving Monday:
We set course for our next campsite (H19), 12.8kms at Threenarrows Lake. There’s a lovely lakeside lunch spot at campsite (H16) about halfway along this leg. As we approach Threenarrows Lake we’ll traverse a steep portage route and follow the old logging road to our destination. This remote and beautiful area was once rumoured to be a summer getaway spot for the notorious gangster Al Capone (let's look for clues).

Tuesday:
On our third day we’ll begin our north ascent into the La Cloche Mountains. Our destination campsite is (H31) Shigaug Lake, some 14.7kms. Steep cliffs and waterfalls make up our scenery during this leg of the journey. We’ll burn lots of calories, earn our stripes, and have stories to tell about this section.

Wednesday:
Fourth day destination, Silver Lake, campsite (H38), is 13kms. Deep into the wilds of Killarney now, the views will be breathtaking – stark white mountains and acid blue lakes with big skies. It is true that the most difficult places to reach are often the most beautiful! Before we reach our campsite we’ll have the option of taking the side trail (2.8kms) to the top of Silver Peak.

Thursday:
On our fifth day the trail will start leading us back down into the lower lying deciduous forests again. We’ll hike 10.6kms to our campsite (H49) at Little Superior Lake. This particular section of the trail is named after Rick Hansen – the famous paraplegic athlete for his Man in Motion World Tour.

Friday:
The sixth day will see us hike through the enormous chasm that is famously known as “The Crack”. The steep decent down the other side will return us to the hardwood forests and our last campsite (H50), at Sealey’s Lake, some 6.4kms for this day.

Saturday:
We break camp on the seventh day and hike the remaining 5.3kms to the cars. Soon we’ll be on the road and returning home with plenty of memories and the privilege of having hiked this challenging trail.

It will be mandatory that you attend a meeting (I will post before the trip) to ensure everyone is well prepared and we have an opportunity to meet each other before we hike.

Don’t be fooled by the daily 10 - 14 km hiking distances. Ontario Parks recommends not attempting this hike in fewer than 5 days. This is an advanced hike with many steep sections and ridges. This will also be a great opportunity to see if you enjoy a full week on the trail.

Cost:

$12.43 X 6 = $74.58: Backcountry site fee

You will also need need cash for:
(i) Food and Ice Cream for the drive
(ii) Fuel for the drive (split evenly between drivers and passengers)