Length of stay: 3 days
Visited: October 2023
Neys Provincial Park is located along the northern shore of Lake Superior. It contains ancient sand dunes, rocky outcrops, rolling hills, sub-arctic plants and a beautiful sandy beach. It offers camping, a variety of hiking trails and one of the nicest beaches on Lake Superior’s north shore.
Neys is one of our all-time favourite provincial parks in Ontario. We’ve been here a few times during various road trips we’ve taken across northern Ontario, but always in the summer. For the Thanksgiving long weekend we managed to book the Trapp Cabin at Neys and decided to check out the park in the peak of fall.
We flew into Thunder Bay Friday evening. It was overcast, windy and lightly raining. While earlier in the week we enjoyed unseasonably warm weather, the rain had finally brought cooler weather. We picked up our rental car and headed to the grocery store to get supplies for the weekend. It didn’t help that we were hungry, which is never a good combination when grocery shopping. From Thunder Bay, it’s around a three hour drive to Neys.
We arrived at the park just before 10:30pm and headed to the Area 2 Campground where the cabin is located. While we’ve stayed in a few cabins before at other provincial parks in Ontario, the Trapp Cabin at Neys is definitely one of the nicest. The inside consists of a single room that is fully furnished with a double Murphy bed, double pull-out couch, table with four chairs, fridge, hot plate, toaster oven, dishes, pots, cutlery and so much storage. It also has electricity, a water cooler and heating.
While we couldn’t see much of the outside when we arrived, the next morning we were able to scope things out. There’s a seating area on the deck with a covered porch and a picnic table and BBQ. Down the steps from the deck there’s additional seating around a fire pit. But the best part about the cabin is that it’s right by the beach. And the views of Lake Superior were fantastic.
Day 1: Overlooks
We slept in and took our time getting ready in the morning. After eating breakfast, we were ready to head outdoors and enjoy the fall foliage. It was quite chilly outside and the temperature was just above freezing. What better way to stay warm than by going for a hike. We headed for the Pic Island Overlook Trail (9km round trip, rated difficult).
From the parking lot, the trail follows an old road through the forest. The path is wide and is mostly uphill, but it’s gradual with a few flat spots to catch your breath. The leaves looked like they were just past their peak and would likely fall within the next couple of days given the wind.
The path leads to a gazebo that overlooks Lake Superior and Pic Island. There’s also a Moments of Algoma sign that explains how the surrounding landscape here provided inspiration for Lawren Harris’ famous painting of Pic Island in 1924. We took a break at the gazebo to admire the views.
Just past the gazebo, the trail connects with the Kopa Cove Trail, which then connects to Under the Volcano Trail and Point Trail to form a longer loop. We’ve hiked this loop before. While it’s a similar distance as the round trip of the Pic Overlook Trail, we opted to turn around. This is largely because the Kopa Cove Trail has some steep and rugged sections and we weren’t up for the challenge. And so we headed back the way we came along the easier path.
After our hike, we stopped at the gatehouse to officially check-in and collect our permit. On the way back to the cabin, we drove through part of the campground. It was mostly deserted, which is not that surprising considering the time of year and that the park would be closing after this weekend.
After eating a late lunch, we went for another hike along the Point Trail (2km round trip, rated easy). The narrow path winds through the mossy forest to a rocky outcrop overlooking Lake Superior. There’s also a few old boats here along with a sign to explain their significance. The boats were used in the mid 1940s by the Pigeon River Timber Company to transport workers and supplies to logging camps that were located up the Pic and Little Pic Rivers. Prisoners of war from Neys Camp 100 (which is how Neys Provincial Park gets its name) provided some of the labour for logging in this area.
To take advantage of the nice weather, we decided to go for one more hike along the Dunes Trail (1.3km loop, rated easy). The trail loops through an ancient sand dune system where the landscape transitions from red pines to a boreal forest.
Once we wrapped up our hike, we headed back to the cabin to make dinner on the BBQ. The best part about the cabin was its close proximity to the beach, which was the perfect spot to watch the sunset.
The sun finished setting just after 7pm. We headed indoors to spend the remainder of our evening playing cards and reading.
Day 2: Sunset
The temperature dropped below freezing overnight and we woke up to a light layer of frost on the ground. It was really nice to have a proper heater inside the cabin as we stayed nice and warm overnight. After eating breakfast, we packed some water and snacks for the car. We planned to take a day trip to Pukaskwa National Park, which is about a 45 minute drive away.
We returned to Neys in the mid-afternoon for a late lunch. It was another beautiful day of blue skies and sunshine, but it was very blustery which made it feel much cooler outside than it actually was.
