Outside is your best side: Hiking in Huntsville and Algonquin Park

Nature is good for us. It can boost mental health, reduce stress, and generally make us happier. When you step into a forest, the world falls away behind you, replaced by calming greens, the gentle sounds of wind through the trees and birds singing in the canopy, the smell of pine or cedar. Huntsville, and the nearby Algonquin Provincial Park have no shortage of spectacular hiking trails for you to get away from it all, for a few hours on a short walk in the woods to full-day forest adventures.

Arrowhead Provincial Park

A short drive from Downtown Huntsville, Arrowhead Provincial Park awaits. With five hiking trails leading to a spectacular lookout or a waterfall, skirting stunning lakes, or offering up a history lesson, there’s something to satisfy every hiker.

Begin at the Big Bend Lookout. This short walk leads to a birds-eye view of the Big East River from atop the remains of a glacial delta. It’s one of the most recognizable vistas in the park, thanks to its Instagram-worthy beauty.

The Mayflower Lake (1 km) and Stubb’s Falls (2 km) trails are also high in enjoyment when you’re short on time. Each will take just 30-45 minutes to complete. Mayflower is a deep, spring-fed lake where you might spot a Rainbow Trout in the shallows or a beaver swimming by. At Stubb’s Falls, the Little East River spills down a rock chute that you can observe from either the banks or a bridge above.

Homesteaders Trail (3 km), as its name suggests, passes through an area cleared by early settlers to the area in the 1870s. The farm has been long-abandoned and reclaimed by forest, but you can still see remnants of the lives that once called it home.

Arrowhead’s longest trail, the Beaver Meadow Trail (7 km) circles a large beaver pond where sightings of beavers, otters, moose, and great blue herons are a possibility. Look for remnants of the old Oke homestead, including building foundations and apple trees and imagine what life might have been like here more than a century ago.

An Ontario Parks permit is required to access these trails, and capacity limits may be in place at certain times of the year.

Algonquin Provincial Park

Ontario’s first provincial park is world-renowned for its scenery, wildlife viewing opportunities, and abundant outdoor experiences. Twenty interpretive walking trails, most of which can be easily accessed from the Highway 60 corridor, each highlight the many aspects of the park from its history to its unique landscape.

If you’re short on time or have kids in tow, try the Spruce Bog Boardwalk Trail (at km 42.5 on Hwy 60). Its 1.5 km loop is wheelchair accessible, and is one of the best places in the park to see Canada’s official bird, the charming and brave Canada Jay.

More experienced hikers will enjoy the Track and Tower Trail (7.5 km) for its history and abandoned railway, or the Mizzy Lake Trail (10.8 km) for its nine ponds and small lakes and the strong chance of seeing moose and beaver.

On the other side of the park, you’ll find more history — that goes waaaay back. The Brent Crater Trail, accessible from Hwy 17 at the northeast edge of the park is short on distance but long on fascination. The Brent Crater is believed to have been formed by a meteorite impact around 400 million years ago!

An Ontario Parks permit is required to access these trails, and capacity limits may be in place at certain times of the year.

Limberlost Forest & Wildlife Reserve

With more than a dozen hiking trails, multiple waterfalls, pristine lakes, rest cabins, and abundant wildlife including osprey and loons, beavers and otters, deer and moose, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more beautiful natural setting than Limberlost Forest & Wildlife Reserve.

This private reserve is open daily for free public use from 9-5 and has more than 70 km of trails, many of which follow the shores of the reserve’s many lakes.

The Buck Lake Trail (8.5 km) offers a rare treat. In addition to two waterfalls, a rest cabin, and a bird sanctuary, a small island is home to an osprey nest. Hike quietly through this section of trail in the spring and summer so you don’t disturb the nesting pair and their chicks.

The most spectacular feature of the Solitaire Lake Trail (13 km) is the view from Echo Rock lookout high above the lake. This is a stunning trail in September and October when fall colours are at their peak. Look for the sparkling quartz outcropping near the lookout too.

Year-round adventure

There’s no need to limit your hikes to the summer months. Fall colours, a snowy winter landscape, and the emergence of plant life in the spring all provide a new perspective. No matter the season, these hiking trails don’t disappoint!

After a day of breathtaking hiking through Huntsville's vibrant forests, there's nothing quite like cozying up in a charming Muskoka retreat. Book your stay to relive the day's scenic views and feel grateful for the perfect Muskoka moment.