Chikanishing Trail – Killarney, Ontario

Chikanishing Trail
©2011 Wolfmaan.com

The Chikanishing Trail is a short 3.5km hiking loop which lay at the southernmost section of Killarney Provincial park in Ontario Canada. Although the trail is very short, almost every turn of the trail is steeped in history, and breath-taking views of Georgian Bay.

The trail starts by climbing a very large pink coloured rock, which has the trailhead sign on the top. The sign advises that this trail is challenging and will take about 3 hours to complete. The sign also advises you to be prepared for hiking by carrying a backpack full of supplies.

 

Heading out on the trail, I could feel the sun beating down on the exposed rock. The rock felt smooth, and very warm under my bare feet. Right past the trailhead sign, the beauty of Georgian Bay shows itself.

Large gnarled pine and birch trees grow right out of the giant stone surface, clinging for dear life in the constant windswept area. Closer to the ground, sagebrush, lichen, and moss have taken hold in some of the depressions, holding fast in this harsh environment.

Following the trail markings which are painted right on the rock, the trail weaves its way on the rock surface to a beautiful view of the Chikanishing river, with a backdrop of the white quartzite LaCloche Mountain range. With the exception of birdsong, there isn’t a sound to be heard.

Following alongside the Chikanishing River, perched high atop massive rock faces, the trail slowly leads to Georgian Bay.
When the bay comes into view, it’s almost impossible to not be filled with a form of nostalgia. This exact area is where Samuel de Champlain paddled out into the bay for the first time with his native paddlers. This is where the Canadian spirit was forged. Almost unchanged in over three hundred years, the deep blue water is dotted with countless islands which stretch out as far as the eye can see.

The area has seen much history in Canada. The area was the home of many First Nations people, followed by merchant traders, and fishermen. Over time pirates moved into these waters to take advantage of the merchants and were quickly driven off by the British Royal Navy.

In more recent history, the area was host to the Logging industry for almost 100 years. Evidence of the logging industry is still evident in some areas as old-grown logs can be seen lurking just below the surface of the crystal clear waters.

The trail moves away from the lakeshore, and into some low-lying wooded areas which were quite different than the lakeshore. Almost magically, the area morphs from massive windswept rocks sparsely covered with trees and moss, to a lush forest. The forest is protected from the relentless winds. Small animals can be heard scurrying about. The tree species here are more varied with different species of oak, ash, and beech.
Small wooden logs have been set-out on the ground for hikers to walk over. These prevent wet feet from the swampy forest bottom.

The trail leads back toward the parking lot, and back onto the massive, bare rocks.

Killarney Provincial Park is often called the “Crown jewel of the Ontario Parks”. Having visited many of the Ontario parks, I wholeheartedly agree. Killarney Provincial park is a pleasure to behold, and must be experienced to be fully comprehended.
Please watch the video below for a more in-depth look at the trail.