Later in the afternoon we decided to go for another hike along the Lookout Trail, which is located in the Area 4 Campground. It looked like the park staff were already starting to winterize this section as many of the picnic tables were already turned over. Along the way to the trail we stopped at the boat launch to check out the view of Little Pic River.
The Lookout Trail (1.6km loop, rated moderate) meanders through the forest and up to a series of granite ridges which provide a view of Ashburton Bay and the surrounding area. We followed the blue markers through the forest and across a few sand dunes before returning to the parking lot.
There was still a few hours of daylight, but we didn’t quite have the energy to embark on another hike. Instead we went for a drive towards Terrace Bay, stopping at a few scenic lookouts and points of interest that we missed during our previous road trips across northern Ontario. Some of them were a bit of a bust as the viewpoints have now been obstructed by trees, but we found some gems. This includes Aguasabon Falls and Gorge where there’s a short trail along a wide boardwalk that leads to a nice viewpoint of the falls.
We headed back to Neys to get started on dinner and to watch the sunset. It was pretty chilly outside and still very windy, so we would race down to the beach every 15 minutes or so to see the progression of colours.
We then retreated back indoors for the remainder of the evening to enjoy the warmth from the cabin.
Day 3: Goodbye
We woke up to a drab and dreary morning. It was overcast and about 2°C outside, but felt like -4°C with the windchill. And oh wow was it windy. As such, we had a bit of a slow morning and took our time getting ready and making breakfast. We walked down to the beach one last time before packing up. Just as we were heading out, it started to rain.
Our flight wasn’t until later this evening so we planned to make a couple of stops along the drive back to Thunder Bay to check out a few other provincial parks. While the weather wasn’t ideal, at least the remaining display of fall colours more than made up for it.
L
🩵
We had a wonderful time at Neys and it was nice to experience the park in a different season. Thanks for reading and leaving a comment.
Beautiful sunset pictures.
Thanks!! There’s always something extra special about watching the sunset over the water.
What a beautiful trip, Linda. One of my biggest regrets from our Summer 2020 (has it been 4 years already?!) roadtrip to Thunder Bay was not exploring Neys. We only stopped by the entrance to collect a sticker then went on our way. 😆
We are tentatively planning a Thunder Bay roadtrip again for 2025 (yes, dreaming far ahead in time!). Neys, Old Woman Bay and Pancake Bay are definitely pitstops this time. And hoping to hike the Sleeping Giant with T this time.
Summers provide such nice things to dream about. And I can’t wait to explore Neys in the same level of depth you did here.
You can’t go wrong with another road trip across northern Ontario. We’ll probably go again too at some point once M is a bit older. There’s so many fantastic parks and overlooks along the northern shore of Lake Superior. Those are some great spots to add to your itinerary, especially Neys! I’d also recommend Batchawana Bay if you’re going later in the summer as it’s the best spot to go swimming. There’s a beautiful sandy beach and the water is surprisingly warm (relative to any of the other beaches on Lake Superior). Agreed, it’s always nice to have a trip to look forward to, especially during the summer. Have a wonderful weekend!
Batchawana Bay sounds fantastic too. Can’t wait for summer 2025 already!
Ha! Let’s get through this summer first! You’ll have a lot to look forward to with Banff!!
It looks like Yoho is within our reach and itinerary. I’ll take a look at your blog posts again soon as I’m trying to wrap my ahead around how to plan this. Did you and K but a Discovery Pass?
We typically buy an annual Canada Parks Pass every year. I’d recommend it since otherwise you’ll have to purchase a daily one each day while you’re in Banff and it’ll probably just be cheaper to get an annual one.
Thanks for the tip! I blocked off time to do more vacation planning this weekend. Long weekend almost here!!!
Fun! Happy trip planning and enjoy the extra long weekend! We’re planning to head to Pinery this weekend for our first family hike and overnight trip with the little one. We’ll see how that goes!
You and K don’t waste any time. It is impressive. Baby M is gonna be walking by Spring! 😆 Enjoy your hike. Pinery is beautiful.
Thanks! We have some pretty ambitious travel plans this year and want to start off small to figure out what works (and what doesn’t). Plus we want her to get used to being in the baby carrier more so we can do more hiking!
Oh, I can’t wait to read all about your ambitious travel plans! It’s good to take advantage of the free flights for baby M!
Oh I know! We actually just booked our first flight with her last night to Denver. We’re planning a two week road trip through Colorado and New Mexico this spring. We figure we can do the whole east coast road trip another time!
