Rock Point Trail is a 4.1-km loop trail in Blue Lake Provincial Park in Northern Ontario. This trail winds through a variety of environments from cedar groves to Jack Pine ridges. Your journey starts at the beaver pond and loops back to the campground near M road. The trail has a rough natural surface with some boardwalk sections, with a high elevation of 1283 feet, a low elevation of 1242 feet, and total climbing of 70 feet.
Get in
[edit | edit source]To get to the park, take Highway 17 (the Trans-Canada Highway) to Vermilion Bay, west of Dryden.
From the west end of Vermilion Bay, drive north on Highway 647 to the entrance of Blue Lake Provincial Park. Turn left to enter the park. After passing the entrance station, turn left, and go past the group camping area to the parking area at the end of the road.
Walk
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The trail starts at the 1 trail sign by the bridge (1247 ft) across the stream. Pick up a trail guide here. The guide says that the trail is quite long, so you should be prepared to hike for a few hours. This is a rather excessive warning, as the trail is easily completed in 2 hours even at a very leisurely pace. The trail surface is rough, with wet areas, so hiking boots are needed.
Start your hike by crossing the bridge. The first portion is boardwalk. You quickly come to a 2 first junction (1247 ft). Keep to the right. After 100 meters, a 3 second junction (1250 ft) is reached. Leave the boardwalk and continue to the right. The trail guide describes four forest communities that you will encounter along the trail. You are now in the first: Towering Trees. After 400 meters, there is a 4 post beside the trail (1254 ft) that appears to be missing a sign. A short side trail to the right leads to a 5 picnic table and Blue Lake viewpoint (1253 ft) and a nice view of Blue Lake. After admiring the view, retrace your steps to the post and continue along the trail to the right. After 700 meters, there is another 6 Blue Lake viewpoint (1261 ft). Shortly after this point, you reach another 7 trail junction (1257 ft). The park Information Guide shows an outhouse near here, but it does not appear to exist. Keep left to stay on the Rock Point Trail.
The trail now climbs into the Rock Garden environment. This is a series of granite ridges, the highest of which is reached at the 8 highest granite ridge (1283 ft) after 900 meters. The trail continues to run between and along the ridges before descending and reaching the third environment, the 9 Cedar Grove (1247 ft), after 1.5 km. Your first 10 Corner Lake viewpoint (1249 ft) is reached after 1.6 km.
A 11 Alder Tangle boardwalk (1247 ft) through the fourth environment, the Alder Tangle, starts after 1.7 km. Notice the 12 Labrador Tea (1247 ft) shown on the trail guide after 1.9 km. There is an 13 outhouse (1247 ft) after 2.2 km, and just beyond it, a 14 trail orientation sign (1247 ft). This is the only place where the trail may be difficult to follow. Head out along the rock ridges ahead and to the right, and follow them parallel to the shoreline of Corner Lake. At the end of the rock, a 15 forest re-entry sign (1242 ft) marks where the trail re-enters the forest after 2.3 km.
Much of the next section of trail is wet, with some pieces of wood laid down to help keep your feet dry, but good hiking boots are a must. After 3.2 km, a 16 stream boardwalk (1244 ft) crosses the stream flowing from Blue Lake to Corner Lake, but high water levels may leave it under a couple inches of water. After 3.5 km, there is an 17 unmarked junction (1253 ft); continue straight ahead to the 18 end of the trail (1256 ft) at a campground road.
To return to your car, follow the road to the left, keeping left until you reach the parking area, a total of 4.1 km.