Distance hiked: 1.5km
Location: Lake Superior Provincial Park, Ontario
Date: July 4, 2020
Hiking is not always about the distance, but sometimes the views along the way. While many trails in Lake Superior Provincial Park feature sweeping views of the lake and its rugged coastline, Trapper’s Trail (1.5km, rated easy) is reputed to provide a different type of view – of the wildlife. Spoiler alert: it lived up its reputation.
The trailhead for Trapper’s Trail is located off of Highway 17 just north of Orphan Lake and Katherine Cove. The trail follows along the shoreline of Rustle Lake, features two viewing platforms and has a floating boardwalk.
We had a rather ambitious day planned, so we got up bright and early. So early that when we arrived at the trailhead it was around 7:30a.m and we were the only people there. Perfect.
The trail loops around Rustle Lake. We hiked clockwise and started off by walking through the forest along the shoreline. As we were approaching the first boardwalk, we heard splashing in the water. And it was loud. We paused and waited. Sure enough, a moose comes out of the water, crosses the boardwalk in front of us, and heads over to the marshy area on the other side of the lake.
We cautiously approached the boardwalk and watched the moose fade into the bushes. I guess this explains why there weren’t too many bugs around us, it’s because they were all swarming around the moose.
Needless to say, the rest of the hike wasn’t nearly as eventful, but it was still a pretty pleasant hike. The trail is well marked with a series of blue markers and the path is relatively flat with minimal elevation gain.
There are a couple of viewing platforms along the trail that provide a nice view of the lake.
The highlight of the trail (besides the encounter with the moose) is the floating boardwalk near the end of the loop that allows you to walk across the lake and see it up close.
As the trail description says, a quiet walk at dawn really does provide the best wildlife viewing opportunities.
L
My progress on the 52 Hike Challenge can be found here
That just goes to show that Nature gives gifts to those who show up early. Great to see a moose so close. You are probably right….He was a Moosequito Magnet. Thanks for sharing. Allan
Ha, a Moosequito Magnet. That’s cute. We were just happy that we were the only ones out on the trail and that it wasn’t raining. Seeing a moose up close and personal was such a bonus. Thanks for reading.
A moose!!!! You are so fortunate to see one! I have a friend who lives in Maine, and in all our trips up there , we’ve never seen one. Your post is lovely as all of them are!!
Many thanks for your kind words. I’ve only ever seen one moose before when I was in Newfoundland a few summers ago. But it was a calf, so much smaller than the moose we saw on this trail. I’ve been to Maine a few times and haven’t seen much in terms of wildlife either (except for birds and bugs).
Especially mosquitoes!!!
Those pesky skeeters. Glad it’s nearly fall! I can finally put my bug spray away!
Wow, it must have been incredible to see that moose! I wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of one of those.
The wildlife viewing on our Northern Ontario road trip has just been outstanding. It was exciting (and a little bit scary) to stumble across a moose on this trail. Glad it wasn’t mating seasons or a mama moose with a baby!
Great shot of the moose, it’s a nice reward, thanks for sharing with us.
It was so very unexpected and happened really quickly. I’m glad I had my phone out and was able to take a couple of pictures before it scurried off into the bush. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Great shots of the moose! Btw, I wanted to ask if you know where is a good place to see the Northern Lights and when?
Thanks, I’m very lucky that I had my phone out in my hand already and was able to quickly take a few pictures of it before it ran away.
I’ve only ever seen the Northern Lights once, and that was on a flight to Iceland. It’s funny because I was debating whether to go on a trip this winter to see the Northern Lights. I’ve only been looking into places in Ontario though. Here is a good reference guide that I came across: https://greatlakes.guide/ideas/see-the-northern-lights-in-ontario
That’s definitely lucky! Nature waits for no one!
Thank you for the link! I will definitely look into it 😊
You’re very welcome. Fingers crossed that you’ll be able to see them! All the best on your trip planning. Take care.
Thank you! Looking forward to seeing more of your adventures too 😁
Isn’t he a beauty! How great that you saw one. 🙂
This certainly made my day. Best moose encounter ever. The wildlife viewing on our Northern Ontario road trip has just been amazing.
I got so excited reading this…it’s as if I saw him with my own eyes. Lucky you! I miss the lake views – so typical for Canada. Take care! Corinna from Kassel
I would definitely consider us lucky to have seen a moose (and so up close!) on our hike. I’m not sure who was more scared though, us or the moose. Glad it wasn’t aggressive and just kind of ran away into the bushes. Thanks for reading.
These views look so stunning💗
The whole area around Lake Superior is simply stunning. And it certainly didn’t hurt that we saw a moose while hiking along this trail. Thanks for reading and commenting.
It certainly looks it! And seeing a moose would make it that bit better still.
Exciting invigorating adventure. Thank you.
Any hike where you encounter a moose certainly is an exciting adventure. Glad it wasn’t mating season or with a calf. Once it spotted us, it largely tried to get away from us as quickly as possible. Thanks for reading and commenting.
Wow! Awesome moose photos!!
Coming across the moose was so unexpected. I’m glad I had my phone already in my hand and was able to snap a couple of pictures before it ran away. The early bird really does get the worm. Or moose in this case. Thanks for reading.
What a nice trail! We just started the 52 Week Hike Challenge two weeks ago. Fun 🙂
That’s so exciting!! I’ve really enjoyed the 52 Hike Challenge so far as it’s a good excuse to get outside and explore new trails. Because of the pandemic, there really isn’t a whole lot else to do besides hiking. So it’s worked out pretty well. Best of luck on the challenge. Looking forward to following your progress.
What a great encounter to have with the moose. And your camera was ready! Like you, I judge the size of an animal by the sound I hear. A few days ago I kept hearing a shuffling of leaves while I sat at a picnic table in Yosemite. It was louder than a squirrel. Sure enough it was a mama bear and two cubs. My photos came out blurry though.
It certainly was the highlight of my day. And yes, glad I had my phone in hand and was quick to snap a couple of pictures before it scurried away. That must have been incredible (and incredibly terrifying!) to see the mama bear and her two cubs. Too bad your pictures came out blurry though. At least you have the memory.