It’s a lovely cabin – nicely set up to make your own food (we always like that) … and look at those views over the lake! It seems that late Autumn is definitely a great time to visit this park — you still have the beauty of autumn colours, but few other visitors, too. And with such beautiful sunsets, even I would go out in the cold to take pictures. Stunning photos Linda!
While it’s nice to eat out every once in awhile, we prefer to make our own food as well. Besides, the nearest town was about a 45 minute drive away and pickings were slim in terms of restaurants. It was nice to return during the off-season to experience a quieter side of the park. And we got to enjoy a bit of the fall colours and some spectacular sunsets.
That cabin does look nice! I love the views of the water, especially the sunsets. I think the Great Lakes aren’t appreciated enough.
Given how cold it got overnight, we were really glad to be staying in a heated cabin as opposed to a tent. Plus, the older I get, the more accustomed I’ve become to camping in comfort. The real selling feature though was that the cabin was located right on the beach, which was perfect for watching the sunset. Agreed, the Great Lakes are pretty great. We’re lucky that four of them are in Ontario.
I can see why you like this park Linda. The cabin looks perfect and even has a sheltered fire pit. The trails in autumn look stunning and the weather certainly cooperated for your stay. Will have to keep this one in mind, if we ever get down that way again. Have a great Tuesday. Allan
Every time we’ve been to Neys we’ve always talked about how nice it would be to stay in the cabin. I’m glad we were able to snag it for the Thanksgiving long weekend and experience a quieter side of the park. It was a bit too chilly in the evenings to use the fire pit (although a fire could have warmed us up), but I have a feeling we’ll be back. Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
Your photos are dreamy and majestic. I would love to stay in that cabin! Thank you for sharing your trip with us.
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. The cabin was very cozy and a great way to “camp” in comfort. Plus, it was located right by the beach.
All photos Superb 👌🌹Mesmerised Sunset photos admiring 🌇very calm sea and surroundings gorgeous view 😍👍🏻 you explained the moments greatly appreciated 👏🖖 have a nice week ahead my dear friend 🌹🙏💕🌹
There’s always something so magical about watching the sunset by the water. The views were spectacular. Thanks for reading. Enjoy the rest of your day. Linda
Wow! Okay, this is a place I clearly need to visit. It’s so pretty! And that cabin looks so nice! What a fun long weekend getaway!
It’s pretty incredible just how massive Lake Superior is. We’ve only ever explored the northern shore located in Ontario, but someday we’d love to take a road trip around the entire lake. Neys and Sleeping Giant are two parks north of the border to add to your list if you ever make it this way.
Going all the way around the lake is on my roadtrip list too!
Great minds think alike. I don’t know about your road trip list, but mine is becoming a bit out of control. The more we travel, the longer it becomes!
Oh absolutely, for every item I cross off, I add three more to the list
Gorgeous! 🤩🤗
The scenery along Lake Superior is stunning. It was nice to visit in the fall to see the last of the fall colours.
I loved traveling the Superior route a few years back and seeing amazing views all around.
Oh I know. We’ve made the drive a few times. While it’s far, at least it’s incredibly scenic! And we’ve been incredibly lucky and mostly had clear skies while visiting Lake Superior.
Wow! What a beautiful park; your photos, especially of the sunsets, are stunning. They also communicate how chilly it was – apart from the colours there’s decidedly autumn sense. The cabin looks very comfortable, too.
Thanks for your lovely comment. There’s always something so special about watching a sunset over the water. That alone made it worth staying in the cabin (well, that and the fact that it had heating)! It was easily the nicest cabin we’ve stayed at in a provincial park in Ontario. And it came fully equipped with pretty much everything we needed, including dishes, pots, pans and cutlery, so we didn’t need to pack much. Just our sleeping bags and pillows.
This is such a beautiful part of the world to explore, and I love your little cabin – you can’t beat the locations and those beautiful views. And yes, it is never a good idea to go food shopping when hungry! I’d say that camping at Neys Provincial Park would open up the chance to truly explore the magic of this Lake Superior gem. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
The scenery along the northern shore of Lake Superior is simply stunning and is such a hidden gem. It’s far to get to, but that’s part of its appeal. It was nice to visit during the off-season as it felt like we had the trails and beach all to ourselves. Plus we were able to book the cabin, which can be quite popular during the summer. Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
Wow! I love the sunset photos and everything else! Such a beautiful area. It reminds me of Delta County in Michigan in the upper peninsula. Or, the Yooper as we call it. I miss the smell of the northern woods.
Thanks! We’ve only ever experienced Lake Superior from the Canadian side, but I’m thinking a road trip through Michigan and Minnesota is in order. There’s some beautiful parks that we’d love to visit. Pine is one of my favourite scents. So no wonder I love the northern woods so much!
I love the smell of the Michigan woods! I hope you get to see our Mackinaw Bridge, it was built in 1959. It’s about five miles long and connects the upper and lower peninsulas.
I’ll have to add it to our itinerary then! Thanks for the suggestion.
You’re welcome, Linda. ☺️
Neys was originally on our itinerary when we drove through Ontario a couple of years ago, but for some reason we didn’t stop. I love the Thunder Bay area, probably the most of northern Ontario. Maggie
You missed out! Neys is one of our favourite parks along the northern shore of Lake Superior and in general. Every time we’ve taken a road trip through northern Ontario we’ve always stopped here for a couple of days. There’s a nice sandy beach, but also some excellent hiking trails. The Thunder Bay area is gorgeous. Sleeping Giant has a few cabins. We were thinking of booking one of those at some point. Maybe in the winter to do some cross-country skiing.
Very beautiful! Thank you for sharing for the other part of the world💚🚙
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. They don’t call it Lake Superior for nothing. The scenery is gorgeous.
Looks like a great cabin! We managed to miss Neys Park because we went there the dat after it closed. Now I really want to go back…
What a bummer! Neys has some fantastic hiking trails. Plus the beach is beautiful. We’ve even gone swimming here a few years ago. It’s definitely worth returning to northern Ontario to explore.
I think we’ll have to 🙂
This looks like a magnificent place to hike, and the views are incredible. Your sunset photos from Neys are absolutely gorgeous, and the colors are amazing!
There’s a nice variety of hiking trails at Neys that range in distance and difficulty. And it has one of the nicest beaches in Ontario, which is always the perfect spot to watch the sunset.
The cabin looks nice and the scenery is definitely splendid. Great photos.
Thanks! Despite the cooler weather, the cabin was very cozy and warm. It was nice to experience fall up in northern Ontario as the scenery is quite different compared to the southern part of the province.
You’ve been lucky with those beautiful days! We didn’t manage to stop there on our road trip up north couple of years ago, but this looks very enticing, for next time!
Hope you all are well, and little Margaret keeps you busy🙂
xx
Oh I know! Even though it was a bit chilly and blustery, having some sunshine makes a huge difference. It seems Neys is often overlooked, which in some ways isn’t a bad thing as that means it’s not super crowded. Our little M is certainly keeping us busy! We’ll be going on our first family trip in the beginning of April, which I’m super excited for. Have a wonderful weekend. Linda
Wow! So beautiful views so relaxing, cozy, beautiful, that kitchen invites for cooking…
Just one thing… I missed those red chairs. Thank’s for share an amazing experience Linda.
Keep well and enjoying.
Elvira
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. It was nice to have a kitchen in the cabin as we enjoy making our own food. Plus we didn’t have to take any dishes or pots or pans with us, which was kind of nice. Take care. Linda
Always a pleasure visit your blog, Linda. Sounds a cozy time cooking with love and for love.
Keep well. Nice weekend.
Elvira
You are too kind. Hope you had a wonderful weekend as well.
Sounds like a great trip! Beautiful photos~ the cabin really looks nice!
It sure was. I only wished we could have stayed longer! I’m such a fan of northern Ontario and the scenery along Lake Superior. Staying in the cabin was a real treat and sure beat sleeping in a tent!
What a special place to stay. It looks beautiful, especially in the colours of autumn 🙂
We’ve been to this park a few times and have always wondered what it would be like to stay in the cabin. I’m glad I managed to book it and visit later in the fall to see how different the landscape looked with the leaves changing colour.
The cabin at Neys looks very smart and well equipped. Lovely, autumn tints.
I must say, it was very convenient how the kitchen was fully equipped with everything we needed to cook. And there was also a BBQ outside for us to use. But the best part about the cabin was its close proximity to the beach.
That cabin looks reasonably comfortable, and it’s nice that the lake is just a few steps away. The view of Pic Island from the lookout is really beautiful. The shades of green and yellow of the foliage in the foreground help add to the charm. But the sunset is something else. It’s spectacular!
The cabin was very cozy. It was a convenient way to stay within the park while still enjoying basic amenities like heating and having a proper bed to sleep on. The hike to the Pic Island Overlook is one of my favourites. The views were especially breathtaking in the fall as the landscape was changing colour. The blue skies and sunshine were an added bonus.
Beautiful photos! When we move back to the US, we plan to spend some time exploring Canada (we’re Seattleites), and this place looks very appealing. Excellent post!
Thanks for your kind words. There’s so many amazing national and provincial/state parks in Canada and the United States. We’d love to visit them all someday! We were in your neck of the woods last spring and took a road trip along part of the Pacific Coast from Olympic to northern California. The scenery was gorgeous! We’d love to return someday as there wasn’t nearly enough time to hit up everything on our itinerary.
I’ve been fortunate to have traveled to quite a few countries, but the PNW is one of the most places I’ve seen.
Oh absolutely. Im typically not a fan of hiking in the rain, but I didn’t seem to mind it as much when the forest looks so lush and enchanting. And I guess they don’t call it the rain forest for nothing!
Absolutely beautiful, and a nicely varied hike with distinctly different sections. Our kinda hike! This is an area we would love to visit.
There are a lot of fantastic hiking trails and overlooks along the northern shore of Lake Superior. Neys is one of our favourite spots along this stretch. Hope you’re able to make it here someday, although I’m sure you will considering how much you guys are able to travel!
What a beautiful area to explore for a few days with a little variety of all the best views. I think I could happily hike around here for a few days 🙂
We didn’t have a lot of time, but I’d say we made the most of it! There are a few other parks that are nearby, which provide a lot of great options for hiking (and camping in the summer).
The park is so picturesque and looks really tranquil. Your photos are beautiful.
Thanks for your lovely comment. While it was a bit chilly, it was nice to experience the fall in northern Ontario at one of our favourite provincial parks.
Having been born and raised in Thunder Bay, our family camped at Neys a few times growing up, and it is truly a beautiful and memorable park! Your post and photos gave me a comforting slice of home 🙂
Glad to hear you have fond memories of Neys and feel the same way about how it’s a beautiful park. It’s often overlooked, which perhaps is part of its charm. We’ve driven across northern Ontario a few times and have always stopped at Neys for a couple of nights. The scenery never gets old.
I’ve never been as far as Thunder Bay, it’s too far by car from Toronto and if I have to fly I might as well go further. I’m glad to see there are some nice places to visit.
We’ve made the drive from Toronto to Thunder Bay (and back again) a few times. It’s long, but the stretch along the northern shore of Lake Superior is stunning. I must say, it was very convenient to just fly there instead this time!
A beautiful area to explore and spend a few days hiking around and enjoying the diversity of views. The view of Lake Superior and Pic Island from the gazebo is exceptional, no wonder a painter was inspired to immortalise it. I also love the photo of the gorge and the waterfall. Really beautiful autumn colours and the deserted beach with driftwood.
Thanks! Lake Superior is aptly named as the views of the shoreline are exceptional. Even though it was a bit chilly, it was nice to visit later in the year to experience a bit of fall in northern Ontario. And at least we had a warm cabin to return to to warm-up.
Beautiful post 🌹
Thanks for your lovely comment and for stopping by. We had a wonderful weekend up north enjoying the last of the fall colours.
These are amazing photos. Anita
Thanks for your kind words and for leaving a comment. The scenery along Lake Superior is stunning.
I love those sunsets and you sure lucked out with the weather. What I love about your posts is that it brings the beauty of Canada all the way over to me in Spain. Thanks so much!
You are too kind. It’s incredible how much wilderness there is in Canada. I’m glad we were able to squeeze this trip in and enjoy one of our favourite parks during the fall. While it was a bit chilly outside, at least we had some sunshine.
Am totally in love with the Trapp cabin💯
It was brave of you to do Pic Island Overlook Trail when the poster says “at your own risk” 🤪
It was the only way I’d visit this park so late in the fall! The cabin was quite warm, comfortable and cozy. I’m not sure why the Pic Island Overlook Trail has a difficult rating or a sign to use at your own risk as the path wasn’t that strenuous and was well maintained. We had no issues hiking it (and this is saying something as I was seven months pregnant at the time).
Thanks for those gorgeous sunset pix. The cabin was an extra special note. Glad you were able to get to the falls, a stunning view.
It was a bit chilly outside, but well worth it to head down to the beach to catch the sunset. Besides, we knew we had a nice warm cabin to return to afterwards! I’m glad we were able to book it for the end of the season.
I might actually make it to Canada this summer. Will put this on my list. Hoping to explore for three weeks. Need to figure rules for camping and my dog
That’s exciting! Where in Canada are you thinking of visiting? There’s so much to see and the landscape is so different from the east coast to west coast and everything in between.
Looks like a good place for the soul! Thank you for sharing with us!!
For sure. I’m a firm believer that spending time outdoors and in nature is good for our health and well-being. Thanks so much for reading and leaving a comment.